The conference may be virtual, but you’re together in reali-tea. Hold a videoconference tea party with four participants: Align the images of all participants in a grid so that you seamlessly interact. Pour tea from one recipient into the frame of another, pass objects such as scones or cakes’ you get the idea.
Videos
Item 48 – Distance Reading
Up to 20 seconds. It’s storytime! But lots of children are out of school and missing out on valuable literacy opportunities. Using large visual aids or a projector, and a real or home-made bullhorn or megaphone, distance-read to children on a nearby balcony.
Item 46 – #BasicSkills Tutorial
There’s an overwhelming wealth of how-to videos on youtube. How to repair a Whirlpool Dishwasher, for instance (I had to watch that one recently) or how to groom your golden retriever (had to watch that one too), but it’s hard to find tutorials on some of the more basic life skills. Create a tutorial for something we don’t normally get instructional programming for, but that is a necessary skill. For example, you could make a youtube tutorial on how to brush your teeth (but now you can’t do that). Post tagged #BasicSkills and #GISH.
Item 44 – Long-Distance Concert
Just because we’re ‘socially distant’ doesn’t mean we can’t all get together! Hold a long-distance concert performance with your neighbors on your porches or balconies. The song should be ‘All By Myself’, ‘Close To You’, or another song that references distance in some way. Post it to social media tagged #GISH and #LongDistantConcerts
Item 43 – Stop-Motion Self-Washing Dishes
STOP MOTION. These dishes aren’t going to wash themselves… No, actually, they are. Show us the latest GISH innovation: self-washing dishes.
Item 35 – #PassTheBallot Challenge
It’s the #PassTheBallot Challenge! Get at least 5 Americans to pledge to vote via mail-in ballot and if possible in their location, request a mail-in or absentee ballot, then take a video passing a sign that says ‘I WILL VOTE’ between them. (Similarly, if you are not in the USA, and your country also does voter registration, do the same.) Add upbeat music and post on social media tagged #PassTheBallotChallenge and #GISH, then send US the original video.
Item 34 – Elderly Favorites Interview
Edit to 2 minutes. Immunocompromised and elderly people are facing more isolation and stress than ever. Reach out to someone elderly or immunocompromised in your community in a video chat who has been on total lockdown and video interview them on the topic of favorites. What is their favorite ice cream? Favorite color and why? Favorite movie and why? Favorite day that they remember? Etc
Item 33 – Socially-Distanced Makeover
Edit to 20 seconds. There’s no reason this lock-down should put a crimp on our beauty routines. That being said, we don’t want to risk the health of salon workers. Let’s show the world how to do a socially-distanced makeover – hair, makeup, nails, whatever. You must be at least 6 feet away from your customer and you must show the before and after ‘looks’ your customer receives.
Item 32 – YOU-rovision
(UP TO 30 SECONDS) Eurovision got canceled, but who needs it? YOU-rovision is here now. Write and perform an original, uplifting song of hope using instruments of your own creation. The 3 teams whose songs we like best will be featured on our GISH YouTube Channel and social media, so that’s basically the exact same level of fame and fortune as Eurovision used to be.
Item 30 – Renaissance Sculpture Destruction
TIMELAPSE IF NECESSARY. Re-create a famous Renaissance sculpture out of wax a(and then melt it), play-dough (and then smash it), or mashed potatoes (and then eat it). You may NOT use Michelangelo’s David.