In today's episode, we share some helpful tips to make the most out of this crazy holiday time.

1. Organize a virtual family Thanksgiving meal

This year, minimize risk by moving the celebration online and organizing a virtual gathering.

Even if it’s not the same as being in the same room, setting up a group video chat still allows everyone to be together.

To help things go smoothly on Thanksgiving, test your chosen virtual gathering method ahead of time to work out any kinks.

To improve the video conferencing experience, consider:

• Enlarging your viewing screen by using your TV as a computer monitor
• Using a laptop or tablet instead of a smartphone
• Using a larger smart display device like the Amazon Echo Show with 8 inch display, Facebook Portal Plus with 15.6 inch display, or Google Nest Hub Max with 10 inch display

Note: To include older adults who aren’t able to set up or use technology devices due to dementia or other health conditions, we’ve got detailed suggestions for how to video chat with them here.

And here are a variety of ways to gather virtually.

Group video calls:

• Jitsi Meet – a fully encrypted video conferencing solution that you can use all day, every day, for free, with no account needed
• Zoom – here’s a helpful video tutorial on using Zoom with multiple people, their group video calls are free for 40 minutes (hint: start a new call after 40 minutes)
• Google Meet – anyone with a Google Account can create a video meeting, invite up to 100 participants, and meet for up to 60 minutes per meeting for free.
• UberConference – free videoconferencing with no PINs or downloads needed

Free one-on-one video calls:

• FaceTime on Apple iPhones
• Zoom
• Facebook Messenger
• WhatsApp
• Skype (Web / iPhone / Android)
• Google Meet

If video doesn’t work for everyone, set up a free conference call...