How To Host a Socially Distant Cookie Exchange

If you’ve been here for a while, you know that my friend Anna and I have scrupulously kept up our wonderful tradition of our annual cookie exchange (you can read about years past HERE, HERE, and HERE. We’ve now done seven, but I don’t have posts for each). I just love it and I know many of my readers do too! I love getting emails from people who have been inspired by my tips and have hosted their own cookie exchanges throughout the country! It’s so fun, right?

When October rolled around and it became apparent that Covid wasn’t going anywhere, my first thought (I’m not exaggerating) was how to be innovative about our cookie exchange. I really don’t like virtual “parties” because they’re not the same and they suck. There, I said it. So, I thought it would be fun to talk about how to host a socially distant cookie exchange that Anna and I hosted this past weekend. We were determined to make this happen and I’m so glad we did! There’s plenty of time to host a cookie exchange with your girls before Christmas, and I can’t encourage you to do so enough!

Be flexible

People have varying degrees of comfort when it comes to Covid. If someone doesn’t want to come to your cookie exchange, it’s OK. Likewise, If someone gets the sniffles in the morning, it’s OK. If someone was really looking forward to it and her grandma lectured her about going the night before, it’s OK. Now is not the time to get pissy about petty things. You’ll be hugging your girlfriends next year!

Find an outdoor venue

Thankfully, Anna and her husband just bought an amazing house with a great yard and it was perfect! The weather forecast said that it was going to be “blustery” and it ended up being 50 degrees and sunny! It was lovely.

Send out an email to guests asking them to pre-portion their cookies.

It’s probably best to not have people touching other peoples’ cookies, ya know? One of my friends said that with people having their cookies pre-portioned it was like adult trick-or-treating, haha. I’ll take it!

Light a bonfire

Since it is December, after all. I always think of bonfires as a summer night and fall thing. It’s fun to light one in the chiller days too, right? Anna’s husband got this puppy roaring and it made the environment absolutely perfect.

Have warm beverages available

Anna made mulled wine and coffee.. It was divine.

Tell people to dress warm and bring blankets.

It can be cold, so it’s important that people are comfortable!

Give everyone their own tongs

Again, it’s best to not to have people touching things. I got tongs at the Dollar Tree and just had everyone hold on to their own. We do always provide savory snacks along with the cookies, so the tongs were primarily used for that.

Have fun!

We love the cookie exchange and kind of treat it as a Christmas gift of sorts to our friends. This year I Cricuted potholders as party favors and dish towels for the winners. We voted like we always do and loved having a fun, safe way to see our friends before Christmas craziness rolls around!

Alternative ideas:

• Trunk-Or-Treat Style: You know about the Halloween Trunk or Treat craze, right? This method would work for a cookie exchange too. Ask a local church if you can use their parking lot and have at it!
• Virtual: This will entail a TON of driving for the hostesses, but it can be done. Gather all baked cookies first. Then divvy them up in to the mixtures. Drop them off. Have people hop on Zoom. Vote for the best. Drop off the prizes to the winners… See what I mean about not being the same though? Not the same…
• At a public picnic pavilion: There are several public parks that are first come, first serve. Wake up early to stake your claim and have a blast in the great outdoors!

I love cookie exchanges and I hope this is an encouragement to try one this year too! You won’t regret it!