Over the past year, video calling has been a life-saver—and not just for families that are spread far and wide. Many of us have been relying on digital platforms to stay safely connected and keep up relationships while we can’t get together in person. And while it’s awesome to be able to see and hear our loved ones, keeping kids engaged during a video call can be challenging. But with a little imagination and a bit of planning, you can make sure your time together is fun, memorable and filled with lots of action. Here are 10 activities you can do on your next video call:
Draw portraits of each other
This is a great activity that makes use of the fact that you can see each other’s smiling faces during your video call. Have some art supplies at the ready and create a one-of-a-kind portrait for your loved ones. Bonus points for adding fun accessories or silly hairstyles!
Play pictionary
You’ll need some paper, markers and a list of words to draw. Go back and forth doing your best artistic interpretation of different objects and see if you can guess each other’s drawings!
Do a Mad Lib together
If you’re video calling with older kids, Mad Libs are a great way to have a laugh. There are lots of free templates on the web—and you can even find ones that correspond to different themes and occasions! You can take turns picking different words to fill in stories—and see what kind of silliness ensues.
Play charades
Set up your phone, tablet or laptop somewhere you have enough space to act—and get ready to goof around! A random word generator like this one lets you select a difficulty level for your words so you can make sure your game is age-appropriate.
Put on a talent show
Plan ahead and have kids put an act together for a virtual talent show—singing, acting, lip-syncing—even demonstrating their new favorite video game. You can either be an audience member or put your own act together to share in return!
Build objects out of lego
Lego can be a great way to encourage kids’ creativity! If they have a collection of building blocks on hand, you can challenge them to build different objects. You can raise the stakes by adding a time limit—or mix it up by having them build objects that you guess.
Enjoy a movie night
Lots of streaming services offer options to co-view or start viewing parties—so you can enjoy a movie night together from a distance. You can plan ahead for the full theatre experience with popcorn and candy, too!
Do a science experiment together
There are lots of fun experiments you can do with common household items—but one of our favorites is ice cream in a bag! Gather materials ahead of time and follow the instructions together for a delicious and educational activity!
Show and tell
A great activity for younger kids? Get them to put on their own show and tell! They can share anything from their favorite toys to crafts or drawings they’ve made.
Search for colorful objects
This is a fun one to get kids moving. Pick a color and then have kids search their house for as many objects as they can find of the same color. You can switch up the rules to keep it interesting—like setting a timer or introducing color combos!
Other tips for video calling
With a bit of creativity and planning, you can ensure kids are engaged and excited during your video calls. But if you’re looking for a sleek solution, there are also awesome apps like Together with games built right in. Just dial up a loved one and then choose from a variety of fun and educational games—no pre-planning necessary.
And, if you’re short on time but still want to connect, download Kinzoo and check out the Blip feature! It’s a video call that automatically wraps up after eight minutes—helping us focus on the present moment and make the most of the time we have together!
Image Credit: Milan Markovic / Getty Images
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