This feels like the most bizarre blog post to write, 6 months ago I’m not sure I could have envisaged that my children and most children across the country (possibly worldwide) are only only seeing their grandparents and friends via video call! If I dwell on it too much, it’s quite upsetting, I know my children miss their grandparents so much. But we’ve got to stay positive and thankful….I’m so grateful that we are able to see them via zoom and other video calls! Can you imagine if this pandemic had happened a few years ago before these amazing technologies?!

So…keen to embrace zoom and other video calls we’ve been trying out (and asking others for their recommendations) some fun activities and games that grandparents and friends can do with young children on zoom!

Here’s what we’ve compiled:

1. Reading & Telling Stories:  Grandparents are often the pros at story time! There’s lots of different ways you can do this. They could simply make up a story or read a story to your child. My parents did a lovely activity of reading and then asking them questions about the book afterwards. Some of our lovely followers have told me of their wonderful ways they have grandparents read to their children including downloading the same book online (oxford owl is popular!) and sharing screens so you can help the child read and share the story!
You can download lots of books if you sign up for Amazon Kindle Unlimited too here.

2. Bingo: This was a brilliant suggestion by one of my friends and we tried it today with great success. The children or child choose 6 numbers (be careful to select ones that they know!) then the grandparent or friends calls out the numbers over zoom. You could have a few people playing this to make it exciting! Great for number recognition.

3. Drawing Lessons: My brilliant dad has been doing this with my kids and it’s been very popular! The idea is that they have to describe the drawing to the child over zoom and the child has to listen to the instructions to try and get the same drawing! We’ve been drawing all sorts from boats to aeroplanes and the kids loved it. Fantastic for developing concentration and listening skills.

4. Guess Who: Another brilliant suggestion from a friend. If you get a set of guess who each (on amazon here) you can easily play this game over zoom! Or you could make your own with pictures of family members and friends if you were really creative!

5. Yoga: I love this suggestion, if your children have grandparents or friend with a hobby like Yoga they could share it with your kids by giving them a little yoga lesson! This could work with anything though, so don’t worry if you really can’t see their grandparents performing yoga moves! It could be that they teach them how to paint, knit or do ballet!

6. Quiz: Zoom Quizzes aren’t just for adults, you can easily make a quiz pitched at little ones. And if you google Quizzes there are loads you can download too, on everything from Disney princesses to super heroes!

7. Scavenger Hunt: Kids love showing people things on zoom and it often keeps them occupied for longer if they’ve got a little task to do. So why not set them on a scavenger hunt in their house, asking them to find various objects and bring them to show grandparents on zoom! Only downside is this can make a bit of a mess!!

8. Show and Tell: As I mentioned in 7, kids tend to love showing people toys and special objects! So why not re create the school ‘show and tell’ where they can choose an object and have a minute or so to show it to their grandparents or friends and talk about it! Great for practising communication skills.

9. Lego Club: This is my favourite, can be done with anyone including school friends! All you need is a theme, so it could be space or under the sea, and a box of Lego! Everyone chats whilst building and shows each other their creations when they’ve finished!

10. Hangman: A really easy game to play over zoom! And bonus is you only need paper and pens!

11. Boggle: If either you or their grandparents/friends have boggle then this could be a great one! You only need one set between you and the idea is you have to look at the letters to make up words using those acadcent to one another. There’s also online versions too if you didn’t have the physical game or you could make your own!!

12. Battleships: This suggestion from a friend, is fab! I feel like battleships was MADE for zoom!! All you need to do is both make identical grids (with numbers and letters along the top and side) and then each player draws on their grid their ships. You take turns choosing a square to ‘fire’ at by saying like ‘B3’ and then if on that corresponding square there is a ship they will have destroyed it!

13.  Memory Game: My lovely lovely mum came up with this idea and my littlest LOVED it! She popped some objects on a tray for her to memorise and showed her them over zoom. Then my youngest had to close her eyes whilst my mum took one object away. Then my youngest had to guess the object! Great for memory skills!

14. Cooking/baking: We’ve yet to try this,  but I was in awe of a friend who’s family have done this over zoom with grandparents! They gave them a cooking lesson over zoom! Sounds great fun!

15. Snap: The classic card game can easily be played over video call! All you need to do differently is make a note of who wins each go so you can tally up the score instead of collecting cards to win!

We’d love to know your ideas! Please comment and tell us what you do!