When the new year begins, we often get back into the swing of life and schedules. Family day is an important time that reminds us to relax, slow down, and spend quality time with our loved ones. Connection with our families is more important than ever right now.
This year, quality time is looking a lot different. But, different doesn’t mean bad! There are many fun and creative ways that we can connect with family members online.
Ways to Spend Time with Family Online
1. Pictionary
Take turns drawing out words using Zoom’s whiteboard feature. Use a word generator if you need help thinking of things to draw. Decide on a time limit and put someone in charge of tracking time for the person who is drawing.
2. Charades
Take turns acting out words using Zoom or another video chat platform. Use the same word generator if you need help thinking of things to draw. Decide on a time limit and put someone in charge of tracking time for the person who is acting.
3. Time competitions
There are many games you can play virtually with household items you have at home.
Roll out toilet paper, place a glass of water on the end, and sit down at the other side. Pull the toilet paper and the glass of water towards you without spilling or pulling the paper out from under the glass. See who can drag their glass towards them the fastest.
Place 4-6 water bottles around on the floor. Put something heavy (like a ball or bunched up socks) in one of the legs of the stockings, having it rest in the foot section. Wrap the waistband of the stockings around your head and swing back and forth using the stockings as a wrecking ball. See who can knock over the water bottles in the fastest time.
Take a long piece of string and tie it to a pickle or other long vegetable such as a carrot. Then, secure the string around your waist. The pickle should hang behind your back and between your legs. Place a cup or jar a couple of feet away. When the clock starts, walk back towards the cup and then bend your legs to try and drop the pickle into the cup. Whoever completes it in the fastest time wins!
4. Mad Libs
These fill in the blank stories are a fun and engaging way for kids to learn about nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Brightly provides printable mad libs for all ages that help reinforce essential grammar, reading comprehension, and vocabulary while having a laugh in the process.
5. Scavenger Hunt
Designate one person as the host, or rotate the host option around the group. The host will create a quick list of items participants can gather around the home. Think of general categories that most homes will have. Things like "something with wheels" or "a picture of your family together" are examples of things to get going. Whoever brings the items back the fastest wins that round.
6. Movie Party
Have a long-distance movie night with family members using Teleparty, a Google Chrome browser extension.
7. Have a Meal Together
Set up a Zoom or video chat during a meal over the weekend. Set up a laptop, tablet or phone on a counter or hutch where the camera can see everyone. You can project their video from your device onto a TV so you can see them better, even though they might be far away.
8. Create Your Own Karaoke or Lip Sync Battle Videos
You can do this using TikTok, live Zoom or video chat, or record videos using your phone and send them through text message. Set up challenges for one another by choosing songs that you want to see them sing or lip sync. Choose songs you think they might not know, and have a nice, lighthearted, laugh.
9. Have a "HouseParty"
Download the app HouseParty onto your phone or tablet to video chat with your family. HouseParty has built in games like Heads Up, trivia, and others, which can be played directly on your phone or tablet.