By Ashley Cloninger

This time last year I never would have imagined that my child’s playdates would no longer be happening.  I am sure I am not the only parent who can relate.  Not only this but having to result in scheduling “virtual playdates” of all things for my child and her friends (family included).  

You would also assume considering how far technology has come that the words “I’m bored!” would never be spoken again, but those words may be etched into every child’s vocabulary.  If you were like me, I had to fight over using the landline with my siblings.  Now our children can virtually talk and see their friends at any time of the day.  Things that we once only thought happened in the movies.  

To keep those “I’m bored” comments away, here are a few classic games to sample that any child can do virtually with their friends and family.

1. The Alphabet Game

Do you remember the license plate game?  It’s when you’re on a road trip and the goal is for the first person in the car to see the license tags of all 50 states first?  The Alphabet A-Z game is similar in that each child starts with the letter of the alphabet and searches for an item in the room that begins with that letter.  It’s a great way for littles to have a better understanding of letters.  My daughter and niece like to change the rules, and each will take turns guessing what item they believe the other has selected in the room. 

2. Dance Party

No one sang it better than Whitney, “Oh, I wanna dance with somebody!”  My 7-year old and her friends love to take turns picking out songs either on the radio or their devices.  Then they rotate making up random dances.  As a parent, I would have your phone or camera ready to record these priceless and so entertaining moments.  They can be quite hysterical!  What is even cuter is when they start singing along!  Join in on the fun too!

3. Virtual Scavenger Hunt

As a teenager, I enjoyed scavenger hunts with my youth group.  Especially those that required driving to random places and bringing back different items.  The group who brought back everything on the list first would win.  We had to bring back all sorts of odd things.  I remember having to go into McDonald’s and asking for a clean cheeseburger wrapper of all things.  At the time I felt ridiculous but, in the end, it was so much fun and rememberable!  So why not create a virtual scavenger hunt for items around the house for the kids to enjoy too?

To play a parent will need to gather a list of clues for each child, an example could be, find something that is a fruit (apple), a book, or something that you put items in (basket). The object is for each child to have a set amount of time to bring back all the list of items in their own space.  Whoever brings them back first, wins! 

4. I Spy

I Spy is another classic game.  My child even yells out “I Spy” whenever she is device-less!  The rules are player one picks an object in the background of their screen while player two tries to guess what object they picked by asking questions to figure it out.  When my daughter was a toddler, I cannot tell you how many times I used this game as a way of keeping her entertained when grocery shopping.  It kept the temper tantrums away.  I highly suggest it!  

5. Charades

Have you ever played Charades with children?  This game has been around for ages it seems!  The classic game of charades is to name a movie, a TV show, a book, or a song where one player explains the word by using only gestures while the other player guesses.  The player who guesses gets a point.  The person with the most points at the end of the game wins.

I’ve found watching my child play this with her friends, one of the hardest parts for them to understand is, the person doing the gestures isn’t supposed to do any talking.  Kids tend to lend their answer right away.  That is where we can step in and teach lessons about the rules of the game, even if you must do it ten times.

I would suggest having a list of ready when they come looking for ideas to act out.  Animals, instruments, Disney movies and Disney characters are a few that are sure to their imaginations going.  

Once their video chatting has ended and the “I’m Bored” remark rolls off their tongue, point them to this handy mnemonic device.  This is posted in our home and I promise it will not take long until your kids will soon be quoting it by memory.