It is important to try and have play dates and social interactions for your children. However, because we are social distancing the safe way to do this is through video conferencing or calling. Interacting with other people through play will increase your child’s emotional regulation and social skills because they can practice controlling emotions, practice solving conflicts, and practice negotiating.
There needs to be both a verbal and nonverbal back and forth between people who are communicating. We may have to model this back and forth interaction so our children can learn how to do this through video communication. Children learn through play, so it will help if we set up a child’s video play date with toys and games just like they may have during an in person play date. However, we may have to help guide our children and initially give them some play ideas for their video play date.
But what should your child play during their video play date?
After setting up some video play dates for my own young children, and also practicing teletherapy I have started a list of ideas and activities to bring to your next video play date.
-Have your child bring their favorite toy or book to show. Take turns telling about your item.
-Have the child play and you narrate what the child is doing.
-Have the children play with the same toy on each side of the screen and talk about what they are making. Some examples could be: Play with playdoh, magnet tiles, dolls, and cars.
-Crafts! plan with the other parent the same craft that the children can create at the same time.
-Color! Have each parent print out some coloring pages that the children can do together.
-Dress up! Have fun items like a variety of hats, sunglasses, glasses, capes, animal ears, or costumes ready. Each person can dress up.
-Freeze dance
-Simon Says
-Hangman
-20 Questions
-Would you rather game
-Guess who or Battleship if each family owns the game
-Grab a deck of cards and play War
If you have the ability to share your screen some of my favorite websites for games include:
Let me know what works and what does not. Good luck!