Tag Archives: video chat

How to have more fun at Christmas using Video Chat

Especially for Grandparents, Video Call Activities, ,

With social distancing in place and travel restricted, video chat is a great way to share the Christmas spirit with family , especially kids and grandkids. As a result of the COVID 19 virus many grandparents haven’t seen their grandchildren this year and won’t see them this holiday season. You can assure that you won’t be one of those grandparents if you use video chat. Here are some ideas for holiday fun.

Holiday Decorating

Help decorate the holiday tree with a grandchild by sending ornaments and watching as kids place them on the tree. You can also watch as stockings are hung. Using a mobile device, tablet or phone, tour your home and show others your tree and decorations. Are there outdoor decorations that would be fun for you to share? Children quickly learn how to use a mobile device and are excited to show you their decorations and holiday art.

Visit with Santa

Kids are discovering how much fun a visit with Santa can be using video. In fact, parents are learning that some younger children are less apprehensive about talking to Santa when they are in their own home and on their parent’s lap. You can schedule a live, personal visit with Santa visit by using one of the apps in the Google play store or Apple store. Online check out hiresanta.com to learn more about virtual visits.

Holiday Gift Exchange

Have you ever sent a gift to a child and then wondered what they really thought about it? When we send gifts to our grandchildren for birthdays and holidays we always request that they be opened during a video call. It is especially helpful for young children to see who sent the gift. For grandparents it’s priceless to see the child’s response and share their excitement.

Be prepared, as the reaction to your gift may not always be what you expect or hoped for. I once set pajamas that I thought my two-year-old grandson would love. What I learned was that the stickers on the package were much more interesting to him than the gift. As a result of seeing his reaction, I added stickers to other packages that I mailed and, I didn’t send clothes to my other grandchildren until they were older and could enjoy the gift. It wasn’t long before dinosaur pajamas were a big hit.

As children get older they often like to pick out their own clothes. You might consider having a catalogue sent to children so they can select items that they like. I often do this with the Lands End Children’s catalogue and my school age grandchildren. The package is placed under the tree until the next video chat when we can be with them virtually to open the gift.

Fun Holiday Activities

Sing holiday songs together. Email the words to your favorite songs and enjoy singing with others. If you play an instrument join in. A family holiday concert is a fun way to celebrate. Read holiday stories such as The Night Before Christmas, Bear Stays Up for Christmas or The Christmas Star to grandchildren. We often purchase holiday poppers and open those at the end of a meal. Kids enjoy the activity and the small toys inside the popper.

Share a Holiday Meal

Add a tablet or other mobile device to your holiday table and share a meal together. Plan the time when you can join your family virtually and share favorite holiday stories. Plan the menu so you are sharing some of the same traditional foods. Demonstrate how to prepare a favorite traditional recipe or bake holiday cookies during a chat.

Lillian Tibbles PhD is the author of 3 books about Video Chat with Kids.
Her latest book How to Have Fun with Kids & Grandkids Using Video Chat is available
in both digital and print format.

Celebrate Thanksgiving with Grandchildren and Video Chat

Especially for Grandparents, Tips for Video Call, , , ,

With Thanksgiving 2020 fast approaching many families are concerned about getting together while the Corona virus remains a threat. A family video chat is a fun and safe ways to celebrate this holiday. Get creative with one of the many video chat apps like Zoom, Skype or FaceTime and enjoy being with those you love during this important holiday.

Here are some suggestions about video chats and celebrating Thanksgiving:

  1. Discuss Thanksgiving as a holiday that not only remember the pilgrims and Indians celebrating a harvest, but  an opportunity to explore the importance of thankfulness and gratitude.
  1. Share a virtual meal together. This celebration can be the day before or after the official day and still be a special event.
  1. Before the holiday children can talk about menu items for the celebration dinner. Involve children in discussing traditional Thanksgiving foods as well as sides and desserts they might suggest.
  1. Consider a video chat the morning of the holiday so children can see part of your meal preparation. With a portable device such as a phone or tablet you can demonstrate how you make a special dish or what you do to prepare for the meal.
  1. Have children share art projects related to the holiday either before, or on the holiday.
  1. Encourage children to participate in a special toast or prayer to start the meal.
  1. Lead a discussion about what gratitude is and have each participant, both children and adults, come prepared to share what they are grateful for or to talk about special times and people they experienced this year.
  1. Read children’s books like the Thankful Book by Todd Parr or Happy Thanksgiving Curious George by H.A. Rey.

Times are difficult for many families. Taking time to warmly and deeply express appreciation for kindness and benefits received can help us stay positive.

Lillian Tibbles PhD is the author of 3 books about Video Chat with Kids.
Her latest book How to Have Fun with Kids & Grandkids Using Video Chat is available
in both digital and print format.

Enjoy July 4th With A Video Chat

Especially for Grandparents, Video Call Activities, , ,

The 4th, as the holiday is sometimes referred to, is often celebrated with family events. This year, with the Corona virus present more families than ever are separated from their loved ones. Independence Day is a national holiday celebrating the date that the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Although the separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776 the document providing for the legal separation wasn’t finalized until July 4th.  Although there is some debate about whether the Declaration of Independence was signed on the 4th that is the date that appears on the document.

Create new traditions that connect you with your family across the miles. Wave or display a flag when you say hello when making a video call. Talk about celebrating the country’s birthday and play or listen to patriotic music. With social distancing there are fewer parades, picnics, and sporting events that the child may be participating in, or that you can share with the child. If you can capture an outdoor event like a parade, or fireworks do it from a distance and share on a tablet or phone. For older children and teens create a trivia game with facts about this period in history.

Read History for Kids: The Fourth of July for Kids by Ian Fraser, or The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh, The Night Before the Fourth of July by Natasha Wing or F is for Flag by Trudi Strain Trueit, or any of the over 50 books written for children about this holiday.

One of my favorite video chat visits was listening to and watching my grandchildren’s excitement in describing the parade that they had just attended. They proudly displayed the beads and candy thrown from parade floats and waved small flags. Seeing the excitement on their faces was priceless. If their parade has been canceled this year, talk about what they recall about parades they have attended in the past.  If they were able to attend an outdoor event ask what they did to stay a safe distance from others and why that is important this year.

 Lillian Tibbles is a grandmother and author of 3 books about Video Chat with Kids.
Her latest book How to Have Fun with Kids & Grandkids Using Video Chat is available
in both digital and print format.

Video Chatting with Kids Hands Free

Tips for Video Call, , ,

Trying to hold a phone or tablet doesn’t allow for much action when video chatting with kids. Innovative stands, mounts and devices can free your hands for interactive video chats that are easier and more fun.

We know that interactive chats are best for building relationships with kids and for learning. Your hands need to be free for interactive calls. Think about puppet shows, showing pictures in a book that you are reading, and teaching a child to knit while using your tablet or phone. The child will also need their hands free to play with you or learn a skill.

When using a desk top computer, or laptop on a desk, it’s easy to be hands-free. There are tablets like the Microsoft Surface Pro computer that have the stand built in and covers for the iPad that can support a tablet. 

Consider a basic bed tray table for adults or children who are bedridden. There are also bed and floor stands made specifically for computers. Stands for your existing tablet or phone are available in many sizes, and in a variety of materials and prices. Explore the multilevel soft pillow stands, and goose neck phone and tablet holders. 

Finding a stand that works for you is a snap. There are reviews of these products online to help you make a decision about what is best for you. Search online for bed tables, bed trays, tablet stands, and phone stands.

Enjoy playing with grandchildren without having to balance your electronic device.

Lillian Tibbles is a grandmother and author of 3 books about Video Chat with Kids.
Her latest book How to Have Fun with Kids & Grandkids Using Video Chat is available
in both digital and print format.

How to Have Fun with Kids & Grandkids Using Video Chat

Safety and Video Call, Tips for Video Call, , , ,

What are interactive video chats and why are they important for developing close bonds with children and grandchildren? The newest and most comprehensive book about video chat with children answers that question. Learn how to have fun while keeping children safe online.

Video chat is free, fun, easy to use, and one of the best ways for parents and grandparents to enjoy time with children who are miles away. This book is full of practical advice about how to make the best video calls, with over 100 suggestions for video chat activities with kids from infants to college age.

Video chats take place online. Danger is lurking as we see children under the age of two who, by watching parents, quickly learn to swipe the face of tablets and telephones to gain access. Learn about parental controls and privacy settings that will help you to keep your children safe online.

Learn about the “tech talk” and when you should start teaching children about internet safety. Know what  you need to teach your school age children and your teens to protect them. This is essential reading for parents who want to keep children safe online.

Discover

  • How interactive chats strengthen family bonds with kids
  • Why experts call video chat good screen time
  • Fun ideas for chats with all ages, infants to teens
  • Ideas for celebrating special occasions, birthdays, and holidays
  • How to stay connected after divorce
  • What you need to make a video call
  • The importance of Internet safety for children and adults

Lillian Tibbles is a grandmother and author of 3 books about Video Chat with Kids.
Her latest book How to Have Fun with Kids & Grandkids Using Video Chat is available
in both digital and print format.

Building Strong Bonds With Kids During The Corona Virus

Especially for Grandparents, Video Call Activities, , , ,

My grandchildren and I have been socially distancing for the past 10 years. It wasn’t because of a virus. Two of my grandchildren live 3000 miles away from me and always have. A third grandchild also lives in a different state. Today the Corona virus has separated many families and I want to let you know that developing strong bonds with children is possible when using video chat.

There are many video chat apps that will connect you to the children you love. Whether you use Skype, FaceTime, Google Duo, Facebook, or Zoom you are only seconds away from developing strong bonds. It’s easy and it’s fun. If you are not chatting with kids get started today. Children love to see a face as well as hear your voice.

Interactive chats build relationships. An interactive chat is one where there is action and communication between two people. Children become motivated to pay attention, to participate, and to learn when you interact with them. If you play an echo game and repeat a baby’s sounds, he will be draw to your voice. Toddlers love to play peek-a-boo. Using a scarf to hide behind or moving away from the camera and then popping back delights young children during a call.

Reading to a child and discussing the book, or having the child make the sounds of animals or vehicles in a story is fun and interactive. Show and tell is one of my grandchildren’s favorite interactive activities. Sometimes I do the showing, presenting an object like a shell that I have found on a walk. The children love to show me books, toys, clothes, and sports equipment. One of my grandson’s wanted to show me how well he had learned to throw a football and we were both excited as it flew across my computer screen.

Start today and have fun building strong family bonds!

Lillian Tibbles is a grandmother and author of 3 books about Video Chat with Kids.
Her latest book How to Have Fun with Kids & Grandkids Using Video Chat is available
in both digital and print format.

Skype and Your College Student

Especially for Grandparents, Video Call Activities, ,

Using Skype is one of the best ways to stay connected to your college age children & grandchildren. My Mom always said “you never stop being a parent”. Those words have repeated in my mind many times over the years. However, in addition to the trials of being a parent we also get to enjoy the joys of seeing our children’s successes as they head off to college.

Along with typical college supplies, today’s students are bringing video chat apps to college with them on their smart phones and computers. Colleges are developing Virtual Advising Centers. Once the teen becomes a student on campus, virtual appointments can be scheduled with their assigned advisor.

Most high school students have learned to connect with peers electronically. Now you will want to transfer that skill to staying connected with family. Telephone calls are fine but they can’t compare with actually seeing the person you miss being with. Facial expressions provide clues to feeling that may not be expressed.

Show and tell is still a favorite activity for students as they go off to college. The dorm room, the crowd at the football game, and a new friend are all fun for parents to see on Skype. Younger siblings who miss their older brother or sister can connect in this  special way.

Most important is to discuss how, when and how often you and your student will communicate so that you are not disappointed, and the student has the opportunity to learn to become independent.

ENJOY VALENTINE’S DAY WITH SKYPE AND FACETIME

Video Call Activities, , ,

It’s so much fun to share your love face-to-face with those you are separated from. Skype and FaceTime can help you to give the best Valentine’s gift of all. It’s easy and it’s free! Almost all computers come with a video call application (app). Apple computers come with FaceTime and those using Microsoft Windows come with Skype. You can download Skype to any computer if you don’t have it.

Parents and grandparents separated from the children they love can talk about what love is and their love for the child. “Daddy loves you and I’m so happy to see you on this special day.” Read to the child one of many children’s books with a Valentine’s theme, here are just a few:
Curious George via-amazon

Happy Valentine’s Day, Curious George by N. DiAngelo and Mary O’Keefe Young

My Fuzzy Valentine (Sesame Street) by Naomi Kleinberg and Louis Womble
Amelia Bedella3

Amelia Bedelia’s First Valentine by Herman Parish and Lynne Avril

The Story of Valentine’s Day by Nancy Skarmeas  Valentine's Day

 

Don’t forget to blow a kiss when you say good-by. Even very young children enjoy catching your kisses and sending their love to you with a kiss on a video call.