7 Ways to Engage Young Children On Video Calls

Anyone else feeling really grateful for technology these days? Seriously, how would we have made it without it!?

At our houses, we useFaceTime in particular several times per week. It helps us stay connected to family that doesn’t live close by, which we love. But, it’s definitely not the same as face-to-face chats!

Especially with kids, it’s hard to come up with conversation topics and ways to communicate that feel as fun and connection-driven as real-life family time. Often, our kiddos get bored of the call and walk away, get quiet (which means no catching up for whoever’s on the other side!), or, they are a bit older, they take over completely and end up going on and on (and on and on!) about whatever is most pressing to them.

To see if we can help you make your family video calls a little more exciting and engaging for the kids in your life, We teamed up with a few members of the Wee Talkers Instagram community. Together, we put together this list of 7 helpful, easy-to-implement tips that you can try out on your next video call! 

How To Keep Kids Engaged on Video Calls:

#1 Be More Animated!

It requires a bit more animation to convey emotion through the screen than it does in real-life. Try using exaggerated expressions, plus gestures and different inflections in your voice. You might feel a little silly at first, but the extra engagement you get in return will make it all worthwhile.

#2 Ask Questions

Even for us grown-ups, sometimes the conversation in video calls falls flat! It’s hard to keep talking with no activity to share (usually when we meet a friend, we at least have a coffee to sip or people-watching we can do!).

If you’re chatting with a young child, stick with yes/no questions. Try things like:

• Is that your blankie?

• Did you eat breakfast?

• Is your teacher nice?

If the child you’re speaking with is able to answer simple who/what/where questions, then use these instead. Open-ended questions can be helpful to keep the conversation going much better for older kids!

#3 Show & Share

 “Mommy said you got a new book/stuffed animal/toy. Can you show me?!” 

‘Show and Share’ is a great way to increase engagement on a call, because it shows the child you’re talking to that you’re interested in what they are interested in, which is always a good idea.

Next time you’re on a video call with a child, ask them a question about a special toy, game, or clothing item you think they’d like to tell you about. Chances are they’ll run to get it, and tell you everything there is to know about it!

#4 Plan An Activity

There’s no rule saying that all you can do on a video chat is chat! Why not try planning an activity to do with a child in advance. This way, you’ll have something fun to do together-- something you can talk about! 

Some fun ideas are:

• Drawing time with grandma

• Snack time with the cousins

• Story time with grandpa

• Preparing a simple recipe with auntie⁣

This is such a sweet way to sneak some bonding time in, even while we’re all far apart.

#5 Puppets

This great idea came from the comments section of a Wee Talkers Instagram post! 

“My kids’ Grandparents have put on little puppet shows. They made sock puppets of themselves! They also put on funny hats or dress up. My son loves it!”

I just love this idea-- especially if the people you’re chatting with are down to be a little silly! Alternatively though, your kids could be the ones putting on the puppet show. Cute either way!

#6 Games

Another fun idea from our community:

“I have a 1 year old and peek a boo, and pretending to fall asleep have been big hits when FaceTiming with grandparents!”

Playing games is such a fun idea. At that age, things like peek-a-boo and pretending to fall asleep can be huge hits! You could also try games like Simon Says or I Spy, depending on the childrens’ ages.

#7 Songs

You know we’re big fans of songs over here at Wee Talkers! You can sing them in the car, while waiting in line, during routines… so why not sing songs and rhymes on a video chat, too!

If you need some ideas, scroll through our Instagram feed! All of the black and white videos are of us teaching songs to our kids.

How is your family making video calls exciting?

What are the things you’re doing as a family to bring more fun to family Zoom calls (or this new pandemic lifestyle we’re leading in general)? Let us know in the comments or on Instagram!