How can you build and sustain community in a virtual world?
When our homeschool community could no longer meet in person due to Covid, we
had to make things work virtually. Our group convenes mostly for the social aspects: playing games, connecting with friends, being in nature together. Once we were meeting online, it was hard to recreate that in a way that felt as nourishing as it did in person. We craved that connection with our community, and wanted to find a way to satisfy that need.
Gathering virtually was a whole new world the children needed to navigate, and we really wanted to make it fun and accessible. Since the kids couldn’t play their typical game of tag, demons in the daylight, or family, we wanted some kind of games to be a part of our virtual time together. And let me tell you, virtual games are not easy to find! There are a few quick ice-breakers out there, which were helpful, but for a group of kids who have known each other for years, those weren’t exactly what I was looking for.
So I had to improvise. And essentially, that’s exactly where I looked. Improv games! I looked for as many improv games as I could find, and picked my husband’s brain, who’s done improv for years, and suddenly, I had a long list of options! One of my favorite resources is Drama Games for Kids. I made adaptations so the games could work in a virtual setting, and I was on my way.
We did at least one game at the beginning of our group meetings, and with a group of about 10 kids, they would sometimes take up to 45 minutes to an hour. The games could definitely be shortened if needed, but for us, we were okay with them going long. Sometimes, we would meet just for the games alone, and the kids would choose and vote on some favorites.
Before playing any of these, it’s helpful to discuss some rules that make the games run smoothly. Some tips I found helpful:
Don’t mute everyone during games! Hearing everyone laugh is the best part.
Write everyone’s names down on a whiteboard or piece of paper (or put it in the chat box), so everyone knows the order of turns.
Another option is to pull names out of a hat if you’d like to keep it random.
Once the general rules are in place, you can let the games begin! Some of our favorites are:
Macgyver:
Ahead of time, come up with a list of random objects (paperclip, cup, pencil, shoelace, belt, sheet of paper, etc.), and another list of funny or extreme emergencies (being chased by a pack of lions, getting swallowed by a whale, stuck on a runaway train, etc.). At each child’s turn, they are told three random objects, and need to explain how they would use them if they were stuck in a given emergency. We’ve also played where the kids would be the ones naming the random objects for their friends. (Here's an example: A child is told they have a sheet of paper, a rubber band, and a LifeSavers candy, and stuck on a runaway train. How do they escape? "I'd lick the LifeSavers to make it sticky, rub the sticky on my hands, hook the rubber band on a passing tree branch, hold on with my sticky grip, and use the sheet of paper to parachute down from the tree!") This game was an absolute FAVORITE!
Biggest fan:
Each child takes a turn telling a simple story, e.g. their morning routine, getting ready for bed, washing the dishes, etc, and everyone else cheers, oooh, and ahhhs, for them as they tell it. This one brought a lot of smiles and much needed uplifting when it was really needed.
Sausage:
One at a time, each child is interviewed with a bunch of easy questions, and can only give the answer “sausage” with a straight face. When the questions are presented somewhat quickly, it makes it even funnier. How old are you, what is your sister’s name, when is your mom’s birthday, what’s that on your shoulder… and the only answer is sausage! Definitely keep everyone off mute for this one, because it’s a riot and you'll all be laughing like crazy!
Going on a picnic:
This is the classic game of “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m going to bring ___”. At each child’s turn, they repeat the line "I'm going on a picnic and I'm going to bring...," add an item of their choice, and then list all the items (in order!) that were named before their turn. This can also be changed up to match up with a theme. For example, if learning about California history together, turn it into “I’m travelling to CA, and I’m going to bring…”
Two truths and a lie:
This is another classic game that we adapted to make work on zoom. Each child takes a turn writing (or naming) three things about themselves: two things that are true, and one that is a lie. Number them 1, 2, and 3. After the child says all three things, the rest of the group holds up their fingers as their guess at which one is a lie. Once everyone has their guess shown, the lie is revealed!
These games truly helped when all we wanted to do was play in person. While they didn’t replace a day of running around together, they did help bring laughter and joy to an otherwise bummer of a situation. While so many of us are still doing classes online instead of in person, infusing those classes with some of these community building games can really help everyone continue to connect with each other.
Do you have any other zoom games that you enjoy?
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