Cooped-up kids navigate a strange new play space
Oversaturated with Netflix and frustrated by their home detention, our daughters, Isla, 7, and Elle, 9, were running out of things to do and constantly squabbling.
Then a lifeline popped into our inbox: The parents of one of Isla’s friends suggested a Zoom chat with five of Isla’s second-grade friends to play a few rounds of virtual "Hangman." I was familiar with grownups using Zoom for work meetings while isolated but hadn’t thought of using it as a virtual playdate for the kids. We set up Zoom on our iPad and, at the agreed-upon time, everyone dialed into the video meeting.
At first, silence. Six cute 7-year-old faces sat smiling and giggling at their friends’ faces on the screen, not knowing where to begin.
“Hi,” Isla said tentatively, breaking the silence.
“Hi,” one of her friends answered.
More silence. Someone remembered they were supposed to play "Hangman," so one of the girls came up with a four-letter clue with “V” in the third space. But after several rounds of yelling letters and answers at screens, no one was able to come up with the answer (“LOVE”).
They got quickly bored with the game, but now their instinctual chattiness kicked in and the conversation got rolling. They played “Guess What Part of My House I’m In?” then went around the horn and listed their favorite Netflix shows. (“Victorious,” “Bunk’d” and “Liv & Maddy” were crowd favorites.) They talked about upcoming school field trips and Disney zombie shows.
Isla moved her video chat to her room, which she toured for her friends, showing them her new flower-dotted comforter and “Never Grow Up” throw pillow. They all introduced their favorite stuffed animals. The virtual playdate moved outside to the play structure in the yard, then back into the kitchen. There was a round of knock-knock and poop jokes. There were squeals and screeches and lots of giggles.
After an hour and 10 minutes, the girls said their goodbyes. The adults reclaimed their devices and the screens blinked off.
The words “virus” or “pandemic” didn’t come up once.
Rick Jervis is a reporter for USA TODAY in Austin, Texas.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus in Austin, Texas, drove cooped-up kids to virtual playdate
