It hasn’t been easy for kids the past few months. As an adult, I still feel connected to friends: group texts, social media, virtual board meetings and social distancing meetups. My kids don’t have phones or social media and we are just now talking about social distancing meetups for them (it’s much easier for adults to respect 6+ feet of distance while chatting). Today we’re sharing 5 ways to keep kids connected while home. 

 

They’ve missed out on school, sports, activities and play dates. They used to spend most of their days with their peers and now they haven’t seen many of them in months. The summer weather is great for outdoor fun at a distance but rainy days and for those long months of quarantine… we had to get creative. 

 

One goal of mine, as a parent of 8 and 10 year old girls, was to make sure they stayed connected with other girls during their time in quarantine. To my surprise, THEY thought up more ways than I did. It’s been really neat to see them discover new ways to interact with friends while home. We’re working hard to make a tough situation for kids as fun as possible. We want them to stay connected with as many friends as possible, all while staying safe and healthy. 

 

1. Virtual American Doll Playdates: This was all the kids idea! Friends suggested it and over the course of our time home, they’ve had many American Girl doll playdates. Sometimes it’s just with 1 other friend and sometimes with a few. I love listening in because I can’t believe how they’ve adapted to playing with toys with other kids virtually. All of the photos throughout this post are from one American Girl playdate Maggie and Alex had with a friend. This one they decided to do as a “summer camp” theme and set up camp for their dolls before the call. They even let the dolls do a scavenger hunt “together” virtually. Even when stuck home with no school and no playdates, kids can find a way to enjoy time with their friends, playing. 

 

 

 

 

2. Virtual slumber parties: Virtual sleepover parties were really one of the big highlights for my girls the past few months. One night one of Alex’s friends asked me if Alex could stay up late and FaceTime for a “virtual sleepover”. Alex scrambled to get in pjs and spent the next hour chatting away with one of her best friends. It was one of the first times she got to really interact with a friend since school had gotten out and she was so happy. We decided to host one with some of Maggie’s friends the following week and then a group of Alex’s friends. We used Zoom and told the girls to show up in pajamas and with a favorite snack. When I sent the moms a Zoom link, I included a link to “Would You Rather” questions from Kitchen Chronicles. So much fun! 

 

 

3. Penpals: What better time to stay writing letters?! Way back when quarantine started, I saw a post in a family travel facebook group I’m in asking if anyone wanted a penpal for their child while the kids were all home from school. The thread grew quickly & we matched kids up by age. Maggie now has a penpal in Australia & Alex has a penpal in England. It’s really been neat for them to connect with a kid their age in another country during this pandemic. They know that “staying in”, not seeing friends, no school, face masks, etc is not just happening in our town, state & country but all over the world. Their letters range from the simple “what’s your favorite animal” to how they’re fairing with distance learning & hanging with siblings non stop. Instead of mailing the letters, we take photos of their hand written notes (so they still practice good old fashioned letter writing!) & email them to the moms.

 

They’ve had so much fun with their penpals that they’ve added writing to local friends they can’t see (neighbors now feel as far as Australia!) they’ve even gotten their little brother into it. So with all the letter writing going on, they were really excited to get penpal sets from Joy Creative Shop. Check them out – they come with fill in the blank penpal letters, cards, envelopes, sticker and even a cute pen. 

 

 

4. Book Club: Book club is an easy thing to do via Zoom/ virtual meeting. It’s also a good one for a social distance meetup. You can space out a bunch of beach towels for the book chat. For a free library of books, check out American Girls online library. This way each of the girls in the book club can easily download the book needed for the club. If you want a fun free printable to inspire girls on what to discuss at their meeting, click here for our “Book Chat” printable. 

 

 

5. The Stay and Play Hub: I know there are lots of free classes, courses, etc right now but my girls have especially loved the American Girl Stay and Play hub. There are so many cute ideas, all free. Two of our favorites: free yoga class and “how to” make a mask for your doll.