How to Have Fun with Social Distance Games

One silver lining of the pandemic has been that technology enabled us to stay connected while distanced. We’ve learned new habits so that, even as we visit the grandkids in person, we will also continue to do more together online–even playing these distanced games when kids are bored at home.

Two games featured in this post are purchased games; the third is free–and a game you can play on short notice, without preparation.

Social Distance Game #1: Bingo

This is an easy game to play via FaceTime. There are many bingo versions to choose from. I bought this one without doing much research and it was fine, except for the size of the cards.

This particular set has cards with large numbers–no doubt meant to accommodate the senior set. But because the numbers are crammed together, it’s hard for a four-year-old to track.

So, I made little N his own bingo card from cardstock, using 1 1/2-inch wide strips, color-coded to the bingo drawing balls. I stamped the numbers and alphabets using ink stamps. You can just handwrite everything to keep it simple.

When I draw a ball, in addition to the letter and number, I also call out the color. Such as, B4 in the white row. This enables Little N to look for the right space easily.

He tires after one or two games, and that’s fine. Miss T and I play on. At least he’s included. We don’t play for rewards, but if you like, to increase motivation, you can have small prizes sent to the grandkids’ house in advance, or give out IOUs.

Social Distance Game #2: Battleship

Classic Battleship is another great social distance game. Again, I bought this one without researching the choices. This version of Battleship had some complaints in reviews, but we haven’t had any problems.

When I first introduced the game, Miss T, who is seven, said it was a sad game since you have to blow up the ships and everyone will die. I was quite taken aback at her awareness. Unprepared, I said simply that since they were just plastic ships with no one in them, so no one will die. You may have a better answer.

Preparation: Divide the pegs into four plastic snack bags–so each players gets a bag of half the red red and a bag of half the white pegs. Give the child one console and half the pegs.

Game Play: Each player arranges their ships at sea (the base on the console). The opponent guesses where your ships are by giving coordinates, such as G1. If it’s a hit, add a red peg on your ship. Each player keeps track of their guesses by putting in matching pegs on the lid of the console–a red peg for a hit and a white peg for a miss.

Take turns guessing until one player has sunk all their opponent’s ships. This is a good game for learning about coordinates and developing strategies for winning.

Make your own board game to play long distance.

Social Distance Game #3: Five for Five

I made this one up. There’s nothing to buy and it can be played at the last minute. All you need is a timer, using your phone or a kitchen timer–best if it ticks loudly to get the child excited and scrambling.

Preparation: This is a scavenger hunt, so create a list of ordinary household items for the child to find. Some suggestions:

• Kitchen: spoon, spatula, plastic cup, paper napkin, cookbook, measuring cup, dish towel
• Child’s room: red crayon, book with a picture of a car in it, sibling’s sock, ruler, stuffed animal with a tail, LEGO stack of 10 blocks, paper clip, rubber band

Try to cover different parts of the house. Do not select anything breakable or dangerous, such as a glass drinking cup or a pair of scissors. Running around the house trying to beat the clock can cause accidents.

Game Play: Give the child a list of five things to find in five minutes. They are not allowed to write down the items or draw picture hints. This is a memory game.

Start the clock. Set a timer for five minutes, call out, “Go!” and start the scramble. If the child forgets one of the items, you can give them hints along the way.

After a few rounds, have the kids put everything back to their rightful place to keep from messing the house, and return to play.

Make a social distance game using toilet paper rolls, pom poms, and balloons to make pom pom cannons.

Lessons from the Pandemic

While we are able to see each other more often today, there will always be those times when we are apart or the children are bored. They know they can FaceTime grandma for entertainment.

I try to drop everything to take their FaceTime calls, so they’re not discouraged from calling the next time. For example, if I’m having lunch and Miss T wants to play Battleship, I take my sandwich to my craft room, set up my game board, and play while I eat.

I’m looking forward to the time when we can have more in-person opportunities to get together. Even resuming our Friday night family dinners. But in the meantime, FaceTime calls, remote craft projects and social distance games, have been a rewarding way to stay in touch.

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