Tips for helping little ones stay socially engaged during COVID-19
Opportunities for playing and talking with other children is so important for the social and communication development of our little ones. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has forced us into an age of social distancing, where play-dates have been transformed into waving "hi" to neighbors across the fence or attempting to "play" over video conference calls. And I don't know about you, but these video calls have not gone well for my kiddos, who don't yet have the skills to sustain a long phone conversation. For my family, these video calls have basically gone like this:
"Hi!"
"Hello!"
*Stare at each other.*
*Make goofy faces at each other.*
*Show each other whatever object they can find, even if it's just a crumpled up piece of paper.*
*Stare at each other some more."
"Mom, I want to get out of here!"
So I was really pleased when I ran across this article in the May 2020 edition of the ASHA Leader, which is full of great ideas for enhancing these virtual play-dates. Simon Says, Charades, and I Spy were a few of my favorite ideas! Check out the article for more play-date tips, including ways to practice social communication in the neighborhood or through the mail: