Make every zoom call the

Thanks for joining Matt and Gran and Trevor as they celebrated their birthdays online.
There’s lots of ways that you can engage with children through zoom or video calls. We know it’s not the same as playing together in person, but spending quality online time with your grandchild through playful experiences can nourish your relationship - despite the distance!

Here are a few ideas
for you to try!

Relive the sock puppet fun from Best. Party. Ever! by putting on your own show together. Here’s how you can do it:

  • What you need: If you have a hand puppet, great - but you can make a puppet out of literally anything. It could be a sock, or doll, teddy bear or a pair of eyes drawn on some toilet paper! Give it a funny voice, and play with different camera angles and you’ll all have blast.

  • How to play: Each of you creates a puppet. Take turns being the “puppet master” and come up with a story for your puppets. They can go on an adventure, have a conversation, or even tell jokes. The sillier, the better!

  • Idea: You could even come up with a puppet show based on your favorite shared memory, like a trip to the park or something you both enjoy.

Crack the code! Keep the fun of Morse code puzzles from Best. Party. Ever! alive with this simple version.

  • How to play: Pick a short phrase and translate it into Morse code using taps or claps. Here's the Morse code alphabet to use:

Example:
Want to send "HI"? Use "H" (••••) and "I" (••). Tap or clap this code, and your grandchild has to guess what you're saying!



This one will work best on a mobile phone or tablet, and might need a child’s parent to be involved. It will work best with younger children.

  • How to play: Once you’re on the zoom call, ask the child’s parent / carer to hide the mobile phone or tablet with you on it under a bed, behind the curtain or in with their toys. Then you can call to your child from the phone while they try and find you.

  • Variation: Being ‘in their phone’, is also a nice way to play with them. Ask them to take you to their dolls house, and tuck you in - or put them into a toy car and drive you around the house.

Test each other’s memory and observation skills.

  • How to play: Show your grandchild a part of your home on camera, like a bookshelf or a table. Then, secretly change 3-5 things (move a book, add a pillow, etc.). When you’re ready, show them the same space again and see if they can spot the differences. Then let them do the same on their end!

  • Variation: You can also do this by changing something about your appearance—maybe put on a hat or switch up your shirt and see if they notice.

A great way to get your grandchild up and moving while staying connected.

  • How to play: Give your grandchild a list of items to find in their house within a set time. For example:

    • Something soft

    • Something red

    • Something that makes noise

    • Something with a face on it

    • Something they’ve made themselves

You can make it a race to see how fast they can find everything. You can also switch roles and let them give you items to find in your house!

A guessing game that’s always fun!

  • How to play: Think of something—a person, place, or object—and your grandchild has 20 questions to figure out what it is. They can only ask yes/no questions, like “Is it an animal?” or “Is it something we eat?” Take turns and see how clever your clues can be.

A timeless favourite.

  • How to play: Take turns acting out an animal, sport, or object while the other person guesses. No talking allowed! For example, pretend to be a lion or act out swimming without saying a word. You can make it as easy or challenging as you like.

Draw and guess!

  • What you need: Paper and pen or Zoom’s whiteboard feature.

  • How to play: One of you draws an object, animal, or scene, while the other guesses what it is. You can take turns drawing and guessing. You can use simple prompts like "house," "dog," or "flower," or challenge each other with something more creative!

  • Variation: The whiteboard is great for other visual games such as naughts and crosses, snowman or word scramble.

Sometimes it’s enough just to read a book together.

  • What you need: Get a couple of children’s books out from the library and set up your computer so that you can show them the pictures as well as read to them.

This is something that can be done easily, on a regular basis. You might even find a particular series that you both love to read!

Get up and dance together—no rules, just fun!

  • How to play: Turn on your favourite music (maybe even one of the songs from Best. Party. Ever!) and dance along together over Zoom. You can take turns picking songs or even come up with some silly dance moves to copy. It’s a great way to keep moving and have fun.

Best. Party. Ever. is a Threshold experience that has been created by Andy Callaghan, Tahli Corin, Matt Kelly, Sarah Lockwood and UB Lee.

It is performed by Matt Kelly and Genevieve Mooy,
with a little technical magic from Blake Howson.

Our thanks to collaborators who helped us along the way
Kat Chan, Jessica Moody & Olivia Beasley.

Presentation partners

Best. Party. Ever has been developed with the support of Gippsland Performing Arts Centre, and assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body