How to host a virtual playdate: A simple guide to keeping kids entertained
Virtual playdates provide a safe and fun way for kids to see their friends without breaking isolation rules, but experts are warning some services are much better than others. Here’s why.
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It’s not just grown-ups who can’t see their friends right now.
Most Aussie kids are no longer attending school, aren’t allowed to climb public playgrounds and, due to the latest restrictions, can’t have friends visit their homes.
But some tech-savvy parents are organising the next best thing: virtual playdates.
Whether beamed through tablets, hooked up through the TV or delivered through a commandeered laptop, kids of all ages are joining the video chatting masses.
However, experts warn there are privacy and cyber security traps to consider with video meetings, as well as technical limitations and screen time rules to consider before turning a hangout into a Google Hangout.
Social media educator Meg Coffey said virtual playdates were a great way for children to stay in contact with close friends during isolation as well as could provide a much needed mental health boost.
Even parents who were normally strict with screen time rules should relax them a little, she advised, to make way for virtual socialisation.
“All the usual rules still apply – make sure you’re watching them and they’re not talking to strangers – but let the kids talk to their friends on screens right now,” she said.
“We don’t know what’s happening to their mental health and how that’s affecting them and this could make their lives easier. They need their friends.”
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Online safety educator Leonie Smith, best known as the Cyber Safety Lady, said video conferencing was also becoming more familiar to kids as more of their schooling went online.
However, she warned some platforms were much more kid-friendly than others.
Zoom, for example, was only appropriate for adults as it contained too many sharing settings which could be exploited, and others like Houseparty should only be used by older children who know how to “lock down” their virtual meeting rooms to prevent strangers from dropping in.
“Parents who want a safe app for kids should look at apps like FaceTime and Google Hangouts that can be used in conjunction with parental controls,” she said.
“Supervision, particularly for primary school kids, is absolutely vital. And making rules about video chats is important.”
Ms Smith said younger kids should only be allowed to hold playdates in common areas of the house rather than their bedrooms and parents should make sure they know every “friend” who is in a chat.
VIRTUAL PLAYDATES: WHICH PLATFORM YOU SHOULD USE
FACETIME
Cyber safety experts rate FaceTime as one of the safest ways for kids to chat with each other over video and, fortunately, it’s also one of the easiest to set up.
Available on all Apple devices, users can place a FaceTime call by entering a friend’s phone number of email address, and you can invite up to 31 friends at once for a much bigger playdate.
There’s one big downside, though: it will only connect friends with Apple iPads, iPhones, Macs and iPods.
GOOGLE DUO
This app will let 12 kids have a playdate at once. It’s free, it doesn’t allow extra friends to “drop in” to chats unexpectedly and, even though it’s a Google products, is available to use on Android and Apple devices.
Google Duo also has an added benefit you can see video of who is calling before you accept a video call, so you can verify who they are, and it’s now built into new Samsung smartphones.
HOUSEPARTY
This isn’t a new app but it’s recently been discovered by thousands more people.
Houseparty delivers a fun way to video chat with up to eight friends at a time, and will even let them play virtual card games.
Friends get alerts when you open the app, so you can join them in a chat straight away, and others can also join unless you ‘lock’ the room.
The app is rated for children over the age of 12, however, and experts say it’s harder to secure for young kids.
DISCORD
This video-chatting app is best known among gamers as it lets them play and talk at the same time.
While recommended for use by tweens and up, the app features plenty of controls for making groups private and blocking annoying or bullying users.
INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK MESSENGER
Older kids who already have a social media profile might find it easier to connect with friends using what they know.
Instagram allows video chats in its messages section and will host six video streams at once, while Facebook Messenger will let you set up video chats with more people than an entire class: up to 50 people.
Both platforms are recommended for children aged 13 and over.
SKYPE
This Microsoft stalwart doesn’t seem to be getting as much love as you’d expect in these days of isolation but it’s still a solid choice for a playdate.
Skype is widely available, will support four hour-long video chats and can be used on smartphones or computer screens.