Social distancing can make the rest of the world feel a little, well, distant. This is especially true for those most vulnerable to COVID-19. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways older adults can connect with loved ones and engage their minds online while keeping safe.
get creative with video calls
Let’s face it, a Zoom or FaceTime call isn’t always the most engaging activity—especially if you’re a kid. Next time you video chat with the grandkids, mix things up with a fun activity that you both can enjoy.
- Read a story. Thanks to ebooks, a vast library of stories and novels suitable for all ages is right at your fingertips. Help little ones hone their literacy skills by alternating reading to one another. If you grandkids are older, pick a novel to read offline and then discuss it together.
- Do a craft. If you have a creative hobby, share it with your grandkids. Whether it’s knitting or painting, provide a demonstration and teach them to do it themselves. If you’re not artistically inclined, look online for simple craft tutorials that you can work through together.
- Cook something. Set up your phone, tablet or computer in the kitchen, and teach the kids how to make a simple recipe. Rice Krispie treats or no-bake cookies are great options for beginners, and you can up the difficulty depending on your grandchildren’s culinary skills—or you own!
- Play games. You can keep it simple with games like I spy, 20 questions or charades, or use websites and apps to play checkers, chess and board games virtually.
- Use Caribu. If you don’t have the resources to organize activities yourself, this video call app comes with a library of digital children’s books, coloring activities and games, offering everything you need for a virtual playdate with the grandkids.
Having trouble finding the right time to connect? The Marco Polo app makes navigating busy schedules easier. Unlike most video apps, you don’t have to be live with the other person. Watch and respond when it works for you, or chat in real time.
e-learning opportunities
There are tons of resources online to spark your intellectual and creative side—almost too many. Sifting through thousands of podcasts and millions of YouTube videos to find what interests you can be a little daunting. Here are three sites that curate content, so you can get to learning quicker.
- Open Culture: This site brings together free, high-quality cultural and educational media, including online courses, lectures, movies, audio books and ebooks. It even has resources for learning more than 40 languages.
- Academic Earth: From MIT to UC Berkeley, you can find online courses from some of the world’s top universities on this site. Explore the world of academia for free, and check out curated playlists on topics like food and drink, the nature of evil and financial crises.
- Skillshare: This subscription-based, online learning community offers thousands of classes in creative topics like illustration, design, photography and more. Learn a new hobby or take an existing passion to the next level.