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Virtual Family Time/Contact: Fun Activities and Games Guide

The suggested activities and games cater to different age groups and encourage imagination, learning, and quality time together during virtual family time/contact. Parents, caregivers and family members can incorporate these ideas into their virtual sessions, whether they plan them in advance or spontaneously.

Social workers can share these activity suggestions with individuals supervising virtual family time/contact sessions on Facebook, Facetime, Skype, and Teams or directly with parents and caregivers. These activities not only provide entertainment but also facilitate relationship-building and offer learning opportunities during times of separation.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD: VIRTUAL FAMILY TIME/CONTACT: FUN ACTIVITIES AND GAMES GUIDE

VIRTUAL FAMILY TIME/CONTACT: FUN ACTIVITIES AND GAMES LIST

Pretend Tea Party:  Ask the child to host a fancy tea party with stuffed animals as guests and ask them to serve imaginary tea and snacks. Encourage your child to use their imagination to create conversations and stories during the tea party. Be one of the guests at the tea party, giving the child ‘orders’ about what to serve you.

Pretend Shop:  Give a child a list of things they need to go and buy for you. As they give it to you, engage with the object – for example, if they give you a ‘biscuit,’ pretend to eat it. If they give you a hat, pretend to put it on.

Song Composition:  Create a simple song together.

What’s Missing?  Collect a group of 8-10 objects. Have the other player study the set of objects and then close their eyes. While their eyes are closed, remove one of the objects. Can they figure out which one is missing? Use more or fewer objects depending on the children’s ages.

Learn a New Language Together:  If the child is interested in languages, you can start learning a new language together. Practice basic phrases and vocabulary during your virtual sessions.

  Tell Stories Together:  You and your child can take turns making up stories or telling short ones. You can begin stories with phrases like “Once upon a time in a magical forest,” or “In a faraway land, there lived a curious explorer named…”.

Guessing Game:  Pick something to think about, and let your child ask up to 20 yes-or-no questions to figure out what it is. For instance, if you choose an object, like a banana, your child can start by asking, “Is it something we eat?” You’d reply with “Yes,” and the questions continue, getting more specific until they guess it’s a banana. To make it clearer, you can ask, “Is it yellow when ripe?”

Act It Out:  Play a game where one person acts something out without talking, and the others guess what it is. You can act out simple scenarios like pretending to be a robot, an animal, or a famous movie character like a pirate.

Find Things at Home:  Give your child a list of things to find in their house. For example, ask them to find “something soft in the living room” or “an object that you use for cooking in the kitchen.”

Simon Says:  Take turns being the leader in a game of Simon Says.

Game rules – one person (could be you or your child) gives commands starting with “Simon says,” like “Simon says touch your toes.” Everyone must follow the command, but only if it starts with “Simon says.” If the command does not begin with “Simon says” (like: “Touch your toes.”) and someone still does it, they are out.

Quiz Time:  Create simple quizzes with questions about things your child likes or things they learn in school. Here are some questions you can use:

• What’s your favourite animal?
• Name three colours that start with the letter ‘B.’
• How many continents are there on Earth?
• Can you spell the word ‘elephant’ backward?
• You can also ask, “What’s your best-loved book?” or “What’s your favourite subject in school?”

Cook Together:  Choose a recipe and cook the same dish together, even if you are not in the same place. You can show off your meals at the end.

Music Fun:  Sing songs you both like or take turns playing your favourite songs.

Show and Tell:  Each time you meet, have your child pick something interesting to show and tell you about. It could be a toy, a drawing, or something they have learned.

Virtual Superhero Adventures:  Have a virtual superhero training session. Each of you can dress up as superheroes and describe your superhero powers and adventures through video chat.

Virtual Safari:  Share pictures of animals and wildlife from around the world. Have virtual discussions about these animals’ behaviours, food, and more.

Virtual Doctor’s Office:  Play a virtual doctor-patient game through video chat. Describe your “symptoms” and “treatments” to each other, and take turns being the doctor.

Letter or Email Exchange:  Encourage your child to write a letter or email to a family member or friend. You can help them with the content/spelling.

Reading Together:  Choose a book and take turns reading it aloud to each other during your virtual sessions. It is a great way to enjoy stories together.

Dance Party:  Put on some music and have a dance party in your own living rooms. You and your child can dance together and have a blast.

Museum Visit:  Many museums offer virtual tours. Explore art and history from the comfort of your home. Discuss what you both find interesting.

Trivia Challenge:  Create a trivia game with questions about your family’s history or interests. For example, you can ask, “Who in our family has a pet dog?”

Build a Fort:  Encourage your child to build a fort or hideout using blankets and pillows. You can help them come up with creative ideas.

Funny Hat Day:  Declare a “Funny Hat Day” where everyone wears the silliest hat they can find or create. Share a laugh over your wacky headwear.

Impromptu Talent Show:  Take turns performing funny or unique talents. Whether it is telling jokes, doing funny impressions, or showing off quirky dance moves, it is all in good fun.

Silly Storytelling:  Instead of a regular story, create a silly story where each person adds a sentence or phrase that does not make much sense. See where the story ends up!

Funny Face Contest:  Make the silliest faces you can think of and have a contest to see who can make the funniest face. Take screenshots for a good laugh.

Dress-Up Time:  Raid your closets for the goofiest outfits you can put together. Strut your stuff on the virtual runway and have a fashion show.

Funny Voices:  Have a conversation using the silliest voices and accents you can think of. You might end up in fits of giggles.

Karaoke Party:  Have a karaoke session where everyone sings their favourite songs, even if they’re hilariously out of tune.

Funny Debate:  Choose light-hearted topics and have a mock debate with your child. For example, you could debate “Who would win in a race, a snail or a tortoise?”

Lip Sync Battle:  Have a lip sync showdown where you and your child pick your favourite songs and put on entertaining performances without actually singing.

Tongue Twister Challenge:  See who can master the silliest tongue twisters without stumbling over their words. Try saying, “She sells seashells by the seashore” or “How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?”

Riddle Exchange:  Share funny riddles and brain teasers with each other. You can also try, “What has keys but can’t open locks?” (A computer keyboard) or “I have keys but can’t open any doors.” (A piano).

YouTube Comedy Night:  Pick a few short, family-friendly comedy clips from YouTube and watch them together. Share laughs and discuss your favourite moments.

Guess the Sound:  Play a game where you each take turns making unusual sounds or noises. The other person has to guess what is making the sound. For instance, you can mimic the sound of a chirping bird or a siren in the distance.

Staring Competition:  Challenge each other to a staring contest. See who can go without laughing or blinking the longest.

Puppets:  Use puppets to have a conversation. It is like talking through your puppet friend, making it easier for the child to chat.

Homework from School:  Help the child with their schoolwork. You can assist with their assignments, like reading or math problems.

A-Z Games:  Play games where you take turns naming things, like animals or foods, that start with each letter of the alphabet. For example, start with “A” and say “Apple,” then “B” for “Banana,” and so on.

Clap the Song:  Think of a song and clap out its rhythm. The other player tries to guess the song based on the claps. Alternatively, hum the tune of a song until it is guessed.

Props Game:  Both you and the child collect common household objects like plates or books and then sit down. Then take turns pretending these objects are something else. For example, imagine a plate as a flying saucer; hold it above your head and make “whooshing” sounds as it hovers through space. Use a toothbrush as a dinosaur tooth-cleaning tool; roar like a dinosaur while brushing your “dinosaur teeth.”

Charades:  Act out words or phrases without speaking. The other player guesses what you are showing. For instance, you can act like you are brushing your teeth to represent “toothbrush.”

Pictionary:  One person draws something on paper or a virtual whiteboard. The first to guess correctly takes their turn. You can choose a theme like “animals” or “sports” to make it more fun.

The Alphabet Game:  Select a category, such as fruits or names. Then, go through the alphabet, naming something in that category for each letter.

For instance, for “fruits,” start with “Apple” for “A,” then “Banana” for “B,” and continue.

Rainbow Race:  Race to find three items of a specific colour in your surroundings. You can make it more challenging by adding rules. For example, find three blue objects, and they must be smaller than your hand. Repeat with other colours.

Alphabet Beat the Clock:  Choose a letter and set a goal for how many words you can think of that start with that letter. For example, select the letter ‘B’ and aim for 15 words. Set a timer (one or two minutes depending on the child’s age) and work together to brainstorm words that start with the chosen letter. See if you can meet your goal before the timer goes off.

Would You Rather:  Take turns asking “Would you rather” questions, where both options are amusing or challenging. For example, “Would you rather be able to fly like a bird or breathe underwater like a fish?”

Virtual Hide and Seek:  Play a virtual version of hide and seek. One person thinks of a hiding place, and the others have to ask questions to figure out where they are “hiding.” Questions can include, “Are you in the kitchen?” or “Are you underneath the napkins?” Since it is just pretend, any hiding place is fair game.

One of These Things is Not Like the Other:  Think of a series of three or four items. One of the items should not be related to the other three. For example, you might say “Person, chair, clock, dog.” The odd one out is the stove because it does not have a face! You can make your themes more or less obvious depending on the age of the children you are playing with.

Share Fun Facts:  Both of you can research and share interesting facts or trivia about a specific topic, such as animals, space, or historical events.

Category Race Pick a category:  Disney princesses, flowers, types of food, whatever you find interesting! Set a timer. Then, each team has a set amount of time to write down as many things as they can think of that fit into that category. When the timer goes off, see how many you each got!

Bingo game:

• Preparation:

All players draw a 5×5 grid on a piece of paper with numbers from 1 to 75 (no repetition). One player writes numbers 1 to 75 on separate pieces of paper and place them in a hat.

Randomly draw numbers from the hat one by one. Call out the drawn numbers. Players mark called numbers on their grids. The first to complete a row, column, or diagonal by marking off five numbers shouts “Bingo!” to win.

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19 Free Online Family Games to Play Virtually & on Zoom

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: February 26, 2024

You found our list of fun online family games .

Virtual family games are competitions to enjoy with relatives via virtual meeting software like FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype. For example, online trivia, Pictionary, and digital scavenger hunts. The purpose of these games is to facilitate family bonding and fun between distanced relatives. These activities are also known as “family games online.”

These games are ideal for virtual game nights and virtual family reunions . These activities can also double as virtual team building games , online group games and online games for teams .

This list includes:

• virtual family games
• online games to play with cousins
• free online games to play with family
• family games to play online
• Zoom games for families

Here we go!

List of online family games

From Family Feud to card games to Most Likely To, here are the most entertaining games you can play with family online.

1. Digital Scavenger Hunts

Digital scavenger hunts make fun virtual party games for families because they get players up and moving. These games encourage participants to race off-screen to grab objects or perform tasks.

There are a few different ways to play these games remotely.

Screenshare a list of prompts and give players five to ten minutes to grab as many objects as possible. Award points for each unique item on the list the individual or team retrieves.

Host a lightning scavenger hunt . Read prompts one at a time, and award points to the first player who shows the object onscreen or virtually raises their hand and performs the requested action.

Use virtual scavenger hunt apps to play treasure hunts together.

However you choose to play, here is a starter template perfect for online family game night:

For more tips, check out our guide to virtual scavenger hunts and this list of online museum scavenger hunts .

2. Online Trivia

Trivia is one of the easiest games to play with your family on Zoom. There are a few different ways to host online trivia.

Split the group into teams by using breakout rooms. Deliver questions and collect answers by using a Google Form or TypeForm. Give teams 10 to 15 minutes to answer each round of questions, then announce the correct responses back in the main room. Award one point for every correct answer.

Ask questions aloud, and award points to the team or individual who types the correct answer most quickly in the chat.

Prior to game night, create a custom trivia quiz on Kahoot . To start the game, participants will enter the room pin on their mobile devices. Players will answer questions on their phones or tablets. Kahoot automatically tabulates scores based on speed and accuracy of responses, and names a winner at the end of the game.

The best part of trivia is that you can tailor questions to fit your family’s areas of interest and expertise. You could even create a special family-related trivia that challenges players to answer questions about relatives.

For playing tips and sample questions, check out our guide to virtual trivia .

Get our free team building toolbox

• icebreaker games
• bingo cards

3. Family Bingo

Bingo is a fun video call game to play at online social events. Many relatives already play imaginary games of Bingo during family gatherings, mentally marking off a square each time Uncle Frank relives high school football days or grandma calls one of the cousins the wrong name. Remote Family Bingo lets the whole crew join the fun. Simply send participants randomized Bingo boards and instruct each player to mark squares when they observe the occurrences therein.

We made a template you can use for your game:

The first player to mark five boxes in a row, column, or diagonal wins.

For more information, check out our guide to online team building Bingo .

4. Jeopardy

Jeopardy is a game that appeals to multiple generations and is easy to play online. First, download a free Jeopardy slideshow template from the web, then input your own questions and answers. It is a good idea to base questions on your relatives’ interests and areas of expertise. When the call starts, pull up the game board and share your screen.

The game works best with two to three teams, however you can play as individuals if you have a small group. Each team will “buzz in” to answer by using the raise hand feature. The first team to answer correctly gains points and gets to choose the next category. Remember that all answers must be in the form of a question.

The last round is final Jeopardy, where teams must wager a percentage of points before hearing the question. Each team privately messages guesses to the host, and when all answers are in the host awards points accordingly.

Read full instructions on how to play group Jeopardy and here are apps to play Jeopardy online .

5. Family Feud

Family Feud is a game where two families or sides of a family compete to guess survey responses correctly. When playing with your own family, you can divide teams in a variety of ways, such as kids vs adults, men vs women, or household vs household.

You can use a Family Feud app or website to play the game together online. Or, you can play a DIY version by filling in a template or gathering survey responses prior to the call.

Here are some example Family Feud categories:

• Name something you might find at a wedding
• Phrases you never want to hear your father say
• Why is mom mad?
• Reasons you write a bad review.
• Worst times to fall asleep
• Topics you shouldn’t bring up on a first date
• Foods that go with pasta
• Pets you wouldn’t want to see your child bring home
• Phrase that start with the word “blue”

Here is a list of questions and answers for Family Feud games and questions for coworker feud .

And here are more virtual game shows you can play .

6. Minute to Win It

Minute to win it games are physical and mental challenges to complete in one minute or less. These games require quick thinking and fast reflexes, and are fun to watch and participate in.

Many of these games are playable online. To host virtual minute to win it tournaments, first gather supplies. The easiest approach is to send participants lists of materials to bring to the call. Or, you can choose challenges that do not require props.

Each round, teams elect one representative to complete the challenge. Using an online timer or smartphone stopwatch, time out sixty seconds. When the round ends, award points based on how quickly or effectively players completed the challenge.

Here are a few examples of virtual minute to win it games:

• Cookie Face: Players place a cookie on their foreheads, and must move the treat into their mouths without using hands.
• Human Dictionary: The host shows participants two words that start with the same letter, and players have sixty seconds to list as many words that fall alphabetically between the two terms as possible in the chat.
• Noodle Doodlin’: Participants put a sticky note on their foreheads, and must draw an object without looking at the paper.

Check out our full list of virtual minute to win it games .

7. Pictionary

Pictionary is one of the easiest free virtual family games. You and your teammates can use a digital whiteboard to draw on, and can pick prompts by using a Pictionary generator . The artist can either pick their own word, or you can privately message the prompt by using the chat.

As soon as the artist starts drawing, team members have one or two minutes to guess the object. Teams that guess correctly earn one point.

Pro-tip: Take screenshots of the most abstract and amusing artwork, and send attendees recap emails post-event.

Check out more fun FaceTime games  and virtual Pictionary games .

8. Scattergories

Scattergories is a timed word game. Each round starts with a player rolling a letter die . Participants then have two or three minutes to answer a list of categories, using words that start with the chosen letter. When time is up, players read out the answers. No players can have the same answers, otherwise they must cross out the word and neither receives a point. The player with the most points at the end of the round wins.

List of categories:

• A girls name
• A boys name
• Five letter words
• Tropical location
• Capital cities
• Ice cream flavors
• Vacation spots
• Excuses for being late
• Reasons for getting grounded
• Things that happen at a family reunion

You can also use this Scattergories generator for categories:

You could also create categories that are specific to your own family, such as “relatives with summer birthdays,” or “holiday traditions.”

Players can challenge dubious answers and put the response to a vote. Alliteration is worth double or triple scores.

Learn more about Scattergories games and check out more vocabulary games .

9. Online Escape Rooms

Online escape rooms are challenges that require players to solve riddles, logic puzzles, and mysteries in a set amount of time. In real life, these activities typically take place in a themed-room with a locked door, and players must complete the challenge to open the door and escape. Virtual escape rooms often take a choose-your-own-adventure format, and players must select the correct option on a form or quiz to progress to the next puzzle. Digital escape rooms are easier to set up than their real-life counterparts, since you can set the atmosphere by using a festive Zoom background instead of decorating a room. While online versions involve less movement than traditional escape rooms, the puzzles are just as intricate and the time limit causes an air of excitement.

Check out our full list of online escape rooms .

10. Most Likely To

Most Likely To is a game of superlatives that is especially fun to play in big groups. One player reads out a prompt that begins with “Most likely to….” and the other players vote for the family member who best fits the description. Participants can answer via chat, poll, or audio.

Here are some Most Likely To prompts:

• Play a prank
• Have a messy room
• Bring home a stray pet
• Trip up the stairs
• Fall asleep at the dinner table
• Forget the punchline to a joke
• Forget a relative’s birthday
• Forget your own birthday
• Pick out the perfect present
• Take the last slice of pizza
• Cheat at a board game
• Lie to get you out of trouble
• Tell an embarrassing childhood story
• Call you the wrong name
• Take photos at a family reunion
• Let you cry on their shoulder
• Answer your phone call in the middle of the night
• Instantly brighten your day

You can award one point to the relative who wins the most votes each round, but we recommend playing just for fun.

Check out more entertaining question games .

11. Party Quirks

Party quirks is a fun improvisation game that tests players’ impromptu acting skills. First, split the group into party hosts and partygoers. Then, privately message each of the partygoers a distinct characteristic. Next, start the scene and give players between five to ten minutes to interact. At the end of each round, the party hosts must guest the identities of the guests.

Here are some example party quirk prompts:

• Identity thief
• Colorblind clown
• Runaway bride
• A member of the witness protection program
• A cat who is mad he cannot sit on the keyboard
• Time traveler from one day in the future
• Desperately trying not to break out into song
• Allergic to the internet
• Movie director pitching reboot ideas

The best party quirks are guessable though not immediately obvious. Participants can take turns playing guessers and guests.

Check out more amusing improv games .

12. Jackbox Games

Jackbox Games are digital party games that come in bundles. Each party pack contains five games that family members can play together. Up to eight players can join a game. The account holder loads the main game on the screen, and the other participants use mobile devices to respond to questions and challenges. Jackbox Games include drawing games, trivia, and games of deception.

Learn more about Jackbox Games .

13. Heads Up!

Heads Up! is an app game meant for two or more players. The first participant selects a category, then holds their mobile device up to their forehead, screen out. The app displays a word, often a celebrity, movie, or TV show. The other players give clues that help the first participant guess the reference. After guessing correctly, the first player quickly tilts the phone to generate a new clue. The round continues until the timer runs out, and then another player takes a turn.

To play the game via video call, the turn taker should first hide their own video so that they cannot see the answer.

Learn more about Heads Up!

14. Virtual Jigsaw Puzzles

Family games can be collaborative instead of competitive. Solving jigsaw puzzles together requires concentration and teamwork, and can be quite relaxing though mentally stimulating. Puzzles are probably the last activity that come to mind when considering games to play on Zoom. However, working on puzzles together remotely is actually quite easy.

Simply go to Jigsawexplorer , pick a puzzle, then create a game link. Once you share the link with other attendees, you will be able to work on the same puzzle from different computers.

Check out more group puzzles .

15. Online Murder Mysteries

Murder mysteries are roleplaying games that challenge players to become pretend detectives. Each game begins with a fictional killing. Typically, every participant receives a role to play and lines to read. While performing parts, players must hunt for clues and determine the identity of the murderer. The object of the game is to guess the killer by the time the script ends. To play on Zoom, email each attendee their part of the script, then gather on video call to act out the scenes. Using costumes, virtual backgrounds, and props makes the game more fun. You could also book a hosted murder mystery game where a guide gives out hints and puzzles before revealing the culprit at the end.

Check out our full list of online murder mystery games .

16. Virtual Charades

Charades is one of the most basic virtual family games. To play the game via video call, use a charade generator to pick a prompt, or privately message the phrase to the chosen participant. Be sure to spotlight the player taking a turn so that all attendees can see properly. The turntaker must act out the phrase or concept without speaking, mouthing the words, or using the chat. The first player to correctly guess the prompt wins points.

17. Reverse Charades

Reverse Charades puts a twist on the classic party game. Instead of a group of players guessing the gestures of one participant, one player interprets the actions of a group. To start, first form teams. Then, send a prompt to all members of a team except one. Players will have one minute to simultaneously act out the prompt. By the end of the minute, the non-miming player must guess the prompt correctly to win points for the team.

18. Online Card Games

Many families enjoy playing card games together. Thanks to online game platforms like PlayingCards.io, it is easy to play your favorite card or board games with faraway relatives. PlayingCards.io hosts games like hearts, go fish, crazy eights, and checkers. The site also has a custom card builder, which you can use to recreate games like Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, or invent a completely new game. The platform generates a room code you can give to family members, enabling you to play with the same deck or board across multiple devices.

Learn more about PlayingCards.io .

19. Family Fact or Fiction?

Family Fact or Fiction? is a true or false quiz that tests relatives’ family knowledge. To play, family members take turns sharing statements about the family. For example, “great-great-grandpa was a bootlegger,” or, “we missed last Thanksgiving because our dog had diarrhea.” Other players must guess whether the declaration is a fact or a fabrication.

Here are some more prompts:

• We’re descended from royalty
• One of our relatives dated a celebrity
• We have a reality show star in our midst
• This cousin accidentally gave their household food poisoning
• This uncle made up their own nickname
• This aunt once dated a con man

You can make up more specific examples. The more outrageous the statement, the more fun it is to figure out the truth. To cast votes, players can either use the poll feature, or react with a thumbs up or thumbs down.

Final Thoughts

Online games give family members a chance to spend quality time together while far apart. These activities recreate the experience of hunkering down in the living room or gathering around the dining room table, even if players are in different cities or countries.

Next, check out our list of online activities for Mother’s Day , this one for online games to play on Father’s Day and these Family Day activities for work .

We also have a list of the best online board games to play with friends , list of ideas for corporate family fun day and list of virtual amazing race activities .

Book wildly fun team building events with expert hosts

FAQ: Online family games

Here are answers to commonly asked questions about online family games.

What are virtual family games?

Virtual family games are interactive challenges to play with relatives and friends on video meeting software like FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype. For example, Jeopardy, charades, or murder mysteries. These activities help families feel closer despite physical distance.

What are the best virtual family games to play online?

The best virtual family games include online trivia, most likely to, and Pictionary.

Why should you play remote family games?

Game night is a beloved family tradition that helps family members bond, form fond memories, and enjoy each other’s company. Modern life often makes it hard for family members to get together, especially if living far apart. By playing family games together on Zoom, relatives can nurture relationships and keep connections strong.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com.

Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Virtual Families 3 Guide: Tips, Tricks & Strategies to Live a Happy, Prosperous Life

By: Author Fred Santos

Posted on Last updated: March 6, 2021

Virtual Families 3: Our Country Home is a life simulator developed by Last Day at Work, following their previous titles such as the Virtual Villagers series. In Virtual Families 3 you move into a run-down but rather cozy home that you can decorate and renovate to your liking, possibly starting a family to inherit the property as time goes on. The house has its own stories to tell however, and you might notice the lights flickering from time to time…

Though Virtual Families 3 is similar to The Sims on the surface, there are some key differences we will have to discuss, chief among them being that you have less activities for your characters (or “Little People” as the game calls them) to do. The game is also a great deal more passive in nature, as players are encouraged to leave their characters alone to gain progress. Under your guidance, how many generations will stay?

Virtual Families 3 is rather simple in terms of gameplay, so it is very easy to learn what the game can do. Our Virtual Families 3 guide will show you what you can expect in the game, and how to really start enjoying the fruits of your labors. So stay with us and check out our Virtual Families 3 guide below for tips, tricks and strategies to live a happy, prosperous life!

1.Moving In

The first thing you should know about your new home is that it essentially comes in “sections,” some already built right from the start. You start with a “living room” to the south of the map that needs some serious renovation; an office to the west which has a couple of computers and a phone; a bathroom to the southeast; a kitchen in the center with a dining room close by; and a main room that will most likely serve as your first bedroom up until you start upgrading your house.

Some of these house upgrades can be purchased right away, provided you have enough coins, while others will require you to reach new generations of family members before you can unlock them. These upgrades are rather pricey too: it costs about two thousand coins to add two new rooms to the northeastern corner of the kitchen, and that was the only option that we could purchase immediately.

Furniture and other assorted items can be purchased via the store tab at the bottom of the screen, and are divided into several categories:

Food and Medicine : Your Little People need to eat after all. Groceries come in sub-categories (such as regular food or organic food, for example), and are purchased one at a time. Acquired groceries can be placed onto the food tab at the top of the screen, selecting the chosen grocery, and tapping the dining table while the grocery is selected. Any unoccupied characters will head to the kitchen and start moving groceries to the refrigerator. Meanwhile, medicines are used to treat any illnesses your characters might have.

Flea Market : Assorted knick-knacks and consumables you can gift your characters, ranging from pick-me-ups to more activities they can do in and around the gardens. The Flea Market’s stock changes on a daily basis.

Career : Job-related items to improve your characters’ work performance. We will discuss careers along with characters later in the article.

Home Improvement : If you want to expand the house, this is where you go. Aside from new rooms, this category also includes gardens, decks, and even a pool. Home Improvement options are perhaps the most restricted as it can take several generations before you can even access some of these options.

Furniture : Beds, appliances, and decorative items, essentially stuff that your characters can regularly interact with. You can access purchased furniture at the top of the screen, next to the food tab, select the furniture you want to place, and drag it to its desired location. You start off with a cheap-looking couch so your starting character has some place to get some sleep, though you can find an affordable bed if you prefer mattresses over cushions.

Clothing : For some added character personalization. Beyond that, it is mostly cosmetic.

Upgrades : This store section has services to make home management a bit easier, such as a hirable maid with a daily paycheck or adoption services for when you want to expand your family. There is also the lottery if you want to try your luck, and an option to force a random event if you feel the day is a bit too uneventful to your liking. You can enter the lottery for one hundred coins, which can pay out big time or just reward you with free groceries.

Pets : Currently unavailable at the time of writing, we can assume you can purchase your own furry friend or two to brighten up your humble abode.

Around the yard, there might be collectibles scattered around the garden that spawn in at random times, indicated by twinkling effect above the item in question. You can leave them alone, or you can command your characters to pick them up, though some collectibles of them will require gifts from the Flea Market in order to start collecting them.

Now, we mentioned earlier that there is something off about the house, and truth be told, the place appears to be haunted. Aside from the flickering lights, you might see the ghost of a little girl from time to time. Moreover, some letters addressed to the previous inhabitants mention some tragedy involving their daughter. Clearly your realtor should have mentioned that before you bought the place.

We have no idea how this storyline progresses based on our limited playtime, but here’s hoping we can give the little girl some closure. The girl is harmless, though her sudden appearances can startle you if you are not prepared for them.

2. Founding Your Family

Before you can move in, you will have to create your first Little Person. The game will essentially randomize what your starting character will look like, along with other details listed next to them. These details are as follows:

Name : Your character’s name of course, and the only detail you can really customize.

Age : How old your character will be. Expect this to range between their early to their late 20s. Characters age at a rate of one year every few hours.

Gender : Whether your character is a boy or a girl. Sexual preference will be covered later.

Profession : What your character’s job is. This determines what work station they will have to go to in order to earn cash. Food-related jobs will work in the kitchen; office-related jobs will work on the office computers; and construction-related jobs will work in workshops you can build later in the game, and thus will not spawn in at the start of a new family.

Salary : How much money your character earns on a daily basis, along with how much money they have on hand. They will earn this money passively, as characters cannot lose their jobs as far as we can tell, though you can manually move them to their chosen work station to get more money, earning extra cash every hour they do more work.

Wants Kids : How much they want to have kids of their own.

Likes and Dislikes : What your character likes and does not like to do. These sections may be left blank, with children starting off with no likes and dislikes at all.

Once you roll a character you like, hit the “Accept” button to move them in. While in the house, you can select a character by tapping on them and showing things like their age, their profession, their current mood, and their current activities. Tapping on their icon brings up a more detailed menu which shows the following along with their previously mentioned stats:

Level : Their job’s current level, which affects their salary as they are “promoted.”

Progress : How far they are to the next promotion. This bar goes up the more they work.

Happiness : How happy they currently are, of course. Happier characters will do more activities.

Health : How close they are to an illness. Keep this high so you do not need to buy medicine as often. Illnesses can range from simple, under-the-weather cases to potentially fatal maladies.

Fed : Their hunger meter. Characters will head to the fridge to get a meal if this goes down enough, so remember to keep your fridge stocked. Your family will remind you if your food stores are low, though it does not hurt to see for yourself.

Energy : If this meter falls down low enough, your characters will become exhausted and seek the nearest couch or bed to get some sleep.

There appears to be arrows to the sides of their icon, presumably to cycle between family members. However, we have had trouble pressing them and either go to their detailed pages or simply exit our selections.

As a rule, your characters will do what they want to do, and while you can force them to do certain activities by manually dragging to them to your chosen location, you will get more mileage by encouraging or discouraging certain behaviors. At the top left of the screen are two buttons to praise or scold  your characters for their actions, which in turn allows them to manage your house more efficiently while you are away.

For example, you can dedicate one character to working for extra money while another one cleans up the place. Characters may occasionally wish for certain things like room-related items or house upgrades, which will give you an idea on what you should purchase. They may occasionally send you emails or make a call upon starting the game, telling you about their current problems.

Any random events will fire when you start the game, indicated by the flashing email or phone icons on the right side of the screen. In that case, move a character to the computer or the phone, respectively, to see the event. Sometimes these events will make you lose money, while other times you will get a nice reward.

Gameplay more or less progresses in real time with no real option of speeding it up, aside from a time warp you can purchase from the Upgrades section of the store. As such, gameplay in Virtual Families 3 will consist mainly of telling your characters what activities need to be urgently done, and what they should and should not do. You will also have to leave the game for a bit and come back to see how far your family has come. The game does come with a small tutorial system when you visit different menus for the first time.

Naturally, moving into a house introduces its own list of problems, some of which we will list below:

You will have garbage to properly dispose of, unless your character wants ants roaming around in the kitchen. There is a garbage can in the kitchen, which will eventually get full and have to be emptied outside. Also, a note on ants: your family will step on them to get rid of them but generally, you will not see an end to it. We haven’t quite figured out how to permanently get rid of them.

Dirty laundry is represented by the occasional sock lying about, though you will have to buy a washing machine and a suitable dryer separately.

Dirt smudges can be easily cleaned up, though this can take away valuable time. Hiring a maid will help you deal with dirt and the other assorted messes we mentioned above.

Weeds in your garden, which will become a bigger problem when you start developing the outside of your house. You manage this by manually commanding your characters to pull the weeds out themselves, by hiring a gardener, or by purchasing some weed killer from the Flea Market.

Appliance breakdowns , where you will have to decide between hiring a dedicated repairman and trying to fix the darn thing yourself.

3. The Tying Of Knots And The Pattering Of Feet

Of course, it can get pretty lonely living in such a large house with your lonesome. This is when the game’s dating site comes into play. From here, you can select the chosen gender of your significant other, as well as what interests you want them to have.

The game will cycle from about four choices until you find someone that you like. Just like your starting character, their name, age, and other details will be listed, their name can be changed as you see fit, and any money they have on hand will be combined with yours.

After you have made your decision, they will move in and marry your character, so cheers to the newlywed couple! In our example, we married a woman named Magica who works as a Sustainability Specialist.

If you want someone to inherit the house, you will need kids. You can either locate adoption services via the Upgrades section of the store, or drag one of your newlyweds to their significant other to get busy. It is just the two of them dancing in place on the nearest bed, so nothing too explicit. Once they are done, you will be blessed with your own little bundle of joy, possibly even twins or triplets if you are (un)lucky enough.

The newly-minted parents will take care of their baby by holding them as they go about their activities, and you can control which people are in charge of baby duty via the character screen. As in real life, the chance of getting new kids goes down the older the couple gets. Until they grow up, babies will not need beds of their own, sleeping alongside who is currently taking care of them.

Once the baby is two years old, the child will become semi-independent and more or less start behaving like a regular character. You can encourage or discourage them as needed. Your child will become a fully grown adult when they are 18 years old, and are capable of finding a job, getting likes and dislikes, and finding love. Your family members will start visibly aging at around forty-five years old, with their hair turning grayer and grayer until it becomes white.

4. A Couple More Buttons To Press

There are two more options beside the Store button: the Menu and the Bank. The Bank is simple enough, as it lists your daily income based on the combined salaries of your working characters, while the Menu has the following options available:

Family : Showcases your family tree, of course! Over time, this entry will get pretty far, starting with your first character and potentially ending with lots of descendants over multiple generations.

Goals : Essentially the achievement system of the game. Completing a goal nets a one-time money bonus. Some goals are mutually exclusive in the sense that you will need to wait for the next generation to complete them both.

Coins : If you are low on cash, you can make an in-app purchase for a quick income boost. Alternatively, you can get two hundred coins by selecting the “Free Coins” button at the top right corner of the screen and watching an ad.

Collections : Any collectables your characters can find will be listed here, sorted by the type of collectable they are (such as toys or bird feathers, to give a couple of categories) and their arity.

Help : A simple, scroll-down list that covers the basics of the game. Good for refreshers.

Settings : Volume controls and the like. You can pause the game if things are becoming too much for you to handle, or even reset the game if you feel that your current family is at a dead end.

To the right of those buttons is the current amount of coins you have, and selecting it will take you directly to the in-app purchase section of the menu we discussed earlier.

5. Home Management For Newbies

We have covered all the details that Virtual Familes 3 has, so let us give you some pointers to make handling your family a great deal easier:

Patience ! The game generally runs on real time, with no way of speeding things up, outside of purchasing the time warp. You will have to trust your Little People that they can get the job done, checking on them from time to time if they need a little extra help or more food.

Carrots and Sticks . The encouragement system will be your best friend as it will more or less dictate what your family will do while you are away. Encourage them for activities you want them to do and discourage activities that consume too much time.

Listen to what your family members want . If they want new stuff for their bathroom, a painting to liven it up will suffice. We personally bought a weighing scale.

Some ideal first purchases . Some of the things you can find in the Store can get rather expensive, but ideally you should get a couple of extra beds so that your new family will have more places to sleep. We also recommend getting a washing machine and a suitable dryer in order to deal with the laundry.

Get that free coin boost often . The start of the game can be an uphill battle, so you will need to get as much help as you can until your family can start raking in money on a regular basis. Two hundred coins is quite the boost when you are starting out, but over time this amount will fall off as your family starts earning more than what that the ads offer.

Collect what you can find . There are goals for completing a given collection, so locate any twinkling things in your garden and have your characters pick them up.

Thank you for reading our Virtual Families 3 guide! With some hard work and a lot of time, you can turn that old house into a beautiful mansion of your own design, housing a family that stretches back to your first character. If you guys have any tips or tricks that we may have missed, please let us know in the comment area below!

Monday 11th of March 2024

Every time I get back on my computer some of my furniture keep coming back that I sold how do I keep it from coming back.

Tuesday 8th of August 2023

How do I get rid of, or sell, the old furniture. I don't see anywhere to put it, like in a storage tab.

Tuesday 29th of August 2023

@Jennifer, you drag it outside the gate

Sunday 14th of May 2023

How do I get the spatula and ceramic for upgrading the resort?

Monday 22nd of May 2023

@Sara, is resort like mine as don't want to spend money on it if it's just not mine u got to find spatula etc in garden

Sunday 17th of April 2022

I added a new room and it is gone today😢

Saturday 19th of February 2022

how can i collect the minerals??

Saturday 5th of August 2023

@mary, you need the rockhound certificate which will randomly show up in your market at some point, save though because it's expensive!

Want to Make Virtual Learning Work? Get Parents Involved in Meaningful Ways

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For years, the biggest players in teaching and learning were students, teachers, and instructional materials. But with the pandemic and the resulting explosion in online learning, another key group has emerged: Parents.

In fact, students can learn just as much virtually—if not more—than they would have in a typical, in-person school year, if they are given access to high-quality content and have support from a parent or caregiver, according to a report released July 27 by the Center for Public Research and Leadership at Columbia University.

Those conclusions were based on nearly 300 interviews with students, families, and educators from nine school districts and charter school organizations across seven states during the 2020-21 school year.

“We heard teachers speak at length about how having curriculum that helps coordinate the collaboration between teachers and families actually helps teachers do their jobs better and connect better with kids,” said Elizabeth Chu, the executive director of the Center for Public Research and Leadership, and an author of the report, in an interview.

Districts should make it a priority to find instructional materials that are driven by technology, responsive to students’ cultural contexts, and designed to help families support curriculum and instruction, the researchers suggest.

For instance, at least one site included in the study provided families with “Homework Helpers,” short informational summaries that helped families assist their children with schoolwork. Video-recorded lessons were another useful feature.

Other good tools and approaches, the report noted, included programs that allowed educators and students to set weekly goals and provided regular reports, so that families and teachers could monitor students’ progress; and tech tools with features that pinged families with information about where their students were excelling or struggling.

What about children whose parents or guardians don’t have the time or inclination to help with schoolwork, or those who come from non-English speaking households? Chu emphasized that the term “family member” referenced in the report was a broad one and could include older siblings, aunts and uncles, neighbors, and more. And in some cases technology can help overcome barriers, such as when materials are translated into students’ home languages, she said.

The findings jibe with those of a survey released by Rutgers University earlier this summer , which found a major uptick during the pandemic in parents’ involvement in their children’s education, likely because so many parents and guardians helped with online learning. The survey was based on interviews with 1,000 parents of children age 3 to 13, all with household incomes below the national median for families in the United States. (That’s about $75,000 a year.)

Two-thirds of parents reported that they now know more about their child’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to learning than they did before the pandemic. And 43 percent said they were more confident in communicating with their child’s teachers than they were before the crisis.

Chu, the Columbia University researcher, said her report underscores the importance of making sure there’s “cross functional collaboration” between families and schools. “One of the things that became really, really clear over the course of this study is just the extent to which family engagement has historically been siloed from teaching and learning,” she said in an interview.

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5 Keys to Successful Homework Assignments During Remote Learning

While students and their families are coping with so much, teachers should be mindful to assign only homework that’s truly meaningful. 

How can homework be reimagined during remote or hybrid learning? Are students already spending too much time on their screen—why assign more screen time? What is the purpose of the assignment?

As a middle school instructional coach, I often work with teachers who are unsure of how much to give and what to give. They’re also inevitably worried about finding the time to grade it. As a parent, I know how stressful it can be to balance your own work while also helping your own children with homework.

Since remote learning began in March, some schools have banned homework or modified homework policies, but if you’re a teacher who’s allowed to assign homework or an administrator who sets homework policy, the following suggestions may help.

5 Keys to Making Homework More Meaningful

1. Off-screen reading:  Books, books, books. Whether your students are reading books they chose or assigned novels, quiet reading time (or time listening to audiobooks) is a welcome assignment in most homes—I say this as a mom myself. Students can be held accountable for their reading through Harkness discussions in class or on Zoom, journal entries (written or in Flipgrid-style video), or old-fashioned sticky-note annotations in the book itself.

2. Less is more: Unfortunately, math teachers have the reputation of assigning something like “problems 1 through 45” (OK, maybe I’m exaggerating). Do students need to repeat the same skill over and over? Consider how much time you have in class the next day to actually review several problems. Instead, can you choose four or five rich multistep problems that provide practice and application of the skills? Or, alternatively, offer student choice: “Choose five out of these 10 problems.”

In a humanities or science class, can students answer one extended compare-and-contrast question rather than the chapter review in the textbook?

3. Personalized homework: Many students (and adults alike) love to talk about themselves. If students can make the assignment personal to them, they might feel more motivated to complete it. An example might be to compare the protagonist of the assigned reading with themselves in a Venn diagram. In a language class, they can describe a fictitious superhero using descriptive vocabulary in the language they’re studying. Or assign students to make a Flipgrid-style dance or song describing the scientific method (this example was inspired by TikTok).

4. Family involvement: Use this option carefully, especially now when many parents and guardians are stretched thin. Before making family assignments, be sure to get a feel for your students’ family situations to avoid putting anyone at a disadvantage. Give families a heads-up and plenty of time for such assignments.

If you feel it’s appropriate to proceed, ask students to take a video of themselves teaching a new concept to a family member. To practice operations with fractions, students can bring in a favorite family recipe with the measurements adjusted for fewer servings or multiple servings. Assign a riddle or math puzzle for students to discuss with the family, and ask them to write down the various answers they hear.

Whatever you assign, keep it light, low-stakes, and infrequent.

5. Flipped homework: In my experience, students get tired of watching instructional videos, but a few short, well-planned videos can be useful to assign the night before to spark discussion the next day in class. Follow the video with a short Google Form to ask the student to reflect and/or ask initial questions about what they watched. Use flipped learning sparingly to keep it novel and unique.

What about the grading? With shared docs, older students can easily share their work with their peers for review. Take some time to educate students on how to constructively comment on each other’s work. If a student’s assignment is missing, their partner will let them know, which takes some of the burden off of the teacher. This method should not be used for graded summative assessments and should be monitored by the teacher. Peer review can also serve as a differentiation strategy by grouping students by readiness and ability when applicable.

If your school’s homework policies allow, be creative with your assignments. As you create your assignments, consider the following:

• What will a student learn or gain from this work?
• Is it worth their time?
• Is it creating more home stress?

If we reimagine homework, students might actually cheer instead of groan when it’s assigned. OK, that’s wishful thinking, but they should definitely get more out of their assignments. 

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Family resources for remote learning, what's in this guide.

The stress and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic presents daily challenges to the well- being of families and children. In response the Child Mind Institute provides telehealth treatment for children, adolescents and young adults with mental health and learning disorders, as well as free resources at childmind.org/coronavirus. Below, clinicians from our Learning and Development Center have organized resources for parents who are suddenly responsible for the home school environment. These resources, broken down by age groups, include academic materials, worksheets, activities, videos, games, and more.

Academic Resources

Younger students (e.g., preschool through elementary school) are less likely to have prescribed homeschooling plans. Instead, parents may have to come up with instructional material. For this reason, the guide below provides more detailed information about the “what” and the “why” for specific resources through mid-elementary school. For older students, we have provided more general information about educational and enrichment resources that families can present their students with.

Pre-Academic for 3- to 5-year-olds:

Books that emphasize rhyme and/or alliteration

For 3 and 4-year-olds, supporting later reading skills means boosting phonemic awareness (i.e., the ability to identify and manipulate the phonemes [sounds] in words). Towards that end, reading books that emphasize rhyme and/or alliteration is particularly important.

• The Absolutely Awful Alphabet by Mordicai Gerstein
• Big Alphabet Workbook by School Zone.
• Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke by Pamela Duncan Edwards
• Clara Caterpillar by Pamela Duncan Edwards
• Jamberry by Bruce Degen
• Bedhead by Margie Palatini
• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? By Bill Martin, Jr.
• Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault
• There’s a Wocket in my Pocket by Dr. Seuss
• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson & Ariel Scheffler
• Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley
• Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
• Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
• The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
• And any nursery rhyme!

Books that teach about numbers and counting

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth
• Click Clack Splish Splash by Doreen Cronin
• Olivia Counts by Ian Falconer
• Chicka Chicka 123 by Bill Martin & Michael Sampson

Books that teach about shapes and colors:

• Circle, Triangle, Elephant by Kenji Oikawa and Mayuko Takeuchi
• I Lost My Sock! A Matching Mystery by P.J. Roberts
• Colors versus Shapes by Mike Boldt
• Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert
• How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors by Jane Yolen
• Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
• Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin
• The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns
• Food for Thought by Saxton Freymann & Joost Elffers (also letters, numbers, and opposites)

Early Elementary (Grades K-1)

Emphasis in early elementary is placed on developing early literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, phonic decoding, and sight-word reading.

• BOB Books (by John R. Maslen and Bobby Lynn Maslen) introduce and reinforce phonics in a systematic and enjoyable way. Kids can read entire books on their own so they feel successful.
• Beginning Reading Workbook by School Zone does a nice job breaking down early reading concepts, such as syllables, beginning and ending consonant sounds, vowels, sequencing, etc.
• Reading Activities 1 and 2 Workbook by School Zone covers reading comprehension concepts, such as comprehension, predicting, main idea, comparing, contrasting, evaluating, etc.
• To support the development of reading comprehension, ask your child questions, such as “What do you think will happen next?” while reading aloud.
• Listening to stories is a great way to build a child’s vocabulary and comprehension skills. Audible is offering free children’s stories through their platform: Stories.audible.com.
• The Parents’ Read-At-Home Plan for Student Success has a number of fun games and activities for Grades K-3, organized by the “5 Pillars” of reading instruction: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension. The guide is free .

Numeracy and Counting :

Books that teach the concepts of addition and subtraction:

• What’s New at the Zoo by and Suzanne Slade
• One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab: A Counting by Feet Book by April Pulley Sayre & Jeff Sayre
• The Mission of Addition by Brian Cleary
• Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy
• Elevator Magic by Stuart J. Murphy
• Math Start Series by Stuart J. Murphy

Mid-Elementary

English Language Arts (ELA):

As word reading develops and improves, instructional emphasis shifts to reading fluency, which is critical for comprehension. Try to boost your child’s reading fluency by reading books out loud at the same time (aka choral reading) and seeing if they can try to match your pace. This will help them get used to what fluent reading feels and sounds like. Choose books that your child can read independently so that they can focus instead on pacing, rather than decoding.Here are some books and strategies you can use:

• Readworks.org offers a lot of free content for families, including an informational video about remote learning, a tip-sheet to help families get started, and numerous, high-quality activities to promote vocabulary and reading comprehension. Families can access free materials , including a student library with access to thousands of fiction and non-fiction works, reading passages and question sets leveled for grades K-12, “article-a-day” to increase background knowledge, and family supports.
• Encourage your child to act out books that have a lot of dialogue, such as A Big Guy Took My Ball by Mo Willems (An Elephant & Piggie Book). Using the same tone of voice that the characters might use improves their reading expression, which is an important part of fluency.
• Incorporate book sets that fine-tune early reading skills, like phonic decoding and sight-word recognition. When these skills are mastered, reading fluency will follow. For example, try Pete the Cat Phonics Box Set, Peppa Pig Phonics Box Set, or Scholastic Success with Sight Words
• Encourage your children to spend some time every day reading actively.
• What is this story about?
• What is the solution to the problem in the story?
• How did the character solve his problem?
• How is this story the same or different from others stories you have read?
• List each character in this story.
• Write down one adjective that describes each character.
• Who is this story about? Why is that person important?
• What did this person do that made him famous or special?
• What did this person need to overcome in order to be successful? o What other information did you learn about this person?
• Math Basics 1 Workbook by School Zone – covers addition, subtraction, greater than, less than, comparison, number order, etc.
• Math Basics 2 Workbook by School Zone – worksheets that emphasize addition and subtraction, time and money, place value, sums and differences, fact families, geometry, etc.
• Big Second Grade Workbook by School Zone – covers grade-level math calculations and word problems, along with phonics, reading comprehension, and science.
• Math Basics 3 Workbook by School Zone – covers grade-level math concepts, including multiplication, division, word problems, place value, square units, fractions, etc.
• Multiplication and Division Workbook by School Zone – for third and fourth graders, covers multiplication, division, estimation, and word problems.
• Spectrum Critical Thinking for Math – Covers concepts, including multi-digit addition, multi-digit subtraction, multi-digit multiplication, long division, fractions, geometry, and estimation, while encouraging critical thinking skills.
• Flash Cards are a time-tested tool that help students achieve mastery and automaticity with rote math facts. There are also computer-based math fact programs available, which use a game-based system to drill math facts and achieve fluency (e.g., Reflex Math: reflexmath.com; offering a free 60-day trial).

More Learning Resources for Younger Children

• At-home math activities, parent blogs, and more resources: http://bedtimemath.org/
• Online math visual activities (content offered in English and Spanish): http://nlvm.usu.edu/
• PBS Kids / PBS Learning Media. https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/kids-lab/
• Reading Rockets. This website offers activities, checklists, and information on building literacy skills. www.readingrockets.org
• Scholastic Learn at Home: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html
• Starfall Parent Teacher Center: https://teach.starfall.com/lv/
• Stuck at Home Science: Daily science activities for families to enjoy using household materials(content offered in English and Spanish): https://californiasciencecenter.org/stuck-at-home-science

Online Course Content for High Schoolers

• High school subjects include math, language arts, science, study skills, and history. Content is presented in engaging 30-minute videos. One-month free trial available. https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/programs-for-young-learners

Where to Get Books to Read and Hear

• New York City Library, free digital books
• Free Audio Books
• Free Public Domain Books
• Storyline Online: Actors read children’s stories accompanied by animation recommended for grades Pre-K to 4th
• Your local library has digital books and audio books to check out

Educational Worksheets

• https://www.teachstarter.com/us/resource-availability/free/ Offers a range of free worksheets, sortable by topic and age.
• https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/ Educational worksheets as well as crafts, coloring, pages, and other activities. Also has templates to generate your own worksheet to fit your needs.
• https://eduprintables.com/ This is the Pinterest of educational resources. There are over 20 pages of educational and creative activities for children of all ages. This includes coloring pages, educational puzzles, vocabulary, flashcards, videos, and more.
• https://www.quizlet.com Quizlet allows you to search their platform for activities and resources across any subject of interest. Search for “Fundations” flash cards, which help teach children phonics.
• https://www.classroomcereal.com/ Multi-part stories that help kids practice grammar fundamentals. (Click the “Stories” tab) Kids will read the story and then find the grammar errors. There are 20 stories, each with 5 parts.
• https://www.greatschools.org/gk/worksheets/?category=reading-2 Free reading worksheets that can be filtered by grade level. Also has other subjects (Parenting > Worksheets). Articles are offered on all things parenting on this website, too.
• https://www.englishforeveryone.org/ English For Everyone has an abundance of free worksheets for different topics in Language Arts, including Reading Comprehension, Verb Tenses, Sentence Completion, Contractions, Irregular Verbs, etc.
• http://www.startwithabook.org A resource that allows parents to choose children’s books based on various topics, such as Arts and Artists; Bugs, Birds, and Animals; Builders and Buildings; Dinosaurs; Music and Musicians; Nature; and Weather. The website also offers two 5-day DIY science camps devoted to learning about stars and the solar system, as well as rivers and streams in your community.
• https://www.nypl.org/books-music-movies/ebookcentral/simplye While libraries are temporarily closed, The New York Public Library has a resource that allows you to borrow E-books online.
• https://www.storylineonline.net/ Free website that features videos of famous actors reading children’s books aloud.
• https://kidlit.tv/ Offers videos and podcasts that promote children’s literature. Includes radio, crafts and activities, book trailers, and more.
• https://simplelivingcreativelearning.com/language-arts/ Language arts printable packs. Other subjects offered under “printables.”
• https://www.greatschools.org/gk/worksheets/?category=writing-2 (same as under “Reading” category but for writing worksheets)
• https://www.k12reader.com/subject/composition/ Free worksheets for writing skills. Other language arts subject offered, too, on side bar.
• https://www.iew.com Institute for Writing Excellence has Language Arts and writing lessons, as well as resources for grammar, vocabulary, and poetry memorization for students grades 3 thru 12.
• http://www.sfusdmath.org/ This site offers lesson plans and free math worksheets for different grades. There are worksheets in English and Spanish.
• www.mathworksheets4kids.com/math.php MathWorksheets4Kids has a ton of free math worksheets grouped by math skill areas
• www.math-drills.com Their collection of worksheets, broken down by math skill area, is vast!
• https://www.edhelper.com/teacher-education/Daily-Free-Learning-Workbooks-for-Teachers- to-Share-with-Parents-while-Schools-are-Closed-Kids-will-actually-do-these.htm Aside from math worksheets, this site includes a list of free Sudoku puzzles, as well as sheets for practicing coding, and writing in cursive.

Educational Games and Videos

• PBS kids offers a variety of educational categories from games including school subjects (math, science, social studies, reading, ABC’s, music, shapes, problem solving, measurements, Spanish, etc.) as well as games about feelings, coloring, adventure, animals, dinosaurs, etc.)

https://pbskids.org/games/all-topics/

• Over 200 online games for reading/writing practice. Can filter by grade, subject, and unit.

https://www.education.com/games/ela/reading/

• Several reading-oriented games. There are additional resources for other subjects and grade levels.

https://www.roomrecess.com/pages/ReadingGames.html

• Starfall has fun games and activities for Language Arts, Music, and Math, all available online, for children in Pre-K to 3rd Grade.

https://www.starfall.com/

• Read with Phonics has plenty of games available across platforms (Apple, Google Play, Amazon) for teaching children how to read using phonics.

https://www.readwithphonics.com

• 8 writing games and activities that are not online. Most only require paper and pencils, and encourage creativity and learning.

https://www.woojr.com/category/teacher-worksheets-lesson-plan/mad-libs-for-kids/

• Printable Mad Libs! There are many categories (with specific school topics and general fun categories), and they’re all printable!
• Print sight word cards to play various games with (e.g., bingo, go fish, tic-tac-toe, etc.). There is also an option to create your own sight words

Features school themed worksheets: https://sightwords.com/sight-words/games/

• Provides over 400 fun and educational games for grades PreK through 6. Click on your child’s grade level, and there will be numerous age appropriate games focusing on words, math, holidays, strategy, and skills.

https://www.abcya.com/

• Over 600 online games. Can filter by grade, subject, and unit within each subject. Detailed descriptions including instructions, and what mathematical skill the game targets.

https://www.education.com/games/

• Math games organized by grade and subject.

http://www.mathgametime.com/math-games

• ProdigyGame is a free math learning platform that is accessible to parents, students, and schools.

https://www.prodigygame.com/

• After choosing your desired grade level, you’ll have access to a number of educational videos, articles, books, and activities.

https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

• Several “How To” videos with several fun art projects for kids

https://www.abcya.com/videos/

• Fun science videos for grades K-8

https://www.generationgenius.com/

• Links to additional educational resources including recommendations for various educational YouTube channels for kids

https://www.pinterest.com/teachertreasury/educational-videos-for-primary-grades/

• Khan Academy offers a number of free educational resources for students of all ages, and also has sample schedules that parents can adapt to help them structure their days.

https://www.khanacademy.org/

• BrainPop has a number of different videos and activities online categorized by subject area and content.

https://www.brainpop.com/ and https://jr.brainpop.com/

At Home Activities

Movement breaks and home exercise for kids and families:.

https://www.gonoodle.com/

GoNoodle provides fun, free movement and mindfulness videos with a focus on wellness and increasing socio-emotional health for kids age 5-12. The videos are super interactive and fun for kids to do along with parents. Both web and app versions are available.

https://fluencyandfitness.com/

Instructional while also providing a movement break. Reviews K-2 math and reading material paired with movement exercises.

https://www.cosmickids.com/

Yoga and mindfulness for kids, ages 3+. Uses familiar stories and characters for kids to connect with while encouraging movement and mindfulness. Kids learn about feelings and practice breathing techniques to reduce anxiety. Also offers five-minute brain breaks for a quick burst of yoga and yoga disco to help kids get their wiggles out. Best accessed on YouTube for a variety of free videos.

https://www.yoremikids.com/app

Yoga paired with music. Free 60-day unlimited access to the first 500 users who request it. Additional requests will be added to a waitlist. Or, get a 14-day free trial or give a donation and receive 60-day unlimited access.

https://www.smarten-up.com/workshops-1

Smarten Up NYC, a New York City based educational tutoring organization, is offering free daily online workshops for children across all grades. The workshops include a twice daily read-aloud, foundational writing skills workshop, phonics classes, creative writing workshop, origami, Yoga, and meditation.

Just Dance 3 has multiple fun dance workouts on YouTube for free

Smile and Learn is a Youtube channel with videos designed by teachers with short (less than 10 minute) yoga videos designed for kids

Alo Yoga has yoga classes designed for parents to do with their kids

https://www.doyogawithme.com/

Free Yoga Programs for parents and older kids

https://www.facebook.com/kidsinsportsofficial

Kids in sports is offering daily at home sports and exercise activities for free on their Facebook page

Popsugar does family friendly cardio workout designed for kids

Early Childhood Activities (under 5)

Ideas for (relatively) independent play

KhanKids App: Designed for ages 2-7. Has several educational games, videos, audio books across a range of subjects (e.g., early reading skills, numbers/counting, logic, nature, social/emotional learning, drawing and coloring, tracing letters.)

https://www.gonoodle.com/for-families/

GoNoodle Videos: Available through an app and on their website. 100s of free movement and mindfulness videos designed for children 4-10. No ads or in-app purchases. Most videos are 1-3 minutes long. There are also a few compilations videos called “indoor recess” that last 15-20 minutes.

https://studyclerk.com/blog/activities-for-kids

GoNoodle Games: A free app that is separate from the video only app described above. Also designed for kids aged 4-10 with no ads or in-app purchases. Mini-games that require movement to play. Device must have a forward-facing camera. Kids move around to “collect” stars, “pop” bubbles, etc.

Youtube Kids: The app has great parent control options that can be customized for each kid and saved. You can select content by age or only allow access to videos that you have pre-selected. You are able to see what your child has watched, after the fact. Can also set a timer that will lock the app after a pre-determined amount of time to force the child to take a break. Content age ranges include “4 and under”, and “5-7”.

Dyslexia Resources

• Lindamood Bell continues to offer its very high quality, evidence-based instructional programs for word-level reading, comprehension (oral and written), and math through daily, intensive, one-on- one online lessons (Note: these programs are not free and are instead quite costly). https://lindamoodbell.com/online-instruction
• Reading A to Z offers a number of free resources for families to use at home. Please try to focus on lessons that emphasize sound-letter correspondence, phonological awareness, and phonics. When choosing decodable readers, you can filter according to different sounds and word families (e.g., consonants, short vowels, blends) that your child has either mastered or is working on. You can also access high-frequency sight-words to practice. https://www.readinga-z.com/
• The Specific Learning Difficulties Association of South Australia also offers a number of free resources for families, including fun activities that emphasize phonemic awareness, reading and writing with phonics, spelling, and math. The site also offers free phonics books and worksheets for students of all ages and videos about how to implement some of the lessons and activities. https://www.speld-sa.org.au/
• Bookshare.org is a free online library with access to over 800,000 e-books for students with dyslexia, blindness, and other barriers to print reading. Students can read books in audio, follow along with karaoke-style text highlighting, in large print, etc. Customize the reading experience to meet your student’s learning profile. For students who do not qualify for access to the full library (I.e., do not meet eligibility criteria with a “qualifying reading barrier”), Bookshare.org is offering access to 10,000 e-books in specialized format for free. https://www.bookshare.org/cms/help-center/learning-center/school- closure?utm_source=partners&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=covid19

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What we know about online learning and the homework gap amid the pandemic

America’s K-12 students are returning to classrooms this fall after 18 months of virtual learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students who lacked the home internet connectivity needed to finish schoolwork during this time – an experience often called the “ homework gap ” – may continue to feel the effects this school year.

Here is what Pew Research Center surveys found about the students most likely to be affected by the homework gap and their experiences learning from home.

Children across the United States are returning to physical classrooms this fall after 18 months at home, raising questions about how digital disparities at home will affect the existing homework gap between certain groups of students.

Methodology for each Pew Research Center poll can be found at the links in the post.

With the exception of the 2018 survey, everyone who took part in the surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the  ATP’s methodology .

The 2018 data on U.S. teens comes from a Center poll of 743 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted March 7 to April 10, 2018, using the NORC AmeriSpeak panel. AmeriSpeak is a nationally representative, probability-based panel of the U.S. household population. Randomly selected U.S. households are sampled with a known, nonzero probability of selection from the NORC National Frame, and then contacted by U.S. mail, telephone or face-to-face interviewers. Read more details about the NORC AmeriSpeak panel methodology .

Around nine-in-ten U.S. parents with K-12 children at home (93%) said their children have had some online instruction since the coronavirus outbreak began in February 2020, and 30% of these parents said it has been very or somewhat difficult for them to help their children use technology or the internet as an educational tool, according to an April 2021 Pew Research Center survey .

Gaps existed for certain groups of parents. For example, parents with lower and middle incomes (36% and 29%, respectively) were more likely to report that this was very or somewhat difficult, compared with just 18% of parents with higher incomes.

This challenge was also prevalent for parents in certain types of communities – 39% of rural residents and 33% of urban residents said they have had at least some difficulty, compared with 23% of suburban residents.

Around a third of parents with children whose schools were closed during the pandemic (34%) said that their child encountered at least one technology-related obstacle to completing their schoolwork during that time. In the April 2021 survey, the Center asked parents of K-12 children whose schools had closed at some point about whether their children had faced three technology-related obstacles. Around a quarter of parents (27%) said their children had to do schoolwork on a cellphone, 16% said their child was unable to complete schoolwork because of a lack of computer access at home, and another 14% said their child had to use public Wi-Fi to finish schoolwork because there was no reliable connection at home.

Parents with lower incomes whose children’s schools closed amid COVID-19 were more likely to say their children faced technology-related obstacles while learning from home. Nearly half of these parents (46%) said their child faced at least one of the three obstacles to learning asked about in the survey, compared with 31% of parents with midrange incomes and 18% of parents with higher incomes.

Of the three obstacles asked about in the survey, parents with lower incomes were most likely to say that their child had to do their schoolwork on a cellphone (37%). About a quarter said their child was unable to complete their schoolwork because they did not have computer access at home (25%), or that they had to use public Wi-Fi because they did not have a reliable internet connection at home (23%).

A Center survey conducted in April 2020 found that, at that time, 59% of parents with lower incomes who had children engaged in remote learning said their children would likely face at least one of the obstacles asked about in the 2021 survey.

A year into the outbreak, an increasing share of U.S. adults said that K-12 schools have a responsibility to provide all students with laptop or tablet computers in order to help them complete their schoolwork at home during the pandemic. About half of all adults (49%) said this in the spring 2021 survey, up 12 percentage points from a year earlier. An additional 37% of adults said that schools should provide these resources only to students whose families cannot afford them, and just 13% said schools do not have this responsibility.

While larger shares of both political parties in April 2021 said K-12 schools have a responsibility to provide computers to all students in order to help them complete schoolwork at home, there was a 15-point change among Republicans: 43% of Republicans and those who lean to the Republican Party said K-12 schools have this responsibility, compared with 28% last April. In the 2021 survey, 22% of Republicans also said schools do not have this responsibility at all, compared with 6% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.

Even before the pandemic, Black teens and those living in lower-income households were more likely than other groups to report trouble completing homework assignments because they did not have reliable technology access. Nearly one-in-five teens ages 13 to 17 (17%) said they are often or sometimes unable to complete homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection, a 2018 Center survey of U.S. teens found.

One-quarter of Black teens said they were at least sometimes unable to complete their homework due to a lack of digital access, including 13% who said this happened to them often. Just 4% of White teens and 6% of Hispanic teens said this often happened to them. (There were not enough Asian respondents in the survey sample to be broken out into a separate analysis.)

A wide gap also existed by income level: 24% of teens whose annual family income was less than $30,000 said the lack of a dependable computer or internet connection often or sometimes prohibited them from finishing their homework, but that share dropped to 9% among teens who lived in households earning $75,000 or more a year.

• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• COVID-19 & Technology
• Digital Divide
• Education & Learning Online

Katherine Schaeffer is a research analyst at Pew Research Center .

How Americans View the Coronavirus, COVID-19 Vaccines Amid Declining Levels of Concern

Online religious services appeal to many americans, but going in person remains more popular, about a third of u.s. workers who can work from home now do so all the time, how the pandemic has affected attendance at u.s. religious services, mental health and the pandemic: what u.s. surveys have found, most popular.

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Virtual Families 3 9+

Family life simulator, ldw software, llc.

• #63 in Family
• 4.8 • 88.3K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

The sequel to the smash hit mobile game “Virtual Families 2” is here! A note from the developer: Hi, and thanks for taking a look at Virtual Families 3! We have been working on it for quite a while, and we’re very happy to be able to finally share this new chapter with everyone. With Virtual Families 2 being downloaded over 40 million times, we are so grateful to our dedicated fans and humbled by all your kind words and support! You are the reason we set out to make the third chapter of Virtual Families! We spent years crafting an experience would live up to your expectations, and we plan to continue to listen to all your feedback to make it better with every update! Before you skip down to the bullet points and screenshots, let me say a few quick words about this game, and life simulations in general: I love life simulation games. I have always been passionate about designing them, and almost everything that comes out of Last Day of Work is a life sim of some kind. This one, in particular, thrills me so much because it is designed to have a life of its own: unpredictable and so different each time I play it, and each time another player plays it. I love that the story unfolds differently for everyone who plays it, and your experience with the game might be wildly different from your friends’ experiences. Designing this type of game, however, has its own special challenges. The main challenge is that EVERYTHING in life is a great idea to add to a game like this. There are SO many great ideas, and we simply cannot put them all in at launch. So, while I hope the game captivates you as much as it does us, there will inevitably be things that you feel are missing and you would love to see added (tell us!). We plan to update the content in this game. We want to add improved pets that are more like real life, more storyline, more events, tons of new things to buy, and the list goes on and on. We will also continue to tune and deepen all the game's inner workings that control happiness, health, and everything else. While the game has been balanced to be playable for free and without purchasing anything, we hope that you will find something compelling enough in the game to give us support so that we can continue to create fun new updates. Enjoy Virtual Families 3! Please visit our Facebook page and our forums to give us your own amazing ideas and suggestions, and don’t forget to check in on your little family or they will get very sad. :) With sincere gratitude, Arthur Humphrey Lead Designer, Last Day of Work Virtual Families 3 has all this and more: * Adopt a little person and start a family. Make babies and pass the house on to the kids! * Train your little people to behave as you wish by praising and scolding them. * Create your family the way you choose, with the same diversity that you would expect in real life! * Your little people will send you messages, thanking, pleading, and praising you for caring for them. * Runs in True Real Time. Your little people continue to live, eat, grow, and work when the app is switched off. * Your little family is in your time zone! Is it getting dark where you live? Your little family is probably getting ready for bed then... * Highly varied, unpredictable game play. No two games run the same. * Make babies. Cure illnesses. Help nurture and guide generations of your family. * Restore the house. Remodel rooms and add new ones. Shop and decorate. Recommended for people who enjoy Virtual Villagers and other life simulation games! Visit our Official Virtual Families site at www.VirtualFamilies.com for instructions, strategy guides, and much more! LDW games have been awarded with: * Sim Game of the Year – Game Tunnel * The Zeebys – Gamezebo * Parents Choice Recommended Award * iParenting Media Award Check out our other hit games like Virtual Town, Fish Tycoon, Virtual Villagers, and more at https://itunes.apple.com/us/developer/ldw-software-llc/id297606729

Version 2.1.27

Fixes an issue with purchasing items from the pet store

Ratings and Reviews

88.3K Ratings

What happened to Virtual Families?

No offense I love virtual families 3 and all but every since you guy’s came out with 2, you gotten very money hungry the game use to be really fair to play, even had offline “ mode “ and the house would always be completely finished not hard to complete the house now after virtual families 1, we now have to work hard to get money up and upgrade our house which nothing is wrong with that but come on these games are meant to be fun and enjoyable now we’re forced to play online and can’t even half way enjoy the game because It’s hard to get money on vf2&3 unless you actually buy a lot of coins with “ real “ money :/ and I hate how the games aren’t even offline play anymore like how it was in virtual families 1… bring back the fun that vf1 had where it wasn’t such a struggle :/ I liked how in the original virtual families, the house was already built up without minimal upgrades and we didn’t have to struggle buying furniture such as a “ bed “ or bathroom, it already had a full bathroom, living room, bedroom, kitchen and a work room :/ why take all that away in virtual families 2 and 3 it’s not right you guy’s have became so money hungry and threw the whole point of virtual families being fun and classy away… to becoming micro-managed like these other mobile games have become :/

I absolutely love this game. I’ve been playing Virtual Families 2 for as long as I can remember, so I was very excited for this new game! I do have a few complaints/suggestions. If I leave the app and don’t completely exit out of it, I get an error message when I try to reopen it. So to fix this I have to completely exit the app on my device by swiping it out of the open tabs frame, and then I can play again. It’s also INCREDIBLY hard to earn coins. I like how the collectibles are worth a good amount and I like the “watch videos” option, but it’s still hard. I don’t like how when it’s time to look through marriage options, I can’t go back after I skip over someone. I didn’t realize I wouldn’t be able to go back the first time, and missed out on good options. I like how the characters are diverse, but I wish there was more of a variety. I had 6 kids and 4 looked exactly the same. I also wish there was more variety in the furniture. There’s a lot of furniture from the first game, and I wish there were more types and COLOR options. I like games that I can spend about 30 minutes to an hour on, but this game makes that difficult. There’s not much to do after making sure all the characters are taken care of. But overall, I really like the game! I also forgot to add in that it can be frustrating to have to perfectly place characters on collectibles in order to grab them. I wish they didn’t have to be placed DIRECTLY on top, because it’s hard to do.

Developer Response ,

Hi there! We're sorry to hear about your experience with the game on your device. Please contact our Customer Support Team by tapping the 'Contact Support' button in the Settings menu or email [email protected] and provide them with details about your issue - they'll be happy to discuss this with you!

Great game, but a few suggestions

I love this game. I think that it is a lot better than the other virtual families games. A lot of stereotypes were fixed. They added a lot more diversity and people of color. I also love same sex marriages. Both of the adults are able to carry he baby. Now I can actually have my women progress in her career. Finally, when you buy a car and kitchen set, it just says that they are driving and cooking like a grownup. Some things that I would like to change though, would be the ghost girl. I fell like there is not a storyline for her and she just shows up. Lately I haven’t even been looking at what she is doing because I know that it will be the same thing. Another thing that I think should change is all of the malfunctions that happen in the house. I bought a tool box and fire extinguisher, but I still have to spend at least $1000 a week on malfunctions alone. And that leads me to my next problem. I think that the parent don’t make nearly enough money to pay for everything in this house. I am almost always broke to the point where I cannot even afford to buy groceries and medicine. I know that everyone is going to say that I should just watch ads but usually I can’t. I only get some ads once a week and even if I watch them nonstop I only make $4000 - $5000. Overall i think that this game is fun and enjoyable and I am glad that the game makers fixed some of the problems that happened in the last one.

Hi there! Virtual Families 3 is definitely a deep and challenging game! Please visit our official support site for a comprehensive game guide with tips and tricks – https://ldw.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/360001145872-Virtual-Families-3-Our-Country-Home We hope you continue to have fun with your Virtual Family!

App Privacy

The developer, LDW Software, LLC , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Used to Track You

The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:

• User Content
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• Diagnostics

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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• Rich Uncle $19.99
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Virtual Families 2 Dream House

Virtual Families Lite

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Virtual families 2 for pc, full version (unlimited), virtual families for pc.

Includes VF Game Guide

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Copyright © 2002-2024, LDW Software, LLC. All rights reserved. Last Day of Work, LDW and LDW logos are registered trademarks of LDW Software, LLC. Virtual Villagers, Virtual Families, Fish Tycoon, Plant Tycoon are registered trademarks of LDW Software, LLC.

14 Great Virtual Activities for Seniors

The elderly are generally more at risk of developing severe health conditions than young adults, but that doesn’t mean seniors cannot or shouldn’t lead active, exciting lives. With many of us restricted to our homes, virtual activities have replaced many traditional hobbies and tasks. But what virtual activities can seniors do to have fun and feel more connected?

Great virtual activities for seniors will depend on their comfort level, electronic devices, and interests. Some of the most popular virtual activities for seniors include museum tours, armchair concert nights, and dance challenges.

In this article, let’s examine some of the best virtual activities for seniors while also delving into their potential benefits and drawbacks. If you or someone you know is having a hard time with things, these activities and events could be just the thing to push the gray clouds away and welcome brighter, happier times.

Benefits of Engaging in Senior-Friendly Virtual Activities

You may wonder if senior-friendly virtual activities are worth the hassle. To be fair, elderly individuals with a healthy distrust (or unhealthy distrust) of modern technology may find it more challenging to get comfortable with online games, hobbies, and activities. 

Usually, a little guidance and a lot of patience can help solve this issue. Once folks leap the initial technology hurdle, there are quite a few benefits to be had and enjoyed. Some of the most notable of these benefits include:

• Lessened feelings of loneliness
• Reduced risk of depression
• A more positive outlook
• Improved physical health

The specific benefits associated with a virtual activity are bound to differ. For example, online trivia nights can help seniors socialize, engage their brains, and work together in teams. If prizes are involved, participants may also experience some friendly competition.

Conversely, a virtual vacation is all about relaxing, observing, and daydreaming. It’s also an online activity that’s primarily focused on the individual, not the group. As such, virtual excursions to foreign lands might not be the best activity for socialization, even if it’s a great way to keep the mind busy and the creative spirit alive.

Naturally, many seniors face potential issues when working with modern electronic devices. These pesky problems could make it tricky to enjoy online hobbies and tasks. Understanding the problems that may arise is the first step toward solving them.

Potential Issues That May Arise When Getting Seniors More Engaged With Virtual Activities

As you can see, there are quite a few potential benefits when it comes to getting seniors more engaged and involved with virtual activities. However, there are also a few potential issues that may arise. 

Preparing for these problems can help lessen their intensity and ensure a reliable, quick resolution. For example, a senior may struggle with online hobbies and activities due to:

• Loss of internet connection
• Difficulty operating electronic devices
• Fear of new things

Once you’ve recognized that these factors could inhibit an older person’s enjoyment of virtual activities, you can take steps to prevent or prepare for them. Internet connection, for example, is something that a service provider maintains. 

Inclement weather or unexpected electrical failures could result in temporarily suspended internet service. Service technicians are responsible for fixing this problem, and there’s not much that the average person can do to speed this process up or prevent it from happening.

How to Avoid Common Problems Associated With Virtual Activities for Seniors

Accidents are bound to happen, and some things are plainly out of anyone’s control. However, there are many steps that family members, friends, care workers, and seniors can take to avoid many of the frustrating issues associated with virtual activities.

Losing one’s internet connection is something that is most challenging to overcome. A quick call to your internet provider may help clear things up and restore the service.

The primary issues that most seniors will face when attempting to join online activities are difficulties operating their electronic devices. The Baby Boomer population (with a median age of 64) grew up with very different forms of technology than what we have available today.

Additionally, eyesight and dexterity tend to worsen as we age, and many pieces of modern tech aren’t designed for these physical limitations. When trying to operate a tiny smartphone, it’s easy for a senior to become quickly frustrated and overwhelmed by the touchscreen, the operating system, or the small buttons.

Ensuring that the device has accessibility options enabled could make a huge difference. Many tablets, phones, and laptops now come with larger text, less sensitive touch capabilities, and much more. 

An extended tutorial and practice session might also help put seniors at ease and lessen fears surrounding new technologies. Before offering new activities or engaging in online fun, take the time to familiarize yourself with your device’s basic controls, commands, and features. Patience and a sense of adventure are vital!

Now that you’re familiar with some of the benefits of senior-friendly virtual activities (as well as some of their potential drawbacks), you can begin browsing our top picks for the best digital hobbies and tasks to keep seniors healthy and happy. Enjoy!

Armchair Concerts

Many of us miss going out to the local theatre or concert hall and enjoying live music. The thrill of donning your prettiest dress or tidiest suit, heading out onto the town, and enjoying the soul-stirring sounds of an orchestra is something that everyone should experience at least once in their life.

However, as safety restrictions continue to limit the amount of in-person patrons any concert hall might receive, the opportunities to go out and enjoy live music seem to dwindle. Still, you don’t have to defer to records or digital recordings to enjoy Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, or Chopin. 

Many music venues are happily broadcasting weekly performances that you can tune into from the comfort of your armchair and electronic device. Additionally, some of our day’s most notable composers offer live performances to fans and viewers across multiple platforms, including Instagram, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook Live, and YouTube. 

Billboard currently keeps an updated list of virtual concerts that online patrons can peruse. These events are organized via date, making it possible for seniors to schedule special concert nights. Why not take the time to get spiffy and make a night of it? 

While you might not be able to leave your home or facility, you may be able to enjoy a light wine or sparkling juice with your entertainment. Afterward, you can set out for your first virtual vacation.

Virtual Vacations

Is there somewhere you’ve always wanted to go but never been able to? Perhaps you’ve always longed to explore the canals of Venice, tasting rich Italian coffees and strolling streetside markets for limited-time deals. Or, maybe your tastes run a little more rustic. Do the black sand beaches of isolated Iceland seem to call out to you?

Thanks to modern media and technology, you can travel virtually anywhere in the world (and many parts of the solar system ) without ever leaving your comfiest chair. To get started, you only need to choose a destination. Where in the world would you most like to go right now if you could snap your fingers and suddenly appear there? 

Once you have a spot in mind, you can begin planning your vacation. Because this will be a virtual excursion, you don’t need to worry about prices. To prepare for your digital trip, you’ll want to check out local hotels, attractions, landmarks, restaurants, and parks in the area. 

Many hotels offer virtual room showings that make you feel like you are walking through opulent guest rooms and dining halls. Additionally, Google Maps allows users to view streetside views, ensuring that parks, landmarks, and other outdoor attractions are easily visible from your device. Of course, genuinely immersive experiences require you to use all of your senses.

If possible, order or prepare a dish native to your destination. Try watching as many walking tour videos of your destination as you can find, like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNzul4dnciIlDg8BAcn5-cQ

Listen to music that is popular at your chosen vacation spot. Consider reaching out to the local community via online forums to make distant friends and learn more about other cultures. You’re bound to have a blast!

Trivia Nights

With experience and age come wisdom. Seniors have a ton of knowledge to share with the world, and trivia nights on Skype or Zoom could be ideal for sharing some of this information. Older individuals with tight-knit friend groups might decide their own trivia subjects and questions and take turns hosting various trivia nights.

Alternatively, seniors could opt to play with family members or strangers. The Random Trivia Generator is an excellent resource for questions, and it offers a great selection of trivia categories. Those living in assisted living communities or facilities may encourage the staff to begin a socially distanced trivia night.  

One of the best aspects of hosting or participating in a virtual trivia night is teamwork. By pairing up with others, you can pool your knowledge and win prizes or bragging rights. Amazon Gift Cards and digital gift cards are fantastic, spendable trophies. Should you decide to go all-out, you can even design and order specialized team t-shirts just for the occasion.

Digital Classes

School isn’t only for the young. We never really stop learning, but our brains can become a little foggy if we aren’t actively challenging ourselves to learn new things. There are hundreds of free online courses and educational resources that seniors could use to keep themselves informed, educated, and mentally active.

Khan Academy has a user-friendly design that older individuals may gravitate toward. This resource also offers thousands of lessons on a wide array of subjects, including math, history, language, and life skills. Still, most of the courses found here are very simple. They may be remedial for some learners.

The edX site offers far more higher-learning courses . Some of the lectures, programs, and classes available here come from Harvard, Stanford, and Berkeley. Naturally, many other renowned institutions offer free educational media via edX. You can study everything from online learning techniques and proper dietary skills to computer programming and US history.

Because free digital classes don’t come with time-sensitive homework, quizzes, or exams, there’s no pressure to get all of your studying done quickly. One of the beautiful aspects of online learning is that it occurs at any pace. Take your time, and learn something new today!

Online Exercise Routines

You don’t need a gym or a football arena’s worth of space to stay fit and healthy. With thousands of online exercise routines and workouts to choose from, you could be learning a vast array of exercises and skills while you tone and maintain your body.

Low-intensity workout routines and seated exercises tend to be relatively safe for seniors. Of course, individuals will need to practice activities that are within their comfort level. Consulting with a physician can help you choose the best possible routines for your body and fitness level.

Working out for 30 minutes each day could help you feel more energized, focused, and positive. When your body is feeling great, your mind is sure to follow. Exercise is a crucial solution to short-term feelings of loneliness, depression, or lethargy. 

Besides, a body that can move without strain and excess pain is more likely to succeed at fun dance challenges .

Dance Challenges

Age is just a number, and often, perceiving ourselves as ‘old’ is partially what makes us feel that way. Engaging in popular children’s activities is a fantastic way to keep yourself feeling youthful and spirited. 

Dance challenges could be a great way to cut loose, shake a tailfeather, and enjoy some virtual time with friends and family members. Seniors that have learned to use TikTok may already be familiar with the many types of dance challenges and crazes that seem to shift with the passing days and weeks. 

If you’re new to this concept, then you only need to understand a few basic principles. 

• Dance challenges require you to film yourself dancing. 
• The dancer should do their best to imitate the dance moves while also having fun and adding their personality to things. 
• It’s okay to make mistakes or get goofy.

The next time your grandchildren challenge you to a dance-off, why not accept and bust some cool moves? When you do, you’ll have quite the story to share with old peers, classmates, and buddies.

Zoom Reunions

When was the last time you reached out to high school classmates, college buddies, or old coworkers? If you can’t remember the last time you enjoyed an old-fashioned reunion, you may be overdue for one. 

Getting everyone together in the same place can be expensive, time-consuming, and risky. An online get-together is bound to be far more comfortable and more enjoyable. Why not dig through that old address book and see how the old gang is doing? 

At worst, you’ll end up remembering a few buried-yet-cherished memories and sharing some laughs. At best, you’ll end up spending hours having endless fun with Zoom background, filter effects, and friends. What’s there to lose?

Virtual Cooking Classes

People who love to cook tend to enjoy learning new dishes. If you’ve never learned how to cook before, then participating in a virtual cooking class could be an uplifting experience. Either way, online cooking courses offer seniors the chance to try something new and taste something delicious. 

If you’re typically awake at 8 am, you might want to start making a habit of watching the Borough Market’s live feeds . The chefs who share their techniques and skills via this Instagram feed are amazingly gifted. You might not be able to replicate what these folks do precisely, but watching them work may inspire you.

Once you’re ready to get messy and get cooking, you can select your preferred virtual cooking instructor. Joe the Baker is quite a popular choice, primarily thanks to his can-do attitude and delicious baked goods tutorials. 

Language Learning

While our brains seem to learn language most fluidly when we’re young, that doesn’t mean that we’re ever too old to learn a new language. Many adults have successfully learned new languages through consistent practice and exposure. If you’ve wanted to learn French since the 1970s, why not try learning it now? 

There are quite a few free learning apps, games, and programs that can help you succeed. One of the most popular options is Duolingo , which offers users hundreds of free language lessons. The simple design is easy to master, and seniors with tablets or large smartphones may enjoy Duolingo more than other options. 

If you’re willing to pay for a slightly more solid language-learning experience, you could choose Rosetta Stone or Babbel . Both are highly rated programs that offer reading, writing, comprehension, listening, and speaking skill development for hundreds of languages. There’s no need to rush yourself to get it all done in one day.

Becoming fluent in a foreign tongue takes time, patience, and practice. Be willing to make mistakes and take chances! When you feel confident enough to start understanding simple, compound sentences in your new language, try picking up a book in that language. You might not be able to read it very well, but that’s how you began learning your native tongue, right?

Community Reading

Are you taking the time to enjoy a good book every once and a while? If not, you might be missing out on the simple pleasure of reading. Joining an online reading community or book club could help you get back into the habit while also allowing you to connect with others.

You could create a local book club that meets virtually on Zoom every week, or you could become a member of a much larger national club. The Book of the Month sends out books each month, and it could be a smart choice for those willing to enter into a subscription plan. 

Book Riot also offers virtual community reading events that allow participants to vote on potential books for the quarter. It also ensures that readers participate in discussions, polls, and video chats about the material. If you’re keen on socializing about the material, this might be a better selection. 

Museum Tours

Some of us get more excited about upcoming museum exhibits than the weekend ballgame. If you’re someone who enjoys visiting the local museum or art gallery, social distancing and lockdown regulations may have been a massive bummer. 

You might be longing for the peculiarly bookish scent of your favorite museum’s hallways or the oddly gleaming eyes of your favorite taxidermied museum resident. Truthfully, your local museum might not be able to give you all of those small treasures via virtual means. 

Still, you might be surprised to find out that many of your most beloved exhibits and archaeological treasures are on a digital display . Some of the world’s most prestigious and famous museums have virtual exhibits that you can explore. 

When you couple these virtual offerings with audio walkthroughs and smartly edited video tours, it’s almost better than actually being there. After all, there aren’t any lines to queue through, and you’re allowed unlimited snacks.

Distanced Worship

An individual’s relationship with God may be quite personal, but communities that worship together often form tight social bonds. When these bonds are relaxed due to social distancing, health fears, and related issues, the people involved in those communities can feel depressed.

Seniors that are no longer capable of attending in-person religious services can opt to participate in virtual ones. Not only do many religious leaders host live streaming services throughout the week, but some local chapters may also host Zoom meetings with local members.

The best option for you depends on your religious beliefs and denomination. Christ Church Philadelphia offers a variety of Christian services that are live-streamed via YouTube. Central Synagogue provides regular services to viewers of the Jewish faith. Catholics are bound to find comfort in the virtual Holy Mass ceremonies streamed across the world.

The Islamic Center of America also offers a database of live streams for worshippers hoping to pray from home. No matter your religion or creed, there’s a place for you within a welcoming virtual community. 

Digital Therapy

Taking care of your mental health has never been more critical than it is now. Seniors living in assisted living communities or on their own may not feel as though they can confide fully in friends, family members, or staff. In this case, an impartial ear could be the best solution . 

Online therapy is a beautiful way to share some of your fears, anxieties, hopes, and dreams without feeling like you’re burdening friends and family with such thoughts. Unfortunately, a lack of familiarity with current electronic devices has prevented many seniors from taking advantage of online therapy options. 

With a little guidance, patience, and help, seniors can enjoy the same virtual resources as younger folks. Digital therapy is often only a click, touch, or quick type away. Many healthcare professionals offer virtual check-in sessions via Skype or Zoom, and seniors can also access helpful apps like Talkspace , BetterHelp , and MDLIVE to seek counseling and professional help.

Daily Holidays

Each day is worth living. It’s easy to lose sight of this simple truth if you’re feeling depressed, anxious, and overwhelmed by the world around you. While it might not always be possible for our seniors to celebrate significant holidays with beloved family members and friends, that doesn’t mean that the party should stop.

Because none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow, it is crucial to remember to celebrate today. If you find yourself struggling to think of something to celebrate, you can always refer to any one of the annual holiday lists. There’s a peculiar joy that comes with treating each day as its own celebration. 

Additionally, alternative holidays may soften the blow of not spending significant holidays with family members. Older folks feeling blue on Valentine’s Day might be pleased to discover that February 14th is also National Donor Day. Instead of moping about not having a date, you might be able to schedule a brief and safe blood donation. 

The sense of self-fulfillment and pride that comes from doing something meaningfully positive is impossible to replace. With February 15th being National Gumdrop Day , you could reward yourself with something sweet the next day.

Indeed, taking the time to celebrate every passing day could help seniors feel more connected, aware, and happy to be alive.

Seniors that engage in virtual activities may feel less isolated, more alive, and happier than ever. The benefits of online tasks and hobbies extend beyond the mental and emotional realm. These activities may also positively impact physical health. 

Seniors who decide to become more active online may experience some initial feelings of frustration as they become more comfortable with their devices. Once they’re comfortable, the sky’s the limit! Seniors can take virtual trips, learn to cook new dishes, and even attend helpful therapy sessions from the comfort and security of their home. What new thing will you try today?

• Amazon: Amazon.com eGift Card
• Family Doctor: Exercise and Seniors
• Babbel: Which language do you want to speak?
• BetterHelp: We’ll match you to a counselor that can help with…
• Billboard: Here Are All the Livestreams & Virtual Concerts to Watch During Coronavirus Crisis (Updating)
• Book of the Month: Treat your shelf to a book subscription.
• Book Riot: The Epic Group Read
• Central Synagogue: Live Streaming At Central Synagogue
• Christ Church Philadelphia: Weekly Worship Live
• Dance Dispatches: Fun Dance Challenges 2020: Covid-19 Edition
• Duolingo: Register
• edX: Courses
• Facebook: Joe the Baker
• Google: Google Sky
• HubSpot: How to Use TikTok: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Instagram: BoroughMarket
• Institute of Aging: Virtual Senior Centers Provide Valuable Opportunities to Socialize
• Islamic Center of America: Live Streams – ICA
• Khan Academy: Signup
• Mass-online.org: Daily Holy Mass live online
• MDLIVE: Home Page
• MobiHealthNews: Study finds older adults can benefit from digital therapy
• National Today: National Gumdrop Day – February 15, 2021
• The New York Times: Now Virtual and in Video, Museum Websites Shake Off the Dust
• Random Trivia Generator: Home Page
• Revfine: VR Hotel Tour; 10 Amazing Examples of Virtual Reality Hotel Tours
• Rosetta Stone: Learn a new language
• Talkspace: Online Therapy
• Travel + Leisure: Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch (Video)
• VerywellMind: Digital Divide Could Make Online Therapy Less Accessible to Seniors
• YouTube: Prowalk Tours

Hey there, my name is Ruth, I'm in my late fifties. My life was turned upside down a few years ago as I experienced a burn-out. But I saw it as a sign that something had to change in my life. I'm happy I used this tough experience as a stepping stone. I now feel happier than ever and hope to inspire you to do the same, no matter how old you are.

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Virtual Family Play Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to using Directed Family Play Therapy in Telemental Health

Tiffany smith.

Department of Human Development, Family Studies, and Counseling, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX USA

Aaron M. Norton

Latrisha marroquin.

The field of marriage and family therapy was founded by innovators and pioneers, taking the practice of individual psychotherapy and making it systemic. Due to the impact of COVID-19, we now need further advancement by systemic therapists for telemental health services. The purpose of this paper is to propose recommendations and guidelines for adapting directed family play therapy from the same physical location services to telemental health. The article discusses recommendations for assessment, therapy structure, therapist roles, session preparation, and how to use virtual tools to enhance treatment. Systemic play therapy in a virtual format can work well if therapists make appropriate adjustments and rely on their creativity, high regard for ethics, and innovation.

The practice of therapy has undergone a revolution due to the impact of COVID-19, with therapists across the country shifting to conducting sessions virtually. However, most therapists had little to no experience conducting telemental health (TMH), and very few MFT training programs provided opportunities for experience training (Cravens et al., 2020 ). Until the pandemic, the literature on systemic practice in TMH was scant (Caldwell et al., 2017 ), compounding the challenges marriage and family therapists faced in moving their practice online in a safe, ethical, legal, and effective way. The impact of COVID-19 created a sense of hyperawareness that caused an immediate necessity for filling in the gaps in systemic TMH research. Journals across the globe are beginning to answer the call of therapists thirsting for TMH applications for working with families.

The field of marriage and family therapy was founded by innovators and pioneers, taking individual psychotherapy and making it systemic. We now need a similar revolution by systemic therapists in the field of telemental health. Although the pandemic has forced many therapists and clients to practice it out of necessity, TMH is not a new concept for the field of psychotherapy. Telemedicine has been practiced in the medical field for over a hundred years (Strehle & Shabde, 2006 ). It has been slowly gaining traction for mental health professionals over the past two decades. However, our field has lagged behind others. While some researchers are doing great work in this area (e.g., Richard Bischoff, Jaclyn Cravens, Katherine Hertlein, Paul Springer), most research, training, and practice have been conducted by psychologists and counselors for individual therapy. Just as our founders changed the landscape of mental health through their innovation and creativity, the time is ripe for marriage and family therapists to bring this same spirit of innovation to the practice of TMH.

In this spirit, the purpose of this paper is to propose recommendations and guidance for how to adapt directive family play therapy to TMH. We believe that directive family play therapy (DFPT) is an excellent approach to relational telemental health because of its ease of use and direct approach. However, it is also one that has inherent challenges to adapt. While most clinical models can be easily adapted using a telemental health platform (Grady et al., 2011 ), those that require interaction between the therapist and clients, such as play therapy, can be much more challenging to adapt. No published refereed scholarship currently recommends or proposes methods and interventions for adapting systemic family play therapy to TMH. We believe that therapists can adapt directed family play therapy to be just as effective through virtual services as it is through in-person services.

Before researchers can test new methods, those methods must first be developed and proposed. We aim to be among those who take this first step and propose those methods in this paper. The methods, interventions, and recommendations suggested herein come not only from our own experience as systemic TMH practitioners but also from the wider field of systemic TMH therapists. We thank all those who consulted with us throughout the years, sharing their knowledge, experience, and ideas. One of this manuscript’s primary purposes is to give systemic therapists a starting place to begin adapting TMH to play therapy, open a greater dialogue in the scholarship for methods and techniques to conducting systemic TMH, and give researchers a base to do systemic TMH research. We see this paper as a first step into systemic play therapy in TMH. We invite other family therapy scholars to add to the literature and give a greater collective knowledge base to explore this new medium for delivering systemic services to families and children.

Directed Versus Non-Directed Family Play Therapy

Children may have difficulty expressing feelings verbally in family psychotherapy due to a lack of comprehension of emotions, emotional conflict, or emotional avoidance (Fromberg & Bergen, 1988 ; Harter, 1977 ). In addition, many models of family psychotherapy are not designed for active young children (Botkin, 2000 ). Thus, integrating play into family psychotherapy becomes a powerful approach allowing children and adults to build and heal relationships (Botkin, 2000 ; Drewes et al., 2011 ).

Play therapy allows children to project feelings through a medium of specially selected symbolic play toys (Landreth, 2012 ). Play for children is a natural language of symbolic representation in that it allows children to work out experiences that have been perplexing or distressing (Landreth, 2012 ). Symbolic play for children “bridges the gap between concrete experience and abstract thought” (Landreth, 2012 , p. 16; Piaget, 1962 ). Through play, children’s emotional expression allows for deep meanings within their subconscious to be expressed without attempting to please the adults in their adult language (Axline, 1950 ; Landreth, 2012 ; Piaget, 1962 ). In Non-directed play therapy, the therapist’s role is to create a safe environment for self-expression, accept the child fully where they are, and allow the child to lead the sessions (VanFleet et al., 2010 ). The child obtains insight from the therapist’s tracking and reflection interventions. The “child leads and the therapist follows” (VanFleet et al., 2010 , p. 21).

In Directed Family Play Therapy, treatment focuses on directing the family to change through play (Ariel, 1992 ). The therapist directs the play communication through treatment planning and developmentally appropriate play directives that address family functioning and problems. This approach varies significantly from non-directive play therapy theory, where the focus is the child leading the sessions (Landreth, 2012 ). Rather than simply relying on the parent perspective alone, DFPT allows the therapist to observe the parent–child relationship’s communication and interactions. Additionally, it allows parents and children to practice communication and coping skills during treatment, which results in better outcomes than parent-training programs alone (Kaminski & Claussen, 2017 ; Kaminski et al., 2008 ). The goal of DFPT is to create a safe environment whereby therapists can develop play therapy scenarios within the child’s zone of proximal development that challenges both the parents and the child’s unconscious process and defense mechanisms (Rasmussen & Cunningham, 1995 ). This then leads to triggering the family roles and interaction patterns to manifest in session. Fleming and colleagues found that parents who provided negative attention during child-directed play interventions had children with higher conduct problems at home and school during middle childhood. Therapists can utilize the DFPT model to assist children whose parents report behavioral problems at home and school (Fleming et al., 2017 ).

This model posits that the presenting problem is a symptom of the family system (Ariel, 1996 ; Eaker, 1986 ). Therefore, an additional component of DFPT is that when therapists work with the entire family, the therapist must align with each family member to understand the problem better and become part of the system (Haley & Richeport-Haley, 2003 ). Therapeutic alliance and joining build trust among the family members and is crucial for systemic change. When working with young children using DFPT, therapists join and express understanding of the family system through play.

The DFPT therapist creates, directs, and is active throughout family play sessions. The therapist will stage “possible worlds” of imaginative play to allow the parents and child to communicate their perceived and ideal realities (Ariel, 1992 , p. 19). The therapist continually observes all family members’ behaviors and communication to determine the next steps to take (Ariel, 1992 ). Family play is a source of gathering information about the family’s communication and relationships, followed by the use of play as an instrument for facilitating change (Ariel, 1996 ). The directive play method focuses on using parent–child relationship training and skill-building using a prescriptive approach to play-based interventions (Drewes et al., 2011 ). For children who do not yet have the cognitive skills necessary to implement coping behaviors, the therapist coaches them to develop and practice new problem-solving skills within the playroom (O’Connor, 2001 ). When using DFPT, the therapist coaches the parents and the child(ren) to develop these skills within the playroom. Because of the model’s flexible and directive nature, DFPT can easily be adapted to an online platform.

Benefits of Telemental Health & Family Therapy

There are many benefits for therapists to utilize TMH for DFPT (see Table ​ Table1). 1 ). While the purpose of this article is not to provide an exhaustive review of the benefits of TMH, we review the most important benefits here. First, TMH provides a unique opportunity for therapists to gather information by viewing families in their homes, similar to home-based family counseling (Tate et al., 2014 ). Therapists can witness the family communication and interaction within their home environment as one child jumps on the couch, one child colors silently on the floor, and the reactions of the parents and the family dog.

Summary chart of benefits, challenges, and contraindication of directive family play teletherapy

Second, TMH can potentially reduce barriers to systemic treatment. With greater accessibility and ease of use, families have more immediate access to telemental health services (Campos, 2009 ). Underserved populations and those living in rural areas can utilize telemental health services and reach a broader range of therapists who may specialize in their needs (Nelson & Patton, 2016 ). Because of technology’s continued advancement, younger populations are more open and comfortable using TMH for treatment (Boydell et al., 2014 ). Families studied using video platform sessions reported feeling comfortable and safe in their own home, less stigmatized about receiving treatment, and that treatment is more convenient (Lingley-Pottie & McGrath, 2008 ). Families report increased satisfaction with telemental health due to the convenience of meeting in their own homes (Wade et al., 2004 ).

Third, families’ treatment goals can be achieved using telemental health platforms (Nelson & Patton, 2016 ). Efficacy is not lost through telemental health sessions versus face-to-face sessions (Perle & Nierenberg, 2013 ). One concern for therapists has been a fear of loss of the therapeutic relationship through a video platform. However, parents and children report a strong therapeutic alliance with the therapist using telemental health (Wade et al., 2004 ). Results from online family psychotherapy with children who had experienced traumatic brain injury revealed similar results to those previously conducted in face-to-face sessions (Wade et al., 2004 ). Child psychiatrists can provide an accurate diagnosis, and families report high satisfaction using telepsychiatry (Boydell et al., 2014 ). The use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions using telemental health is as effective as face-to-face sessions with children and adolescents (Boydell et al., 2014 ). A study investigating TMH versus face-to-face treatment of 233 children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder found that children in both groups demonstrated improvement with treatment. Additionally, the caregivers reported that children with ADHD significantly reduced behavioral problems at home with TMH treatment (Myers et al., 2015 ).

Fourth, TMH makes it easier to have all family members present for family sessions, especially working parents. Due to scheduling conflicts and transportation issues, getting all available caregivers and siblings to a family can often be challenging. It is not uncommon when parents request therapy that one child is the identified patient, and typically one parent brings the child to sessions. Using an online platform allows for reduced scheduling conflicts. It can thereby increase all family members' attendance because the therapist can schedule appointments when all caregivers and family members are home to attend sessions.

Adapting Directed Family Play Therapy to TMH

Whether using DFPT in the exact physical location or virtual services, the theory of change works the same. The family meets together all in one room and interacts in much the same way for both delivery methods. The family engages in directed play activities developed and planned by the therapist, and the focus of treatment is on the treatment goals, which are developed collaboratively with family members. This collaborative effort establishes rapport with the family and reframes the problems as a family issue, rather than one person being viewed as the problem. The therapeutic alliance with parents is essential to the parent coaching portion of DFPT by ensuring parents follow the therapist’s directive play during family play sessions. However, in virtual telehealth sessions, the therapist is not physically present with the family in their home environment.

In this section, we propose our recommendations for adapting family play therapy to TMH services. This paper is not intended to serve as a general overview of the practices or ethics of TMH generally. The following recommendations assume that therapists have adequate training and knowledge in TMH. These guidelines predicate therapists who practice ethically and legally and fundamentally work on the logistic and clinical adaptations necessary to provide telemental health services. Consequently, these recommendations focus solely on those related to the adaptation of systemic play therapy.

The First Session

Typically, a family play therapist would have the whole family present at the first session for initial assessment and then follow up with a parent consultation. In face-to-face sessions, the family comes into the therapist’s space, wherein the therapist has various specific play materials to use in each session. However, in TMH, the therapist cannot do this without advanced planning with the parents. Consequently, the first adaptation that therapists need to make is planning and preparing for the first session. We suggest that this begins by flipping the first session’s structure by holding a parent consultation before the first family session.

Needs Assessment

Before the first family session, it is necessary to conduct a needs assessment during the initial parental consultation. DFPT is most effective with families with children under the age of 8; however, it has also been beneficial for some children up to age 11 (Lin & Bratton, 2015 ). Obtaining information on the child's play and assessing for safety concerns is essential to determine appropriateness for DFPT. Providing psychoeducation to parents on DFPT and what to expect in session is necessary for the needs assessment. Explaining to parents that the children may not view the problem in the same manner as adult family members. For example, explaining to parents, “Sally may not feel comfortable talking about her lying or even understand it. When we play, some toys may start lying. This is her way of working out through play what she cannot express verbally because she lacks understanding.”

Additionally, in DFPT, children are not actively engaged in talk therapy; instead, they communicate through play. Therefore, the family will use the child’s play language to communicate with the direction and help of the therapist. Defining therapeutic boundaries, healthy feeling expression expectations, limit setting, and therapeutic goals are also essential to address in the needs assessment.

Therapists need to evaluate the family’s play, art, and technological resources during the needs assessment to determine how to structure and prepare for TMH sessions. Additionally, since the family play sessions are taking place in their home, obtaining information from the parents on their comfort level using messy play items such as playdough, glue, paint, and markers is essential. During this needs assessment, it is also vital to obtain information from the parents regarding any family rules restricting specific toys, magic, or games in their home.

When conducting telemental health services, therapists need to communicate in advance with families to have the necessary play materials ready. This allows the therapist to plan session activities intentionally and know what kinds of activities are even possible. In the initial consultation, therapists should obtain a list of play items the parents have in the home and, if necessary, additional items that would be important for the parents to obtain. Therapists might need to direct parents to acquire necessary items before a session. For example, if puppets are needed for a role play for the next session, therapists will direct parents to make a certain number of puppets using paper plates, paper sacks, socks, or other household items. For families that do not have the needs or ability (e.g., low SES or high-stress families) to make or purchase items, it may also be necessary for the therapist to mail items to the family in advance. Without a needs assessment, the therapist would not be able to plan for sessions or assure that the family will be prepared for the session's planned activities.

Conducting a needs assessment can be made easier with documentation and premade handouts. Because families may have widely different resources, the therapist must accurately and carefully document the needs assessment results. Premade handouts can make this even easier. A simple checklist of items, organized by type of resource (art supplies, dolls, animal toys, printer, paper, etc.), can significantly benefit the therapist in documenting the family's resources and planning according to each family's resources.

Family Play Therapy Toolbox

After conducting a needs assessment, the therapist can then work with the family to develop an individualized family play therapy toolbox , a designated box of supplies for family play therapy sessions. The family needs to have play therapy resources for virtual sessions similar to those that the therapist has in their office. The therapist and family need to have a similar set of toys for imaginative play for story congruence, structure, and organization (Dimitropoulos et al., 2017 ). Having a family play therapy toolbox would allow for ease of access for families during sessions, create consistency for the children, and allow easier planning for the therapist. Rather than calling the family before each session to have the family gather play resources for the session, the family can have one box of resources to be used from session to session.

When deciding on the family toolbox materials, it is essential to remember that each item has a purpose in helping the family reach their therapeutic goals. In-play therapy, “toys are viewed as the child’s words and play as the child’s language—a language of activity which may contain more meaningful material than verbalized words” (Landreth, 2002 , p. 529). Helping families understand the importance of play and items in the toolbox is a meaningful conversation to have with parents to prepare a meaningful toolbox for therapy.

Using the objects in the toolbox creates opportunities for families to learn, practice, and demonstrate skills during telehealth sessions. Suggested items for the family play therapy toolbox include a variety of miniature, real-life figurines of humans and animals, baby dolls, small vehicles (e.g., Hot Wheels), soft or squishy balls, games, and creative/expressive art materials. According to Landreth ( 2002 ), specific items such as handcuffs with a spring-release, two colors of soldiers, a 4-ft. rope, and a toy gun help children express anger, frustration, or hostility. Toy animals (predators and prey) and farm animals, cats, dogs, spiders, and snakes can be used to act out experiences or scenarios directed by the therapist. For example, the therapist can present a situation in which Milly the Goat ate Farmer Joe’s tractor tire, and now Farmer Joe cannot plow the field, or Fido, the family cat, feels sad since little David received a puppy for his birthday. Puppets help children communicate their emotions, recreate life events, and test new behaviors (Desmond et al., 2015 ). According to Bromfield ( 1994 ), puppets are the most helpful tool for children and families because they are fun and can be made from everyday household items. Puppets can be made with old socks, paper plates, or paper sacks. Legos are another must-have in the toolbox. There are many ways to use Legos that require the family to have mutual goals, effective communication, and shared attention. For example, family members have to complete the task of creating a Lego structure and are given roles, including a planner who reads the Lego set’s instructions, a searcher who finds the pieces, and the builder who constructs (Peckett et al., 2016 ).

Art provides a way for family members to convey thoughts and feelings while being creative, so the following list of items are essential to have in the toolbox: paper, a pencil, Crayons (8-count to avoid too many choices), paint, blunt scissors, non-toxic glue, and Play-doh (Landreth, 2002 ). Other imaginative supplies such as pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, colored paper, notebook paper, and transparent tape can also be added to the toolbox (Landreth, 2002 ). Paper plates are also an excellent substitute for eraser boards. Clients can draw their feelings on a paper plate and hold it up as a mask to communicate with family members or write on the plate; however, they might opt for using a small dry erase board during games. Families can also take advantage of their natural surroundings by adding sticks, rocks, and leaves to their toolbox. Children can use their imagination with rocks and often give them healing or magical powers (Linn, 2010 ). Soft, squishy balls can help children remember whose turn it is to speak by tossing the ball to the family member who “has the floor.” Playing cards have many uses and can be a great addition to the toolbox. For example, families can be instructed to play Go Fish. If a heart is drawn, they share a feeling they are experiencing; if a spade, the player talks about their favorite family memory. If a diamond, they say something nice about the person sitting to their left. If a club, they name something for which they are thankful. Therapists and families should also consider adding a kitchen timer to the toolbox for timed activities and boundary setting.

Therapists and families need to discuss appropriate and available toys to choose the best toys for each family’s toolbox that align with their specific therapy goals. Many of the materials discussed can be found in the home or purchased at a local thrift or discount store. Families should be instructed to keep the therapy toolbox supplied with materials and toys that will only be used during therapy sessions and stored safely between sessions unless otherwise instructed. Continued parent consultations between sessions can be conducted to evaluate and reevaluate the family play therapy toolbox. It may be necessary to restock certain supplies, remove others, or add new items as therapy progresses. Additionally, therapists must assess for appropriateness of the family's multicultural values and beliefs to determine if specific toys or games would go against their values.

One key difference between individual TMH and systemic TMH is multiple clients' presence in a single video conference call. Moreover, for family therapy, it is recommended that family members treat telemental health sessions similar to face-to-face sessions as much as possible (Wrape & McGuinn, 2019 ). Therefore, it is ideal for the family members to be together in one location, rather than on separate video screens as can be done in other systemic therapies (e.g., couple therapy). This is so the therapist can monitor the play interaction of family members in a single location that mimics their real-life interactions. However, this presents unique challenges for the therapist to direct, view, and hear what is occurring on the family’s side of the video conference. Consequently, there are several unique adaptations and requirements for equipment, placement, lighting, and sound when conducting DFPT in a single location.

Camera Equipment and Placement

Setting up an environment where all family members can be seen on camera is essential to systemic TMH (Nelson & Patton, 2016 ). When utilizing the family’s home rather than a video therapy site, clear communication from the therapist on the best place to set up the virtual session should be communicated, tested, and continually reassessed. It may even be necessary to move and change the camera placement during the session as family members move and play with each other. The therapist needs to see the family’s play and interactions, sometimes at different angles or levels (Dimitropoulos et al., 2017 ). One way to minimize the need to move the camera too often is to use a table with play items or a designated area rug that could help focus the family on playing in a specific area and direction. The therapist can then work with the parents to find a camera placement to best capture this area so that the therapist can easily see the interaction. Doing so can prevent having to spend too much therapy time finding adequate camera placement.

Whereas TMH can often be done on a tablet or phone, having a laptop or desktop allows for better equipment suited to systemic TMH. For example, external cameras are often much better compared to internal cameras and microphones as they allow for greater movement, wider viewing angles, and often have much better microphones. That way, the family can keep the therapist stationary while placing the camera in a higher or better location. Laptops and desktops likewise have larger screens or the ability to connect to a larger screen than tablets and phones. A larger screen would make it easier for all family members to view the therapist despite where they are located in the room. However, suppose it is determined that the family only has a small screen such as a tablet or phone during the needs assessment. In that case, the therapist should adapt play therapy interventions and utilize innovative ways to best capture the family play sessions. For example, placing a phone on top of a tripod or a tall object to view the play space better is an innovative way to work with the family’s technological resources.

Lighting and Sound

Proper lighting is essential to be able to view the family adequately in the whole play area. When setting up the play space for the session, it is essential to test out the area to examine where overexposure (too much backlight) or underexposure (too much darkness) may hinder the therapist’s ability to observe the family. We recommend this be included in the needs assessment and initial consultation so that the play area can be set up with adequate lighting for the session. It may be necessary for the parents to move lights, cover lights, or adjust window blinds to create a lighting environment where the therapist can adequately view the whole play area.

Just as it is essential to see all family members, it is vital to hear all family members. When working with large families or active children, having external microphones can be extremely helpful. While many external cameras also have HD microphones that will be more than adequate, purchasing external microphones may be helpful or necessary. Microphones with long cords can be purchased for $20USD, which allows for microphone movement during the session and greater flexibility for the therapist to hear the family members wherever they may be in the room.

Technology Testing & Instructional Materials

During the initial consultation with the parents, and as necessary throughout treatment, it is crucial to communicate clearly and directly with the family how to use, set up, and troubleshoot technology. Creating instructional materials (e.g., videos and handouts) that walk clients through setting up their own space can help initial consultations move quickly and easily. Such instructional materials can also help clients understand the best camera placements, lighting, and which kinds of equipment are recommended. Consequently, we suggest that these materials be easily accessible to clients and provided before the initial parent consultation.

Therapists must be flexible and assertive about lighting, sound, and camera equipment for family therapy TMH sessions (Wrape & McGuinn, 2019 ). Therefore, we recommend that the therapist and parents test and troubleshoot the play space setup and assess video, lighting, and sound equipment before the first family session during the initial parent consultation. This tech run-through can also allow the therapist and the parents to assess if additional equipment is needed for purchase.

After conducting the needs assessment of play, art, and technology resources, therapists must consider whether it would be necessary to purchase or loan equipment for families who do not have the necessary financial means to obtain the appropriate equipment for TMH sessions. This can include play and art therapy kits, cameras, laptops, and microphones. When this is not possible or feasible, the therapist’s flexibility and creativity become extremely important. For example, if the family has only one working tablet with poor mic quality, the therapist may adapt to where the tablet is placed where the family can be viewed with the mic muted, and a cell phone is used for audio. Again, therapists and families must be flexible and work together to determine the best technical and strategic approach.

Therapist Role: Play Coach

One of the critical adaptations necessary for DFPT in telemental health is that the therapist must take a directive role as a play coach. Because therapists are not physically present in the room to direct and participate in the play, therapists must direct parents to perform all of the play. While the therapist can play virtually, they cannot have the same shared play touch through the screen as they have in face-to-face sessions. Thus the DFPT must be evident in communication on directing the play, explicitly using a virtual platform. In a virtual session, therapists will need to direct the parents’ movements using verbal communication. For example, “Mom, I want you to choose an animal out of the animal toys to show me what it feels like when you are feeling mad.” The mother would choose an animal and play out the feelings, with further direction from the therapist as necessary. The therapist would then state to the child, “Now Johnny, now you pick an animal from the animal toys and show me what it feels like when Mom is feeling mad.” The child would then select an animal toy and then play out his feelings towards the mother. Therapists in virtual sessions must be detailed in their verbal directives to parents communicating with their children through play.

Setting Limits

Using the language of play allows children to bring their emotions to the surface; no emotional expression is taboo, including feelings of aggression (Landreth, 2002 ). Additionally, children may not have an awareness of how their emotions are manifesting in session. Limit setting helps create awareness of responsibility, self-control, boundaries, and emotional safety by anchoring the session to reality (Landreth, 2002 ). Therefore, working with children during family therapy is vital to the therapeutic relationship for the therapist to set limits. These limits can range from how toys and others are treated, length of the session, voice volume, and participation during the session to create a safe place to express feelings. For example, in a face-to-face session, should a child leave the therapy room, the therapist may choose to redirect the child to the session’s rules, and the parents would reinforce this limit bringing the child back to the session. However, during a virtual session, a child could feel freer to leave due to a session being held in the child’s home, a place without the same kind of location and physical boundaries as a therapist’s office. The essentials of limit setting can be used by therapists and modeled to parents for future use. The limit setting formula is: “Step 1: acknowledge the child’s feelings, wishes, and wants; Step 2: communicate the limit; Step 3: target acceptable alternatives” (Landreth, 2002 , p. 533). Therapists must communicate and continually reevaluate with parents how to troubleshoot limit setting during family therapy sessions.

Pre-session routines and environmental queues are two ways to help manage the additional challenge of therapy boundaries. One of the critical differences between in-person therapy and TMH is the minimal transition time required for TMH. For example, there is no drive to the therapist’s office or waiting for your appointment in a waiting room. With some planning and preparation, therapists and parents can help give children a developmentally appropriate transition into the session. Because therapy is taking place in the child’s home environment, we recommend that therapists work with families to establish routines and rituals before the session starts. For example, children should have had a drink, snack, and use the restroom. Depending on the child’s age and maturity, parents can include children in preparing the therapy space for the session, including preparing lighting, getting the play therapy toolbox, spreading out a rug or blanket, or getting the laptop or tablet in place.

This preparation helps give the child time and space to emotionally and mentally prepare for the therapy session and establish environmental queues similar to those in a therapy office. Changing the space by making a family play therapy area creates an environmental queue that is now a unique and special time with different boundaries and rules than typically occurs in the home. We recommend that the therapist and parents reinforce these environmental queues directly (e.g., “We are now in special playtime. This time has different rules than you normally have in your house. These rules include…”). The therapist and parents can also use additional environmental queues, such as a visual timer demonstrating the time spent or remaining in the special family play session (Dimitropoulos et al., 2017 ). This can help children learn the boundaries of remaining in that room for family play sessions during that special time. Play therapists go to great lengths to make their office play space unique and safe, and we recommend doing the same for the home play space. Doing so requires the therapist to be directive and coach the parents through this process. The therapist cannot be physically present to establish rituals and environmental queues for the family.

Transitioning out of Session

Although transitioning out of the session using a virtual format may be quicker, the family needs to build transitional rituals. There is no walk-out of the office or car ride home. Building in some decompression or processing time can be just as crucial for children as it can be for adults, especially for emotionally intense sessions (Wrape & McGuinn, 2019 ). Following family therapy with a ritual of putting away the therapy materials with music or doing a lighthearted activity, game, yoga, or meditation exercise can allow families to shift out of the session into a different headspace before returning to the “normal” life at home.

Preparing for Subsequent Sessions

When conducting virtual sessions, treatment planning requires organization and weekly communication with parents. In the DFPT model using a virtual platform, the therapist is the play coach, and the parents perform the play with the child(ren). This approach requires communication and directives with parents before each session. Parents must be provided ample time to prepare for the session. Therefore, therapists must decide what day to communicate the treatment plan for the week for each family. This consistency allows parents to be prepared mentally and logistically to ensure they have all the necessary items before the session. For example, if worksheets need to be printed and cut, the parents need time to perform these tasks in advance. If specific items are needed that are not in the premade play therapy kit, parents need ample time to secure them for the family play session and put them in the play therapy kit.

This advanced preparation requires additional time for the therapist, and each therapist must find ways to block out time for treatment planning and communicate to parents. This process ensures both therapists and families have equal opportunities for family play therapy sessions to be organized and consistent. For example, the DFPT therapist would inform families that they will receive an email of the upcoming family play session and items required every Friday. Friday afternoon, the DFPT therapist would email the Hernandez family addressing their treatment plan, “This week we will be working on family communication. For our family play session, you will need two zip log bags filled with fifteen identical Legos in each bag. Label one bag A and one bag B.” The Hernandez family would receive an email addressing their specific treatment plan stating, “This week, we are using finger puppets to work on family relationships. Please print out the attached puppet characters and cut them out for our session. Feel free to color them if you choose.” While this may require extra time during the week, it is essential to create consistency for families to feel comfortable and prepared when they attend their virtual session. Additionally, it allows therapists not to spend session time with family members locating items that might not have been in their toolbox.

Online School & TMH

Online schooling is becoming a choice some families have made for their child’s education. Many children have experienced online schooling, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend therapists assess the family’s experiences with online learning and how the children have responded. Careful assessment can help therapists avoid or mitigate negative experiences or experience challenges from countertransference of negative online learning experiences. TMH can quickly feel the same as online learning for children, impeding the therapy process due to countertransference. We recommend that therapists capitalize on what works well for the family and find ways to make therapy different from online school in the ways that matter most.

Using TMH Platform to Enhance Change

The virtual format of TMH affords unique tools and structural differences from face-to-face therapy that can potentially contribute positively to the change process. When therapists direct play in face-to-face sessions, the play takes place in a controlled office environment outside of the family's home environment. The parents and the child(ren) are provided verbal directives by the therapist to create change at home by recreating the therapeutic environment interactions at home. When families leave the controlled, therapeutic environment created by the therapist and return to their natural, home environment, their usual communication and interaction patterns can create barriers to change. Families who the therapist instructs to complete a homework assignment may feel uncomfortable or anxious about doing homework outside of the office and in their own home. The familiar, safe, and controlled office is where families are used to working together. The transitional phase from office to home is eliminated in a virtual setting because the therapeutic environment interactions are actually occurring within the home.

During systemic TMH, play interactions occur in a controlled environment within the family’s home environment. Thus, the directed play can easily be repeated in the home because it has already occurred in the home. For example, a therapist interested in directing a family to talk openly about emotions and validate feelings may play the “Feeling Hide and Seek” card game during a session. In this card game, each family member would take turns hiding a card with a feeling written on it in the room for the other players to find. When the feeling card was found, the DFPT would ask them to recall a time when they each experienced that emotion. At the conclusion of the game, the DFPT would give the feeling cards to the family and direct the family to play this game again at home. Since the family has not played the game outside of the office, barriers could arise. The feeling cards might get lost or not even make it out of the car. During a virtual session, the family has already played it in the home. The cards are there, ready to use. The virtual session makes the transition from session to homework much easier for family members because it is more familiar.

Using the Virtual Presence

Therapists can also use their virtual presence in ways to enhance therapy gains and augment treatment. With appropriate technology and consent, therapists can record session segments, as they already have cameras and audio equipment well positioned on the family. These recordings can help the therapist review sessions and playback to the family for additional interventions. Therapists can also use the reduced power of the virtual presence to enhance treatment. Therapists can intentionally make their virtual presence smaller to give parents greater power and responsibility for their family’s change process. By requiring parents to do more and be the physical presence with the child, therapists can take advantage of their reduced power to make the parents the agent of change in the family more quickly and effectively. For example, because the therapist is not physically present, he/she may be less inclined to “step in” during a moment of silence, uncertainty, or disagreement the family may be having. This can be helpful when the family tends to rely on their therapist to “help” or “rescue” them during a difficult time in the session. This reduces the presence and influence of the therapist and empowers the family to make adjustments to be their own agent of change.

Technology Facilitated Play

Another way to adapt DFPT to TMH is to integrate technology-assisted play resources, such as virtual whiteboards, sand trays, and games, into the therapy session. Many video conferencing platforms have whiteboard features that therapists and families can efficiently utilize during virtual sessions. Additionally, there are virtual sand tray programs, online board games, card games, trivia and quiz games, and virtual playroom programs. When utilizing technology-facilitated play, therapists must follow play therapy standards regarding the use of computer programs as beneficial for treatment (Luxton et al., 2016 ). Additionally, all HIPAA and HITECH guidelines must be followed as well.

However, there is one notable drawback of using such technology-assisted play resources. Many technology-facilitated play programs are designed for interaction with one person on each screen and may not be ideal for family therapy. This can lead to family members crowding around a screen or taking turns on the device, thereby minimizing therapists’ ability to view members’ faces and body language. Additionally, this can lead to the family members interacting with the screen rather than directly with each other through play. Therefore, therapists should carefully consider the fit, purpose, benefit, and HIPAA compliance of any technology-assisted play resource before integrating it into play therapy sessions.

Cautions and Contraindications

As with any treatment modality, it is essential to consider contraindications to TMH treatment with families (see Table ​ Table1). 1 ). First, therapists should assess whether the home is a safe environment to conduct TMH. This is especially important as safety is critical to successful and ethical play therapy practice. If there is any history of abuse or neglect in the home, children can feel unsafe or retraumatized by holding therapy in a place where abuse or neglect has occurred. Therefore, part of initial consultations needs to include a history of abuse and traumatic events of the space itself and, if necessary, move therapy to a different location. A thorough review of assessing for abuse in a TMH session is beyond the scope of this manuscript. For more information, we recommend the following resources:

• Technology safety (National Network to End Domestic Violence, 2021 ).
• Violence, abuse, and neglect in telehealth (New South Wales Government, 2021 ).

Second, therapists must follow any contraindications for TMH, as contraindications for TMH generally would likewise apply to virtual play therapy. This requires therapists to assess the fit of TMH regularly, be trained in TMH practices, and have all the required hardware and software for TMH practice. A full review of TMH contraindications is beyond the scope of this paper, and we suggest readers review the following resources:

• Best practices in the online practice of couple therapy (Caldwell et al., 2017 ).
• Teletherapy guidelines (Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards, 2016 ).
• A practitioner’s guide to telemental health: how to conduct legal, ethical, and evidence-based teletherapy (Luxton et al., 2016 ).

Third, therapists must follow any contraindications for directive play therapy and in-home play therapy generally. For example, children who struggle with remaining in the designated virtual playroom, refuse to participate, or follow the therapist’s directive may not be appropriate for play therapy. Likewise, parents who are either unwilling or unable to follow therapists’ directives to engage in play would contraindicate play therapy treatment. Not all children and families are a good fit for directive play therapy, and a non-directive, child-centered approach may be a better fit. Consequently, therapists must plan for transitions to another treatment approach or provider should they determine a family is inappropriate for DFPT (for more, see Landreth, 2012 ; Ariel, 1992 ; Bailey, 2005 ).

Call for Future Research

The suggestions, recommendations, and guidelines proposed in this paper are based on the authors’ anecdotal experiences, informal discussions with other TMH therapists, and the existing literature on TMH practice. Consequently, these recommendations need to be researched and tested. There is very little research on DFPT using a virtual platform. COVID-19 changed how therapists practice and how DFPT is being used. The pandemic forced therapists to begin practicing with only knowledge of their model and telemental health training. This lack of resources and research forced therapists across the globe to do the best job they could with what they knew. As technology advances and more therapists are comfortable using DFPT, it must be researched. Qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences of therapists, parents, and children participating in DFPT using a virtual platform are imperative for laying the groundwork for future research.

Additionally, the need for controlled studies, case studies, and focus groups of both therapists and families would help advance the field on implementing DFPT using a virtual platform. One of this paper’s primary purposes is to propose methods, structure, and theory for conducting systemic TMH play therapy that researchers can test and evaluate. Future studies would allow proper training and implementation in the treatment of families using the DFPT model.

DFPT is a unique model that allows for a pragmatic approach to working with families with young children. In this paper, we have proposed various methods and recommendations for how therapists can adapt directive play therapy to the practice of TMH. Table ​ Table1 1 includes a summary of the benefits, challenges, and contraindications. We recommend that therapists begin with a parent consultation to conduct a needs assessment, test technology equipment, establish a special play therapy place, and create a play therapy toolbox. We also recommend that therapists take a more direct approach, as the parents must be the actors of change while the therapist has a virtual presence. This virtual presence requires additional session preparation time, advanced communication with parents before sessions, and augmenting how therapy limits and rules are set. Play therapy in a virtual format can work well if therapists make appropriate adjustments and rely on their creativity, high regard for ethics, and innovation in the spirit of our field’s founders.

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.

Declarations

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

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A Grandparent's Guide to Helping Students Succeed With Virtual Education

How to assist your grandchildren with remote learning during the pandemic.

As the new school year gets underway during the pandemic, many parents and grandparents have taken on the roles of teacher, tutor and tech support.

Thousands of K-through-12 schools have opted for virtual learning amid the threat of a coronavirus outbreak, or have created hybrid models combining part-time, in-person instruction and virtual options. With students learning at home and many parents also working from home, grandparents have become pivotal figures in the education process.

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In addition, more than 2.7 million children live in homes without their parents, where grandparents or other relatives are caring for them, and they're turning to grandparents for help. But most grandparents don't have a background in education and may need support on how to assist their grandchildren with everything from logging into Zoom classrooms to math homework.

"While the reality of supporting children during remote learning can be daunting, grandparents should remember that it is also an opportunity to share their skills, hobbies and time with those they love in new and creative ways, creating lasting memories, says DeLise Bernard, an education expert and consultant.

When public schools began transitioning to distance learning models in March, Bernard launched a Facebook group called  Surviving Homeschool  to help answer families’ questions about being thrust into the role of teacher. Bernard homeschooled three children for almost a decade and wanted to pass along her tips and tricks. Within two days, the group attracted more than 2,000 members, and now it has over 7,500.

The pivot to remote learning pushed people like St. Augustine, Florida, residents Susan Hatcher, 62, and her husband, Skip Hatcher, 71, into new roles: grandparents doubling as an educational support team for their two grandsons, in sixth grade and first grade.

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The Hatchers have some education experience. Susan is a recently retired school psychologist and former teacher, while Skip is a retired elementary school principal. The pair work with their grandsons during the day to facilitate their remote learning, while the boys’ parents work from home . “Last year, students were able to be more independent and flexible with the academic demands,” Susan says. “Now, the boys are expected to be online during the full school day.”

Grandparents may struggle to support students with technology — such as helping them log in to different educational platforms and apps and making sure they get the video working for that virtual class . Grandparents don't need to be tech wizards or know how to write the perfect essay, but they can aid students in finding free online resources to assist them.

With school districts across the country following different plans and with uncertainties still ahead, there are bound to be some struggles. Juggling multiple students’ class loads, communicating with teachers and helping a student work through unfamiliar subject areas can be a challenge.

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"My advice for grandparents is to remember that this is only temporary,” Susan says. “We are happy that we are retired and have the time and energy to devote to keeping our grandsons safe and healthy during the pandemic.”

Below, the Hatchers and Bernard share their suggestions for helping grandchildren to have a successful remote educational experience.

Create the right space

• Make sure there's at least one hard surface available for schoolwork (a desk, dining room table or folding table are suitable). The Hatchers’ grandsons have laptop stations and school supplies set up at the kitchen table.
• Communicate with your kids or grandkids to understand how they like to learn. Some students enjoy working from their bed or a couch, or floating around, while others want structure.
• Bernard recommends storage options like bins, drawers or a cabinet for binders, books and notebooks, as well as a holder for school supplies such as pencils and markers.
• Bernard also recommends a whiteboard, pencil sharpener, hole puncher and printer.
• If multiple students need to learn alongside one another, consider making dividers out of recycled cardboard to create “cubicles,” Bernard says.

Consider the technology

• A laptop or tablet, if possible: If a student does not have access to a device, check with the school. Many schools are providing devices to students who need them. If not, ask for a recommended brand or model.
• Wi-Fi: An upgraded router will help accommodate multiple people working on the same internet service at the same time. For families without robust internet connections, some schools and cities are providing free internet services to students. Check with your student's school to see if it will provide a Wi-Fi hot spot or whether your city offers public Wi-Fi in your neighborhood. In addition, some internet companies offer low-cost plans for students, seniors and low-income families.
• An email account: Some school districts create an email account for each student. Make sure you and your student know if such an account exists and how to access it. If not, consider setting up a designated email address for school-related communications.
• Headphones with a built-in microphone: These don't have to be fancy. Pairs with microphones start at around $15. Depending on the student's age, consider a pair made especially for kids (which have smaller frames and limit the maximum volume for hearing protection). These will help during live class sessions on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype or any other videoconferencing equivalent.
• Blue-light glasses: Bernard recommends blue-light glasses to limit overexposure to blue light, which is emitted from screens and can interrupt sleep patterns at nighttime. Blue-light filters can be incorporated into an existing prescription, but nonprescription computer glasses are an inexpensive option. Consider free programs  like F.lux , a blue-light filtering software for your computer. (Note: If the student is working on a school-issued computer, downloading software might be prohibited.)

Learning resources

Not every grandparent or parent was expecting to be on call for schoolwork help. Here are some programs and additional resources for when you need to fact-check schoolwork.

• Grammarly  is a free Google Chrome browser extension that spell-checks and proofreads for grammatical errors.
• Khan Academy  is a free tutorial platform, known for its short math videos that explain concepts in various subjects. Khan Academy now also features tutorials and courses on subjects including science, reading and vocabulary, history and social studies.
• Online resources  PhotoMath  and  Symbolab  allow you to submit a math problem and get the solution or explanations on how to solve the problem.
• My Math Flash Cards is an app that helps with math facts.
• Tutoring websites can help. Bernard recommends  Starfall  for younger grades and  Wide Open School .
• Your local library offers free access to books, magazines and newspaper subscriptions. Many libraries provide members with robust online options, including digital books and magazines.
• Explore the resources offered by your student's school and district. Many have a homework helpline and offer free peer tutoring, or access to digital tools and platforms.
• Ask for the teacher's manual. Bernard suggests communicating with a teacher and asking for a copy of or digital access to the teacher's manual of the student's textbook. Note: Teachers may decline this request to prevent cheating.

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• Anne Arundel County Public Schools
• Virtual Homework Help & Tutoring

Virtual Homework Help and Tutoring

AACPS will provide Middle and High School evening Virtual Tutoring  for targeted subjects in Math, English, World Languages, Social Studies, Science, AVID and ESOL.

Virtual  Tutoring will be delivered through Microsoft Teams.

Elementary Math  Virtual Family support is drop-in through Google Meet for assistance with understanding K-5 th  grade Math concepts or problem-solving techniques.

Virtual Homework Help and Tutoring is NOT:

• One-on-One exclusive tutoring for an entire hour
• A replacement for working with a student’s assigned teacher during Flex Time or Office Hours
• A system designed to provide feedback or follow-up after the conclusion of the homework help or tutoring session
• Designed to address specific student IEPs or 504 accommodations

High School Schedule 23-24

Updated schedule for high school tutoring.

Middle School Schedule 23-24

Updated schedule for middle school tutoring.

Elementary Virtual Math Support Schedule (English y Español)

Google meet: primary (prek-2nd grade), google meet: intermediate (3rd-5th grade).

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Home - Games - Virtual Families

Full Version (unlimited)

Virtual Families is a casual family sim that runs in true real time. Adopt a little person from the thousands of choices of little people who live inside your computer. Encourage them to work in their chosen career to earn money for necessities and luxuries, help them choose a suitable mate, start and raise a family, let them kick back with a variety of leisure activities, and take care of and improve their home. Along the way, there will be many different random events to respond to, house malfunctions to repair, and mini-puzzles to solve, all of them adding an unexpected element to the daily routine. A Game About Life - In All of its Drama and Glory

• Real-time game play, like all LDW games.
• Unique and fascinating adoptees from thousands of combinations
• Fully trainable people: shape and adapt their personalities through praising and scolding!
• Dynamic illness system. Play Doctor!
• Over 100 trophies that can be earned for almost every area of game play.
• Hidden puzzles around the house.
• Email 'events' and other random, unpredictable occurrences.
• Weather, as well as day/night cycles that are synchronized to the player's system clock, so it is nighttime in the game when it is nighttime where you are!
• Uses the technology behind Virtual Villagers for an accessible and stable player experience
• Includes the Official LDW Virtual Families Game Guide We decided to make a game guide for Virtual Families that could only be done by the developer, packed full of secrets, strategies, hints and insights that nobody else could know!

System Compatibility

Windows system requirements.

• Windows PC with at least 1 GHz processor speed
• 1024x768 or larger display
• Windows 2000, ME, XP, Vista, Windows 7, 8.1, or 10. Not tested on Windows 11.
• 1 GB of RAM
• DirectX 7.0 or later
• Sufficient hard drive space to download and install the game (up to 100 MB).

Mac System Requirements

• Intel Mac with 1024x768 or larger display
• Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) through 10.11 (El Capitan); macOS 10.12 (Sierra) through 10.14 (Mojave)
• Sufficient hard drive space to download and install the game (up to 100 MB)

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Come check out our forum to learn from our community!

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Copyright © 2001-2024, LDW Software, LLC. All rights reserved. Last Day of Work, LDW and LDW logos are registered trademarks of LDW Software, LLC. Virtual Villagers, Virtual Families, Fish Tycoon, Plant Tycoon are registered trademarks of LDW Software, LLC.

Virtual Families

Our Virtual Families Walkthrough is a complete guide to everything you need to know in this fun and addicting sim game. Get the help you need for House Repairs and Puzzles, Trophies, Easter Eggs, Chance Cards, the Store, Finances, Collectables, and much, much more!

GENERAL TIPS:

• Virtual Families is a real-time game; meaning the game is progressing even when you quit the game. Pause the game by pressing the space bar or by choosing the pause option under the options menu.
• The time in the game coincides with your time. If it's 8 AM your time it's 8 AM game time unless you select the "reverse day/night" option under the options menu. If you reverse the day/night schedule; 8 AM your time will be 8 PM game time.
• You can leave your little friends alone for a couple of days usually without too many detrimental issues as long as there is enough food in the refrigerator. Should you need to abandon the game longer than 2 days; it's best to pause the game.
• Let your little friends sleep on their own for a full continuous 6-8 hours at night by quitting and exiting the game for 6-8 continuous hours.
• You can cycle through some of the behavior options for your little friends by selecting them and then releasing them until you receive the behavior/action you're looking for.
• Your adult friends have to have a child in order for the game to continue...the game ends when there is no next generation to pass the house and bank account to.
• It will take several to many generations to complete all the trophies.
• If you're playing more than one family at a time in the game, your little friends must complete their actions for those actions to take effect before switching to a different family. If your family is in the middle of sitting down to meal and you switch to a different family or exit the game... the family sitting down to a meal will not increase their "fed" level.
• Virtual Families is a non-linear game; meaning most of the goals don't have to be completed in a specific order.
• It's recommended to not leave your family without your direction until the house and weeds are picked up; they have plenty of food in the refrigerator and the adults have completed several work cycles.

***SPOILER ALERT****

Choosing Your First Adoptee:

• There are many people to choose from for adoption. Once you pass a possible adoptee/candidate by choosing the "try again" button, he/she will no longer be a possible candidate to adopt. The adoptee candidates do not recycle.
• Each adoptee will be between 20 and 30 years old. It's best to choose a candidate that is between 20 and 27 years old for your first adoptee.
• Each adoptee already has a job making $15 - $105 a day. You may want to adopt a candidate with a high daily salary initially of $70 or more per day initially. The candidates will either be a beginner or novice at their jobs.
• Each adoptee will also have some money in the bank $15 - $200. An adoptee candidate that has $200 or more in the bank is considered rich. When choosing your first adoptee for your first generation it's best for your adoptee to have at least $100 in the bank.
• Each adoptee candidate will have one of the following desires for children. An adoptee that has a "No Way" desire for children can still have children with enough persistence.
• Would be nice
• Each candidate may also have some likes and dislikes. The likes and dislikes slightly impact the game when a dislike involves his/her job. Such as your adoptee or candidate dislikes computers but has a job that requires using the computer. You may find it more difficult for this adoptee/candidate to work at his job. The likes and dislikes may also have a very slight impact on choosing a spouse for that adoptee/candidate. You can purchase a desensitization kit from the store when available to cure a random dislike when used on an adoptee. Should you want your adoptee to have a like or dislike, you can purchase the encyclopedias at the store and a random like or dislike will appear.

Your First Home:

• It is important to keep the house picked up to keep your families happiness up.
• It is equally important to keep the weeds pulled as this also has influence on your family's happiness. You will also avoid paying fines for having weeds in your yard. And who knows...your family might receive a financial reward for having a nice yard!

Taking Showers:

• Place your adoptee in the shower when they start to "not feel so fresh".
• Washing their hair, brushing their teeth, flossing, applying deodorant or washing their hands will also have a slight impact on their personal hygiene...the shower works best.
• If you praise your new friend while taking a shower they might take the initiative and take a shower on there own when they start to get "stinky" again.

Getting Married:

• You'll probably receive an email alert shortly after your new adoptee enters the house. Your adoptee will have an unorthodox marriage (email) proposal without any romance. The adoptee may choose to get married or wait for another proposal later. Getting married has a HUGE positive impact on their happiness.
• If you choose to marry someone with less than $100 in the bank you marry for love. If you choose to marry someone with $200 in the bank, you marry for money.
• Marriage proposals will become more infrequent as time passes...so you may want to take this into consideration before rejecting a proposal.

HOUSE REPAIRS and PUZZLES

Opening the Shed:

• The fire extinguishers are used to put out oven and clothes dryer fires.
• The watering cans are used to water the flower boxes after the leaking hose has been repaired.

Repairing the Cracks in the Floors:

• Purchase a floor repair kit from the store.

• Place one of your adult friends on the crack where you placed the floor repair kit.
• Continue to place your friend over the crack until the repair is completed; the crack will be gone and the floor repair kit will disappear when crack is repaired.
• You'll need to purchase a minimum of 3 floor repair kits. One for each crack.
• Repeat the steps above for each floor crack.
• Additional floor repairs may need to be purchased to repair the floors again if your friends suffer an earthquake.

Fixing the Leaky Hose:

• Purchase the all-American repair product...duct tape.

• Have one of your friends lower the water pressure in the house by washing hands, getting a drink, using the toilet or taking shower.
• Take an adult friend and place them on top of the hose at the back of the house. Your little friend will repair the leaky hose while the water pressure is lowered.

Watering the Flowers (The leaky hose must be fixed first and the shed must be opened):

• Your friend will fill a watering can full of water and water the window-box flowers.

Repairing the Outside Workshop Walls ( Leaky Hose has to be repaired before repairing Workshop Walls):

• Purchase the Wall Compound from the store.
• Place the Wall Compound on top of the bucket near the hose at the right side of the house.

• Repeatedly place your adult friend on top of the bucket until the walls are repaired. Should your friend walk away for too long the compound will dry and you'll have to purchase additional compound and start over repairing the walls.
• You can place more than one adult on compound to expedite the repair process.
• A pop-up window will appear when walls are repaired and the compound will disappear.

Bird Bath Repair:

• Purchase the bird bath pump from the store.

Oven Fires:

• Place an adult or a child 14 or older in front of the burning oven (there will be smoke emitting from the stove) so they take notice of the fire. The action bar will indicate your friend is aware of the fire.
• Transfer the adult who viewed the fire to the shed to pick up a fire extinguisher...your little friend will then extinguish the fire.

Clothes Dryer Fires (shed must be opened first):

• Place an adult in front of the clothes dryer (there will be smoke emitting from the dryer) so they take notice of the fire. The action bar will indicate your friend is aware of the fire.

Leaky Kitchen or Bathroom Sink (shed must be opened first):

• Place an adult in front of the leaking sink so they take note of the problem.

• Your little friend will now repair the leaking sink.

Clogged Shower or Toilet:

• Place an adult in front of the clog to take note of the problem.

• Your little friend will now repair the offending clog.

Removing Cob-webs:

HOUSEHOLD CHORES THAT CAN BE ASSIGNED TO A FAMILY MEMBER: These chores can be done by adults and children and will appear randomly multiple times throughout the game.

• Pulling Weeds: keep the weeds pulled to keep your families happiness levels up. You may also avoid fines and may even win a monetary award for landscaping. You have to instruct your little friends to pull the weeds they will not pull the weeds on their own.
• Taking out the garbage-flies will appear around trash can in the Kitchen. You can also select the trash can and the amount of garbage that is in the trash can will appear above the action task bar.
• Picking up socks keeps your families happiness levels up. You have to instruct your little friends to pick up the socks; they will not pick up socks on their own.
• Picking up wrappers keeps your families happiness levels up. You'll have to instruct your friends to pick up the wrappers; they will not pick up the wrappers on their own.
• Putting the remote back on the living room coffee table so your friends can watch their favorite TV shows when they desire. Select your friends to pick up the remote as they will not do this on their own.
• Washing the dishes aids in keeping your families happiness levels up.
• Cleaning dirt smudges (they look like ink spots on the floors) aids in keeping your families happiness levels up. Instruct your little people to clean the dirt smudges as they will not do this on their own.

FEEDING YOUR FAMILY:

• Purchase groceries from the store and place them on the Kitchen table...your little friends get sooo excited to see groceries in the house they drop whatever they're doing to peak at the groceries and to put them away.
• Top row of groceries in store are regular foods and equal 150 units in each category.
• Bottom row of groceries in store are the organic foods/higher quality and equal 250 units in each category.
• There is a special every day on one of the food categories. When you can afford it and there is space in the inventory stock up on the specials.
• Keeping 1,000 units of groceries in the house helps keep your families happiness level up. Select the refrigerator, the door will open and the "food available" will show above the action task bar.
• Allow 200 units of food for each family member per day...it's not a bad idea to have extra on hand in case they through some food out or another emergency arises.
• Your family will eat on their own throughout the day as long as there are groceries in the house.
• For optimal "Fed" sustenance:
• Have an adult prepare a meal by placing them on top of the kitchen table. The action bar should read "preparing a meal".
• After the meal has been prepared, place each family member on top of the table and they will "sit down to a meal". The children seem to be the most sustained when sitting down to a meal. All family members are more sustained when they sit down to a meal than when they eat on their own. The men tend to need to eat more than the rest of the family...oh, how true to life!

CHANCE CARDS:

• Chance cards will appear randomly throughout the game via emails, someone at the door or a package at the door.
• Each chance card will have either a positive or negative effect on the family.
• Some chance cards give you a choice as to what action to take...such as...open a package or leave a package alone. What you choose on the chance cards...sometimes it has a positive effect...sometimes a negative effect.
• The grocery items are always the same and always available. The only change to the grocery items is "the sale" category will change daily.
• The medicines are always available and can be purchased multiple times.
• The Home Improvements and Career Room Upgrades are always the same and are available until the family has purchased the item. After the family has purchased the item it is no longer available.
• The Home Improvements increase your family's happiness.
• The Career Room Upgrades increase your family's happiness and boost the salaries if the upgraded room matches their job; they also advance in their careers faster.
• The Varied Items change every 4 hours and can be returned if not used:
• Delicious and Various Candy: good for praising
• Salty candy: good for scolding
• Energy Drink: gives the selected family member an energy boost.
• Mega Chamomile extract: lowers the energy level of a selected family member. Best used when a family member is weak, it will help them to rest so they may recuperate a little faster.
• Pets (dog, cat, and turtle): they really don't do much.
• Encyclopedia: Will give the selected family member a random or changed like or dislike since they have accumulated more knowledge.
• Desensitization Kit: Changes a random like or dislike of the selected family member.
• Professional Magazines: Increases the selected family member's job rating and gives them an immediate monetary bonus if the magazine matches their profession.
• Children's Books: Increases happiness and builds a stronger parent-child bond. Also puts children to sleep at bedtime.
• Fragrances: Just makes your little friend smell better and you get a trophy if you purchase 2 and use them on your little people.
• Fruit: Will make a weak person slightly stronger; also good for praising.
• Clothes: Gives the selected family member a different outfit to wear if it's different than the one they currently have.
• Sunscreen: keeps them from getting burned if they're in the pool too long or lying in the hammock too long. Since they don't tend to stay in either place very long, it really isn't needed.
• Bottled weather: the bottled rain will make it rain, the bottled sunshine will make the sun shine used to receive some trophies.
• Anti-spam software: your family will no longer receive spam emails.
• DVD's: Increases happiness and builds stronger family bonds.
• Anti-bacterial hand gel: helps keep family members from becoming ill and increases their hygiene if they're not "not feeling so fresh".
• Towelette: Freshens your not "not feeling so fresh" family member.

Varied Household repair items: are included in the varied items which change every 4 hours.

• Floor repair kit: One repair kit is needed for each floor crack in the house. A minimum of three are needed; additional kits maybe needed if your family incurs an earthquake. You can only purchase one kit at a time from the store.
• Wall repair compound: Used to repair the Workshop Walls.
• Bird bath Pump: Used to repair the outdoor bird bath.
• Duct Tape: Used to repair the leaky hose.

ILLNESSES AND MEDICINES:

• Your little friends are bound to become ill from time to time; it's best to cure the illnesses as soon as you notice them as a prolonged illness will make your little friends weak and may spread the illness to other members of the family.
• All medications are available at all times in the store.
• Each medication is for one dose for the selected family member.
• Sore Throat - use the throat lozenges.
• Upset Stomach - use the pink peptic syrup.
• Headache - use the anti-inflammatory pill in the white bottle w/green label.
• Coughing - use the Antitussive syrup in the brown bottle.
• Itching - use the cortisone cream in the white tube.
• Sneezes - use the antihistamine in the white bottle.
• Hiccups - have your friend take a drink from the kitchen or bathroom sink.
• Doctor Consultation - will tell you if your little friend via email if he/she has an infection.
• Infections and persistent illnesses - cure them with the penicillin...if that doesn't work within about an hour try the Vancomycin. These antibiotics will tire your friend.
• Infertile couple - use the baby boost one time only on the family member that needs the baby boost...using the baby boost more than once on the same family member will cause the infertility to worsen instead of improve.

FINANCES AND SALARIES:

• There are surprises regarding the highest pay for a profession...some of the professions start out making very little and end up paying high...the reverse is also true.
• Home repairs and improvements are fun to play in the game but are not necessary at the beginning of the game. Having enough money for food and medications are necessary in continuing the game. Your little friends will shoot you emails asking for more food or improvements when they aren't actually needed.
• There are 8 career levels the Master being the highest and beginner being the lowest.
• Your friends can earn extra money several ways:
• The adults have careers which pay .24 percent of their salary every hour whether they're working or engaging in other activities. Nursing mothers still receive their salaries.
• Working on their careers and finishing a complete work cycle (indicated by jiggling coins and a pop-up that your friend earned some money) will give them a bonus of 1% above their salary. The completed work cycles accrue their career experience which facilitates faster promotions and increases in salaries. Who says it doesn't pay to be a work-aholic!
• Some chance cards will bring additional income to the family...the chance cards may also take some money out of the bank account.
• 10 percent interest on the money in the bank account is added to the family funds several times a day.
• Purchasing a using a professional magazine that matches their career will add an immediate bonus to their salary and add to their experience.
• Selling duplicate collectables on-line will add to the bank account. Each collectable can add $5-$50. (See collectables section for more information-there is a way to double each collectable amount.)
• Purchasing Career Room Upgrades will increase the salaries of your friend's careers that use that room for work. The upgrades will also facilitate career advancement faster.

COLLECTABLES:

• There are 4 collectable categories with 12 items in each category to collect. All collectables are randomly placed outside at different times throughout the game:
• Picture Pieces: are found to the left of the house behind the workshop and between the shed and the workshop. These are usually rare pieces.
• Old Coins: Some are rare and some are not.
• Bugs: Appear after if has rained or while it's raining. Just because it's rained or is raining doesn't always mean there will be a bug. The bugs can be difficult to see in the lawn. Most bugs are rare.
• Nuts and Twigs: Some are rare and some aren't.
• There is usually a chiming sound when a collectable is placed in the yard.
• Duplicate collectables can be sold on-line.
• Too double the on-line payment of a collectable- Place a family member on the collectable...press the space bar to pause the game as the family member is bending down...place another family member on the collectable...press the space bar again to resume the game. Both family members will pick up the collectable (magic-that makes 2 collectables in one!) and sell it on-line. This may take some practice. For a real challenge try tripling the amount by placing 3 family members on a coin. **Disclaimer-not responsible for any family members interactions while doing so- such as embracing or playing train**
• The collectables only need to be picked up to be put into the collection or to receive payment. Your friends don't actually have to sell them on line or put them in the collection chest. This comes in handy when there are more than one in the yard at a time.

DETAIL SCREEN:

• The detail screen gives you all the pertinent information for each family member.
• You can cycle through each family member by using the arrow buttons on each side of the character's picture.
• You can access the needs of each family member by viewing their happiness, health, fed and energy needs.
• You can also gain their age information from this screen.
• You can monitor the adult's career progression from this screen.

Profession and Careers:

• States the career your adult is in.
• Level: states the career level your adult is currently in.
• Salary: gives the daily salary amount for your adult.
• Progress: gives a red bar indicating when your adult will receive their next promotion and salary increase. Each level progression in your adult's career will take longer to obtain.
• Your adult friends will work in proportion to the amount you have them work while playing the game when your not playing the game, except when their sleeping, in proportion to the amount you have them work while playing the game.
• Magazines from the store will give them a progress career boost along with an immediate bonus if the magazine matches their career station.
• It can be challenging to get your adult friends to work initially. Place an adult friend on their career station...sometimes they'll shake their head and say "no". Place them back on their station and praise them with the hand, sweet candy (not salty) or fruit from the Varied Items department in the store.
• Sometimes your little friends will run away and the action will state "stop your nagging"; place them back on their stations as many times as you desire to get them to work.
• Gives a blue bar indicating how happy your family member is. The longer the blue bar, the happier they are. The happiness level can range from depressed to elated.
• What makes your friends happy:
• Food in the refrigerator.
• A house that is picked up with no wrappers, socks or TV remote on the floor.
• The yard is free from weeds.
• Money in the bank.
• Having children.
• There is a distinct correlation between the health of the family members and their happiness. If they're healthy they're happier.
• House upgrades.
• Career promotions and making money.
• Selling collectables on line.
• Should one of your friends become depressed, help them out of their funk by praising them often for any positive behavior you desire; even if it is picking up a collectable, purchase an inexpensive upgrade if possible and defiantly put food on the table to store in the refrigerator. Time will be the best healer for a depressed friend. Try not to scold a depressed family member.
• Gives a blue bar indicating their health condition. The longer the blue bar the healthier they are.
• Keeping food in the house and giving them medication promptly after they become ill appears to be the best preventatives for keeping your families healthy.
• The bathroom upgrade also appears to keep your little friends healthier.
• Should one of your friends become ill or very weak, treat them for their symptoms as soon as possible. The faster you respond to an illness, the less likely your little friends will become weak. Should your ill friend still remain ill after an hour of treating their symptoms...have a doctor consult to see if they have an infection and need to be treated with an antibiotic. Treat them with the penicillin first, then the vancomycin
• Have an ill friend sit down to a meal several times and keep the fed bar up to slightly boost their health.
• Using the chamomile drink works when they become ill as it lets them rest.
• Vitamins and fruit from the varied items section of the store can also slightly boost their health.
• Once one of your little friends becomes weak, it takes quite some time for their strength to greatly improve. Sometimes the best medicine is a good nights rest.
• Gives a blue bar indicating your friends hunger level.
• Drop one of your adult friends or a child that is 14 or older on the Kitchen table to have them prepare a meal. Dropping your adults on the Kitchen table to prepare a meal is especially important when an adult has a career that works in the Kitchen...dropping one of these little friends anywhere else in the kitchen will probably cause them to start working on their career or some other action.
• Your little friends tend to not eat meals without your assistance. Should you leave the game while one of them is preparing a meal...your little friend will stop preparing a meal.
• After the meal has been prepared drag your family members onto the kitchen table one at a time and they will "sit down to a meal" which seems to sustain them for a much longer period of time and increases the "Fed" bar the fastest.
• Your little people will eat on their own without your assistance as long as there is food in the house.
• Should you be having difficulty keeping your friends full of energy during the day, check the version of Virtual Families that is installed on your computer; version 1.00.05 is the latest version and all distributors/portals received the upgrade as there were energy issues with the earlier version/s of the game.
• Have your little friends take a nap or rest in the hammock should they get tired during the day or give them an energy drink from the store.
• Let your little friends rest/sleep at least 6-8 continuous hours during the night cycle by quitting and exiting the game. You don't need to train them to go to bed using this method; they will sleep on their own. When they receive their 6-8 hours of continuous zzzzzzzzzzz's they will usually have enough energy for the following day. Opening up the game acts as an alarm clock and awakens all the families in the game.
• Your little friends will be more tired during the evening hours than during the day when they are on a typical day/night cycle.

HAVING BABIES AND NURSING MOTHERS:

• Your adult little friends need to have a baby naturally or through adoption (random chance card given in game) to pass the house onto the next generation in order for the game to continue. Should your adult friends not have a baby the game will end with that generation.
• All adults can have children naturally or through adoption even if their desire for children is "no way"...it may take more persistence.
• The adult family members can generally be persuaded to attempt to have a child by placing them together. Should they argue...try again...and again...and again...they will usually be persuaded to attempt to have a child.
• When your little friends have attempted to have a baby, you'll know immediately if they have been successful as the mother will be carrying a baby.
• There are 3 times in the game when your little friends can not have children.
• When your mother is nursing a baby, your adult friends can not have another child until the mother is no longer nursing.
• Your little friends have to wait awhile to try to have a baby when they have recently attempted to have a child was unsuccessful.
• When your adults are too old to have children at around age 50. As your adult friends age, it becomes increasingly more difficult for them to have a child.
• Use the baby boost medication only one time on an adult to assist in baby making if they have been unsuccessful for a year or two. Using the baby boost more than once on an adult will decrease their chances of having a baby.
• Nursing mothers can not work at their jobs; they are still receiving their daily income while nursing. They can receive additional income by selling duplicate collectables on line or by reading a professional magazine in their career field while nursing.
• Mothers nurse until the child is 2 years old or about 4 hours of game play.
• Nursing mothers can prepare meals; pick up wrappers, socks and weeds along with any other household chores they initiate.
• Nursing mothers can extinguish fires and repair leaking sinks and clogged showers or toilets.
• Nursing mothers will not make any of the house repairs.
• The children will start having homework at age 14.
• When children turn 14 they can do all the adult tasks except work and make babies.
• Your children will leave around age 18 and will not return unless you choose them as the predecessor to inherit the house and bank account at which time they will be 20 or older.

PRAISING AND SCOLDING YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS:

• Praise your little friends by using the praise glove. The most effective praising is giving them candy and fruit (from the varied items in the store only).
• Praise the behaviors you most want your little friends to initiate on their own.
• Praising the same behavior 2 times in a row will generally initiate a response from your little friend to "stop nagging" and they will also run away. You can place your little friend back into the action you desire.
• Scold your friends for the behaviors you find most offensive or destructive.
• Scold your friends by using the scolding glove or giving them the salted candy from the varied items in the store.

EASTER EGG:

THE NEXT GENERATION:

• Most of your little friends will pass away on the bed in their 60's.
• When one of your friends passes away, everyone in the house will go through a grieving process. You can gradually up their happiness by purchasing groceries or purchasing house upgrades from the store. Praising them with the hand, good candy and fruit from the Varied Items department of the store will also increase their happiness.
• When one of your adult friends passes away, you have 2 options.
• Keep playing the game with the people that remain in the house. Children will be able to survive if you have enough money for food and medicine. The children will not be as happy though.

• There are 101 trophies in the game.
• Some trophies have a progress bar that let you know how many of the objectives of that trophy have been met.
• The requirements for receiving most of the trophies are self explanatory. I've typed in bold and expounded on the trophies that are more difficult to acquire
• Gettin' paid - Earn $100.
• Bring home the bacon - You earned $1,000.
• Mind on my money - You earned $10,000.
• Trump this! - You earned $100,000
• An eventful week - You have encountered 10 email or house events.
• Never a dull moment - You have encountered 50 email or house events (easier to accomplish in later generations with a large family)
• Marry rich - You married someone with more than $200 in the bank.
• Marry for love - You married someone with less than $75 in the bank.
• A perfect match - You married someone with the same career.
• Oh, Baby - You had a baby.
• Oh, baby baby! - You had twins.
• Ohhhhh dear... - You had triplets
• Four is enough - You had 4 children
• No vacancy - You had 6 children (start making babies as soon as you get married and start making another baby after the mother quits nursing each time...plus a little luck from an adoption chance card/s may help)
• Boob tube - You praised someone who was turning off the TV. (watch your family members closely when they are in the living room while the TV is on.) You can turn the TV on and off with your curser should you desire.
• Care and feeding - You praised someone who was making a meal.
• Sleeping dragon - You praised someone who was practicing Kung Fu. (One of your little friends with a high energy level will exit through the back door and may start practicing Kung Fu. Giving one of your friends an energy drink may also initiate this action)
• Everything in its place - You praised someone who was cleaning the nightstand.
• Go-pher it! - You praised someone who was chasing gophers. (One of the children will dig a hole to China first; then sometime later will start playing in the yard. The child will start to giggle and make a "kiss smacking" sound. Praise them while they're kissing the gophers in the holes.)
• That funky smell - You praised someone who was throwing out rotten fish.
• Lotta latte - You praised someone for making a latte. (An adult will voluntarily enter the kitchen and go to the left of the sink to make coffee or a latte...praise them when the action indicates they're making a latte. The adults tend to make lattes first thing in the morning)
• 1,000 strokes - You praised someone who was brushing their hair.
• Fire stopper - You praised someone who was putting out a smoking oven.
• Praising good behavior - You praised all of the above 9 behaviors.
• Praising the praiser - You praised your little people 100 times.
• Sustenance - You spent $500 on food for your little people.
• Abundance - You spent $1,000 on food for your little people.
• Gluttony - You spent $5,000 on food for your little people.
• Preparedness - You filled the kitchen with 1,000 units of food.
• It's not a pyramid but...- You provided all 4 food groups in a 24 hour period.
• Nutrition snob - You provided all 4 food groups of organics.
• Coupon clipper - You saved $500 on food by finding discounts.
• A spoon full of sugar - You cured a symptom of someone who got sick.
• Not just a virus - You cured a serious infection in someone.
• Gravely ill - You cured a grave infection in someone.
• Hic - You helped someone cure hiccups. (have your little person with the hiccups take a drink from the kitchen or bathroom sink)
• Fish Tycoon - You got a fish tank.
• Plant Tycoon - You watered the plants in the window boxes. (The shed must be opened and the leaky hose repaired...place an adult outside the living room windows on the right of the scene with the window boxes...the action will state watering flowers.)
• Dreaming Isola - You bought paintings for your house. (You can also receive this trophy if you receive the paintings through a chance card.)
• Staying cool in the pool - You have a pool.
• A fun house! - You have a pinball machine.
• Let's dance - You have the radio.
• Time to Q - You have a barbecue grill.
• Retail therapy - You bought every house upgrade.
• Trick - You gave 10 pieces of the nasty/salty candy to your little friends.
• Treat - You gave 10 pieces of yummy candy to your little friends.
• Lucky winner - You won a lottery scratch off.
• Two thumbs up - You watched 3 movies with your family.
• So like a rose - You purchased and used 2 perfumes.
• Weather dancer - You purchased and used 2 bottles of weather.
• Movin' on up - You got a promotion.
• Office overlord - One of your little friends mastered an office career.
• Cooking captain - One of your little friends mastered a kitchen career.
• Workshop warrior - One of your friends mastered a workshop career.
• Building for the future - You upgraded a career room in the house.
• The dream kitchen - You have a level 3 kitchen for your family to enjoy.
• Office of the future - You have a level 3 office for your family to enjoy.
• Workshop of wonders - You have a level 3 workshop for your family to enjoy.
• Start with the basics - You repaired the floor in the house.
• All the walls - You completed all of the exterior wall repairs (See section in walkthrough on repairing the Workshop walls)
• The shed - You managed to open the shed (Locate doorknob in sandbox, then find key under doormat)
• Splish, splash - You fixed the birdbath. (See walkthrough section of Bird bath repair)
• This old house - You completed all house repairs (See section of walkthrough on house repairs)
• Sticky situation - You removed a cobweb. (Place a family member on the right side of the right sink in the bathroom...if there are cobwebs they'll remove them.)
• Handyman - You have fixed 10 malfunctions in the house.
• Sock collector - You retrieved 10 socks in the house.
• The sock market - You retrieved 50 socks in the house.
• A perfect sock storm - You retrieved 100 socks in the house.
• Wrappers! - You disposed of 10 wrappers in the house.
• Wrap attack - You disposed of 50 wrappers in the house.
• The wrappers wrap-up: You disposed of 100 wrappers in the house.
• See spot? Run! - You cleaned 10 dirt smudges off the floor.
• Spotty behavior - You cleaned 50 dirt smudges off the floor.
• Sir spot-a-lot: You cleaned 100 dirt smudges off the floor.
• Weed picker - You pulled 10 weeds from the yard.
• Weed whacker - You pulled 50 weeds from the yard.
• Weed obliterator - You pulled 100 weeds from the yard.
• Spring cleaning - You made your house completely free of debris and dirt.
• Order in the yard - You got rid of every weed in the yard.
• A gleaming estate - Your home is spotless inside and out.
• Where is the remote? - You helped your friends recover the remote 5 times.
• Entomologist - You completed the collection of insects.
• Numismatist - You completed the collection of coins.
• Botanist - You completed the collection of nuts and twigs.
• Photo finish - You put together the antique photo.
• Master collector - You completed all 4 collections.
• Recycler - You sold 5 common collectibles online.
• Super recycler - You sold 15 common collectibles online.
• Monetizer - You sold 5 uncommon collectibles online.
• Super monetizer - You sold 15 uncommon collectibles online.
• Super seller - You sold 5 rare collectibles online.
• Super duper seller - You sold 15 rare collectibles online.
• Trophy collector - You collected all 11 collecting trophies.
• Starting out - One of your little friends achieved the age of 35.
• All the wheels turning - One of your little friends achieved the age of 45.
• Lessons of life - One of your little friends achieved the age of 50.
• Midlife - One of your little friends achieved the age of 60.
• Wise - One of your little friends achieved the age of 65.
• Overachiever - You earned 10 trophies.
• Unachievable - You earned 50 trophies.
• The impossible dream - You earned 100 trophies.

Content(s) of this game guide may not be copied or published on any other site without permission from Casual Game Guides. ©CasualGameGuides.com 2006 - 2021

Education researcher calls for primary schools to have 'courage' to rethink homework

When Estelle Trueman was growing up, homework was par for the course.

But now her two daughters are in primary school at Townsville in north Queensland, homework isn't mentioned.

"There's no pressure," Ms Trueman said.

"If we get home and want to prepare a meal together, or spend time together outside before bed, we can, and don't have to hope that we won't get in trouble tomorrow because we haven't done the reader."

Across Australia, there's anecdotal evidence a growing number of primary schools have introduced no – or low – homework policies since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to University of Melbourne Emeritus Professor of Education John Hattie.

Professor Hattie said while there was some evidence homework benefited high-school students, there was no need for it in primary schools.

"The evidence is pretty clear that homework in primary school has a very low to zero effect," he said.

In a bid to modernise the education system, Poland last month scrapped homework for students in years one to three and made it optional for students in years four to eight .

Professor Hattie said Poland's move sent an important message, but it would take a "brave" politician to rattle the cage in Australia because of widespread views among parents here.

"There are parents who think homework is critical and essential for their children's future, which is not true," he said.

Homework out, reading in

In Townsville in north Queensland, Belgian Gardens State School has scrapped compulsory homework in favour of reading, practice, and play.

"[Worksheet saturation] does not foster parent engagement, neglects the individual needs of students and in some cases leads to drawbacks including disengagement and frustration," principal Ryan Pedley said.

Students were given the option to undertake "practice" or "study habits" at home.

Mr Pedley said parents were highly engaged, through regular information sessions, about what was being taught at school. 

St Benedict's Catholic School in the city's west is similarly taking a minimalist approach.

"We couldn't really see the benefits for doing homework … but we do require our students to be reading at home each night," assistant principal Aleesha Rockemar said.

"It [homework] can become a nightmare for families to get done."

For 10-year-old Keira Warren, it was a pleasant surprise when she transferred to the school this year.

"I was very relieved, I hated having to go home and do more work," she said.

"I didn't like having to either get in trouble because I didn't go to sports, or get in trouble because I didn't do homework."

What are the rules on homework?

In Queensland, there is no one-size-fits all approach; it's up to each school principal to decide their homework rule book.

The Department of Education said it did not collect data on the state's 1,264 public schools' policies.

Instead, it stipulated principals needed to determine what worked for their individual school communities and to ensure any homework was meaningful.

"Schools work collaboratively with students and families to make sure to allow sufficient time for family, recreation and, community and cultural values," a department spokesperson said.

Brisbane Catholic Education, which oversees 146 schools across south-east Queensland, said it did not have a mandated homework policy, but any homework should complement students' learning and wellbeing.

Pros and cons

Professor Hattie has been researching teaching and student learning since the 1970s.

His latest publication in 2023 analysed more than 130,000 studies worldwide on what helps students learn. 

Professor Hattie said the research found homework in primary school – if at all — should be kept short, review what had already been learned at school and not require parental surveillance.

"Don't get [children] to do a project unless you want to see what the parents contribute," he said.

"You've got to seriously question why you need homework at all. I want to give some courage to [primary] schools to drop it, if parents don't get upset.

"There's no need for it in primary school."

Lecturer in early childhood education Amanda Hoffensetz, from James Cook University, said homework was a difficult topic to research and there were too many variables for conclusive evidence.

"Schools vary greatly in quality, quantity, and the amount of support that children are getting at home," she said.

For Scott Wiseman, the chief executive of P&Cs Qld, the peak body representing state school parents and communities, homework had traditionally played an important role in helping parents engage in their child's learning.

"Everyone learns differently and for some kids, doing the sight words or the fact sheets may actually be really important to reinforce their schoolwork," he said.

"It needs to be a consultation process between the school and parents and the community as to how they want education to work in that particular school."

Family impacts

At Townsville's Marian Catholic School, principal Kylie Helmore said changing its homework policy in 2023 had resulted in more student engagement in class and less stress on working families.

"We're not getting the reports that 'my child is refusing to do anything'," Ms Helmore said.

But reading at home is still required and senior students must complete a passion project each term.

For mum-of-two Estelle Trueman, home life was more manageable without the burden of homework.

"Our kids are only little once," she said.

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These Arizona students went on a ‘field trip’ using virtual reality; here’s how it works

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The future is here. We’ve got self-driving cars and programs that can write everything from a cover letter to conversing with you.

Now, you can add virtual reality field trips to that list. Immersive experiences are now just commonplace. For many, though, it can be pricey and just a little out of reach. But Act One , a cultural experience nonprofit, wants to close the gaps in access to some of our state’s most underserved students.

The students in Mr. Abbotts’ photography class may be sitting in their North High School classroom, but they’re about to go on a trip.

“Please put your headsets on we’re going to calibrate them and have them all look the same direction and then we’re going to start the chapter,” said Act One Field Trip Manager Emanuel Class.

“They’re being transported to the Four Corners area right now,” said Aaron Abbott. He’s also a teacher ambassador for Act One. The Valley nonprofit strives to provide arts and cultural experiences for Arizona families, particularly those at or below the federal poverty level.

“We actually travel the entire state we have two vans, and we come to students anywhere, Title One schools for free and we bring the arts for them,” said Executive Director Beth Maloney.

This arts immersion experience is called “Weaving Our Story.” Local indigenous artists share their stories from their perspectives on hoop dancing, sheepherding, art and storytelling.

“I personally like it because I’m native so being able to see my culture represented in the classroom is just a very nice experience and I like it being shared with my fellow classmates and friends. It just makes me very happy,” said one student.

Act One says this was born out of the pandemic when schools and art institutions were shut down. Now the technology has grown, gotten better and this is here to stay.

“Oh it’s super cool and it’s not always possible to get them to art museums or artists they might be studying and this gives them that opportunity,” said Abbott.

It’s Act One’s second season of content. Their first season highlighted Mexican art and history. Over 18,000 students have participated in these VR field trips so far.

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Seoul ai summit opens with companies including google, meta, openai pledging to develop ai safely.

Hyung-Jin Kim

Associated Press

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

A screen shows an announcement of the AI Seoul Summit in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. World leaders are expected to adopt a new agreement on artificial intelligence when they gather virtually Tuesday to discuss AIs potential risks but also ways to promote its benefits and innovation. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SEOUL – The world's leading artificial intelligence companies pledged at the start of a mini summit on AI to develop the technology safely, including pulling the plug if they can't rein in the most extreme risks.

World leaders are expected to hammer out further agreements on artificial intelligence as they gathered virtually Tuesday to discuss AI’s potential risks but also ways to promote its benefits and innovation.

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The AI Seoul Summit is a low-key follow-up to November’s high-profile AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in the United Kingdom, where participating countries agreed to work together to contain the potentially “catastrophic” risks posed by breakneck advances in AI.

The two-day meeting -- co-hosted by the South Korean and U.K. governments -- also comes as major tech companies like Meta , OpenAI and Google roll out the latest versions of their AI models.

They're among 16 AI companies that made voluntary commitments to AI safety as the talks got underway, according to a British government announcement . The companies, which also include Amazon, Microsoft, France's Mistral AI , China's Zhipu.ai, and G42 of the United Arab Emirates , vowed to ensure safety of their most cutting edge AI models with promises of accountable governance and public transparency.

The pledge includes publishing safety frameworks setting out how they will measure risks of these models. In extreme cases where risks are severe and “intolerable," AI companies will have to hit the kill switch and stop developing or deploying their models and systems if they can't mitigate the risks.

Since the U.K. meeting last year, the AI industry has “increasingly focused on the most pressing concerns, including mis- and dis- information, data security, bias and keeping humans in the loop,” said Aiden Gomez CEO of Cohere, one of the AI companies that signed the pact. "It is essential that we continue to consider all possible risks, while prioritizing our efforts on those most likely to create problems if not properly addressed.”

On Tuesday evening, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are to meet other world leaders, industry bosses and heads of international organizations for a virtual conference. The online summit will be followed by an in-person meeting of digital ministers, experts and others on Wednesday, according to organizers.

While the U.K. meeting centered on AI safety issues, the agenda for this week’s gathering was expanded to include “innovation and inclusivity,” Wang Yun-jong, a deputy director of national security in South Korea, told reporters Monday.

Wang said participants will subsequently “discuss not only the risks posed by AI but also its positive aspects and how it can contribute to humanity in a balanced manner."

The AI agreement will include the outcomes of discussions on safety, innovation and inclusivity, according to Park Sang-wook, senior presidential adviser for science and technology for President Yoon.

Governments around the world have been scrambling to formulate regulations for AI even as the technology makes rapid advances and is poised to transform many aspects of daily life, from education and the workplace to copyrights and privacy. There are concerns that advances in AI could take away jobs, trick people and spread disinformation.

This week's meeting is just one of a slew of efforts to draw up AI guardrails. The U.N. General Assembly has approved its first resolution on the safe use of AI systems, while the U.S. and China recent held their first high-level talks on AI and the European Union's world-first AI Act is set to take effect later this year.

Chan contributed to this report from London.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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