27 Games to Play On Zoom With Kids Any Time

Alexandra F. said:  This is one of my preschooler's all-time favorites, and since it is essentially just a guessing game it is a super easy game to play on Zoom. The goal is to have players guess which animal, food or object is pictured on a card they place on their forehead. If one of the players doesn't have the game, just write a bunch of possible subjects on post-it notes instead. But no cheating - make sure to hide your own image from the computer screen before you take your turn!

Alexandra F. said:  This is a Zoom game that is easier to play when both sides have the board, and makes for an awesome virtual playdate between younger kids and grandparents! If only one side has the game, try taking a picture of the open board for the other side, who can use their phone's edit function to cross off characters in the absence of a game board.

Brooke C. said:  Sky Magic is a super fun cooperative game. This is one of the games my kiddos love to play with friends and family virtually. It works even if just one person has the game. Personally, I like the message of weathering the storm together.

Alexandra F. said:  There are lots of free printable bingo cards online that you can use to play the game over Zoom or FaceTime if you don't have one at home. Just have each side print as many cards as they'll need, and use a random number generator (type "number generator" into Google or use one made for Bingo) to select the numbers.

Kelly R. said:  Codenames is a great game to play over Facetime and appeals to a wide variety of ages! A grid of 25 cards, each containing one word, is laid out onto a table. Players divide into two teams, and one player from each team gives clues to try to get his teammates to guess certain words on the grid. As long as everyone has a clear view of the board, one person can handle marking the cards as right or wrong after each guess.

Shila said:  This is a word search game appropriate for all ages, including early readers as best as they can. Tilt your screen to adequately show the game board when you're playing over video chat. Then, shake the letters up, turn the timer over, and you have 3 minutes to write down as many words as you each can find.

Alexandra F. said:  Both players will need to have this classic strategy game to play on Zoom together, but if they do it's perfectly suited for a virtual battle!

Alexandra F. said:  Even if only one player has it, Taboo is an easy game to play on FaceTime with friends or family. Just hold the card up for the player(s) on the other side of the video chat to see, and they can either write down or take a screenshot of the word that needs to be guessed and the words that cannot be used as clues. Teammates who will be guessing the word just need to close their eyes to avoid the temptation to look!

Alexandra F. said:  Trivia games are great games to play on FaceTime with kids as they don't require use of a board and can easily be adapted to players' ages and interests. We are huge Harry Potter fans in our family so this game is one of our favorites, but you can make up your own questions or use any other trivia game you love. Bonus - your computer or smartphone will be right there to help you look up fun trivia facts!

Shila said:  Each player has the choice to reveal a “truth” or take on a “dare” at will. Will you choose to honestly answer any question thrown at you? Or, will you take on task? You only get 3 passes! Be sure to encourage rather silly and strange truths and dares to make the game most enjoyable, safe, and age appropriate over Facetime.

Alexandra F. said:  Use pre-made cards like these or make your own and play a rousing FaceTime game of Charades! What can be more fun than watching Grandma act out "chicken" or dad try his hand at the "Floss"?

Alexandra F. said:  Simon Says is a great activity for younger kids that will help direct some of that wiggly energy! Simon can have them jump, turn, stretch and run in place, and since all you need is for one person to give directions ("Simon says, touch your nose") and one person to follow them (only if the directions include the words "Simon says"!), it's a perfect game to play on Zoom with kids.

Alexandra F. said:  This is a fun game for FaceTime with or without the actual board, as the concept is simple and easily adapted to fit your family's ages and interests. Simply decide on a category (like "movies" or "candy") and pick a letter. Then, decide on a time limit and have each player write down as many words as they can think of within that category that begin with the chosen letter. Play as many rounds as you wish for shorter or longer play! You can find free versions of the game online, too.

Alexandra F. said:  You can use any whiteboard, poster board or large piece of paper to create your own version of this classic quick-draw party game - or buy the board game for simplicity! A larger drawing area will make it easier for players on both sides of the call to see the images. You can also use the drawing function when playing the game over Zoom! If you have younger kids just choose easier subjects to include them in the fun.

Alexandra F. said:  This is one of our go-to family games since we usually have our phone on hand and it is quick and easy enough that we can play for as long or little as we want. Simply choose a category, place your phone on your forehead, and try to guess the word on there from clues other players give you. When playing over video chat, just be sure to hide your own feed from view so you don't accidentally see the word on your forehead! The game is made for older kids and adults but there are plenty of categories appropriate for younger players.

Available for iOS and Android.

Alexandra F. said:  Yahtzee is a fun and easy dice game to play over Zoom or FaceTime as long as one side has the scorecard, and each side has at least 5 dice. Simply roll your dice to try and get the winning combinations noted on the scorecard. It's a fun way for kids to develop math and problem-solving skills, too!

Alexandra F. said:  This fun brainteaser for kids and adults can be played over Zoom as long as both sides have the game. If so, just be sure to pick the same card to recreate with your blocks and be the first to do so!

Alexandra F. said:  This game was made for kids who love to ask questions, and is one of the easiest Zoom games to play with younger kids! One player just needs to think about something - a favorite superhero, a clock, the Eiffel Tower, anything! - and the other asks up to 20 "yes" or "no" questions to try and figure it out. This is an easy car game to play with kids, too!

Alexandra F. said:  This classic strategy game adapts easily for long-distance play. Both players will need a board but can use a simple form of chess notation to signal to each other where to move each piece. Beginning on the side where the white pieces line up, assign each row a letter from "a" to "h" and each column a number from "1" to "8" (the white king will start on e1). We put pieces of scotch tape across our board to mark the letters and numbers, but you can also buy a board that already includes them.

Alexandra F. said:  Similar to Yahtzee, this fast-paced dice game is simple enough for kids to understand and enjoy, with an element of strategy and risk-taking to make it fun for adults, too. Earn points by rolling certain combinations of numbers. Take a gamble and keep rolling to earn more points, or keep the points you've earned. Since all you really need are dice, it's an easy game to play over Zoom!

Alexandra F. said:  This dice game requires six dice in five different colors to play so it is easiest if players on both sides of the video call have it, though a designated roller on one side could make it work, too. Pro tip - the scorecards go fast, so make copies or take a picture on your phone to mark up.

Alexandra F. said:  Minute-to-win-it games can offer a quick, simple way to play together over Zoom, and this one is guaranteed to bring on the laughs! The goal is simple: slide a cookie from your forehead into your mouth using nothing but gravity and the muscles in your face. Whoever eats their cookie first, wins!

Alexandra F. said:  A classic boredom buster easily adapted for virtual play! Think of a word or phrase and let the other player(s) know how many letters it contains by drawing a short line to represent each letter. Players try to guess the word one letter at a time; if they guess correctly, add the letters to their proper place on the lines you drew. If not, draw one line of your stick figure. Players have to guess the word before you finish the figure! Using 5-10 steps to complete the drawing usually works well.

Alexandra F. said:  This is a fun, fast-paced and easy game for players of all ages to play over video chat - as long as you have enough dice! There are many ways to play Tenzi but the easiest is to be the first player to roll all of the same numbers on each of your ten dice (over multiple rolls). Great for helping promote number recognition and quick thinking!

Alexandra F. said:  My 4-year-old is obsessed with this game right now so we play it pretty much all the time - in car rides, over meals, and when we FaceTime grandma and grandpa. It’s most fun when your background is especially busy and colorful, so you have a lot of options for things to spy!

Alexandra F. said:  This is a variation on the categories game that we like to play with our older kids, and which works very well for a quick game over Zoom calls with the family. Think of a category, and take turns thinking of words that fit the category. The twist is that you have to think of a word that starts with the same letter as the last letter of the word the previous player said.

Alexandra F. said:  Only one player needs to have this classic game to play over FaceTime. It’s also simple enough that younger kids can play it, while still being fun for older kids and adults - my teens play it often with their younger brothers!