Family Games to Play on a Video Call

Games for relatives in different houses, built on the youngest player: press Pick 3 new games.

Family Records, Set Tonight1. Each household chooses one record to set on camera, such as the longest hum on one breath or the most socks put on one foot in thirty seconds. 2. The other households count or time it aloud. 3. A grandparent writes every record in a notebook with the date. 4. On the next call, any household may try to beat a record that is in the book. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: whatever their record needs. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: a watch and a notebook.
Thirty Seconds to Make a Cousin Laugh1. One cousin keeps a straight face in the middle of the screen. 2. The others have thirty seconds to make them laugh with faces and moves only. Every microphone but the timer's is muted. 3. A smile with teeth counts as a laugh. 4. A cousin who lasts the thirty seconds scores a point. Everyone takes a turn in the middle. Who holds the list: an adult with the watch. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 3 to 8. Time: 6 min. Props: a watch.
A Toe, an Elbow or a Hat Left Showing1. One household's cameras are covered for thirty seconds while one person there hides somewhere in the picture, with a toe, an elbow or a hat left showing. 2. Uncover the camera. 3. The other households take turns saying where the person is. 4. The hider waves when found. Hide only where it is easy to get out again, never inside anything with a lid or a door. Who holds the list: an adult in the hiding house. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 8 min. Props: none.

How it works

These family games to play on a video call start from the youngest person on the screen. Each one says who holds the list and what the child needs within reach, and none needs an account or anything typed.

Read the full guide

Games to play with grandchildren on a video call

Choose With a young grandchild, ages 3 to 7 in the All games menu. Those eight need no reading and take about five minutes each, with one grandparent on the screen and the child's grown-up close by.

When the picture freezes

Games that survive a bad connection (voice only) work with every camera off, and on a phone.

Tips

Clapping and singing together fall out of time on a call. Take turns.
Prop the phone or tablet up so a small child has both hands free.

Questions and answers

What games can a grandparent play with a three-year-old on a video call?

Short ones with no reading. In Blow Me Over Through the Screen, the child blows and the grandparent sways or topples. Peek From the Edge of the Screen and Clap It Back, Never Together also suit age three.

Which video call games work for families in three or four houses?

The household games, where each house plays as one team. In The Mute-Button Huddle Quiz, houses mute to talk an answer over, then hold it up on paper together.

What can cousins play together on a call?

Games that use both rooms. In Steer Your Cousin by Voice, one house guides a cousin in the other to an object by words alone. Three-House Monster joins three drawings into one.

Do we need to install anything?

No. Any video call works, and the voice games work on an ordinary phone call. One person keeps this page open and reads the steps aloud.

All 31 games

With a young grandchild, ages 3 to 7 8

Blow Me Over Through the Screen 1. The child blows at the screen, softly or as hard as they can. 2. The grandparent sways a little for a soft puff and topples right out of the picture for a big one. 3. Swap: the grandparent blows, and the child shows how strong the wind was. 4. Finish with the quietest puff either of you can manage. The child stays sitting or kneeling on the floor. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: nothing; a soft floor. Players: 2 to 3. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Clap It Back, Never Together 1. The grandparent claps a short pattern, two or three claps. 2. The child claps it back after the grandparent has stopped. On a call, clapping together falls out of time, so always take turns. 3. Add a clap when the child gets one right. 4. Then the child claps a pattern for the grandparent to copy. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 3. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Copy My Hands, Then I Copy Yours 1. The grandparent holds both hands close to the camera and makes a shape: glasses, a bird, a roof. 2. The child copies it and holds it up. 3. After three shapes, swap. The child invents a shape and the grandparent has to copy it exactly. 4. On a call a child of three can lead half the game, so let every invented shape count. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 3. Time: 5 min. Props: none.

Show all 31 games (28 more)

With a young grandchild, ages 3 to 7, continued

Grandma Is an Animal 1. The grandparent makes an animal sound with the camera covered by a hand. 2. The child guesses the animal. 3. If the guess is wrong, uncover the camera and add a clue with the hands: ears, a trunk, a tail. 4. Take turns. The child's animal can be anything at all, real or not. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 3. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Guess My Drawing, One Line at a Time 1. The grandparent draws one line of a simple thing, such as a cat, and holds the paper up. 2. The child guesses. The grandparent adds one more line and holds it up again. 3. Keep going until the child names it, then color it in together by taking the child's orders. 4. Swap: the child draws and the grandparent guesses whatever the child says it is. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: paper and a crayon. Players: 2 to 3. Time: 5 min. Props: paper and a thick marker at each end.
How Many Fingers Are Hiding? 1. The grandparent holds one open hand up to the camera and counts the five fingers with the child. 2. The hand goes out of sight and comes back with some fingers tucked down. 3. The child says how many are hiding. 4. Untuck them one at a time to check. With a child of six or seven, use both hands and count to ten. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 3. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
Peek From the Edge of the Screen 1. The grandparent picks something the child knows well, such as a banana, a shoe or a toy car. 2. Slide it into view from the side of the picture, a finger's width at a time. 3. The child shouts what it is as soon as they know. 4. Three things each call is plenty. The child may bring something to slide in for the grandparent. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: one toy of their own. Players: 2 to 3. Time: 5 min. Props: a few everyday things.
Three Toys on the Table, One Goes Away 1. The grandparent sets three toys in a row in view and names each one with the child. 2. The child closes their eyes. One toy leaves the table. 3. The child opens their eyes and says which one is gone. 4. Work up to four or five toys for a child of six or seven. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 3. Time: 5 min. Props: three to five small toys.

Cousins of 6 to 12 8

Guess the Toy's Real Name 1. A cousin holds up a toy the others have not met. 2. They offer three names for it. One is its real name, and two are made up on the spot. 3. Each other cousin votes for a name. 4. The owner scores a point for every wrong vote, and every right guesser scores one. Who holds the list: the oldest cousin. Within the child's reach: two or three toys. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 6 min. Props: a toy for each cousin.
Hidden Hands: Call the Finger Total 1. Every cousin hides one hand behind their back and chooses to show from zero to five fingers. 2. One cousin guesses the total out loud. 3. On three, all hands come up to the camera and everyone counts together. 4. An exact guess scores two points and one away scores one. The guesser changes every round. Who holds the list: the oldest cousin. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 3 to 8. Time: 6 min. Props: none.
The Same Ten Throws in Every House 1. Each cousin sets a laundry basket three big steps from a line, and rolls up ten pairs of socks. 2. One house throws at a time while the others count aloud. 3. Write down each score. 4. Move every line one step back for round two. Scores are on trust, with the camera on the basket. Who holds the list: an adult in any house. Within the child's reach: a basket and rolled socks. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: a laundry basket and ten rolled socks in each house.
Steer Your Cousin by Voice 1. One cousin stands in their room with the camera showing as much of it as it can. 2. The cousins in the other house quietly agree on one thing they can see in that room. 3. They steer the first cousin to it with words only: two steps left, turn around, lower. 4. When a hand touches the right thing, swap houses. Who holds the list: the oldest cousin. Within the child's reach: nothing; a clear floor. Players: 2 to 6. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
Thirty Seconds to Make a Cousin Laugh 1. One cousin keeps a straight face in the middle of the screen. 2. The others have thirty seconds to make them laugh with faces and moves only. Every microphone but the timer's is muted. 3. A smile with teeth counts as a laugh. 4. A cousin who lasts the thirty seconds scores a point. Everyone takes a turn in the middle. Who holds the list: an adult with the watch. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 3 to 8. Time: 6 min. Props: a watch.
Three in a Row, Squares Called by Name 1. One house draws a grid of nine squares and holds it to the camera. 2. Cousins in the two houses take turns calling a square by name: top left, middle, bottom right. 3. The house with the paper marks an X or an O in the square that was called, even when the call was a mistake. 4. Play five games and swap who holds the paper. Who holds the list: the cousin with the paper. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 6. Time: 6 min. Props: paper and a marker in one house.
Three-House Monster 1. The first house draws a monster's head at the top of a sheet and tells the next house only how wide the neck is. 2. The second house draws a body on its own sheet to fit that neck, and passes on only how wide the waist is. 3. The third house draws the legs. 4. On three, every house holds its sheet up, one above the other. With two houses, draw a top half and a bottom half. Who holds the list: the oldest cousin. Within the child's reach: paper and markers. Players: 2 to 9. Time: 10 min. Props: paper and markers in each house.
The Toy That Travels Between Screens 1. Every cousin has one soft toy ready. 2. The first cousin walks their toy out of the right-hand side of the picture and says where it is going. 3. In the next house, a toy walks in from the left, and that cousin tells one thing that happened on the trip. 4. Go around every house twice. An adult writes the story down as it grows. Who holds the list: an adult in any house. Within the child's reach: one soft toy. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: a soft toy for each cousin.

The whole family, three generations and four screens 8

A Toe, an Elbow or a Hat Left Showing 1. One household's cameras are covered for thirty seconds while one person there hides somewhere in the picture, with a toe, an elbow or a hat left showing. 2. Uncover the camera. 3. The other households take turns saying where the person is. 4. The hider waves when found. Hide only where it is easy to get out again, never inside anything with a lid or a door. Who holds the list: an adult in the hiding house. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
Children Answer for Grown-Ups, Grown-Ups for Children 1. A grandparent asks the children questions about the grown-ups, such as a job their parent had before they were born. 2. Then a child asks the grown-ups about the children: the name of a teacher, a best subject, a favorite lunch. 3. The person the question is about says whether the answer is right. 4. Count the points for the children and for the grown-ups across all the houses. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: none.
Family Records, Set Tonight 1. Each household chooses one record to set on camera, such as the longest hum on one breath or the most socks put on one foot in thirty seconds. 2. The other households count or time it aloud. 3. A grandparent writes every record in a notebook with the date. 4. On the next call, any household may try to beat a record that is in the book. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: whatever their record needs. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: a watch and a notebook.
Five Minutes With the Youngest in Charge 1. The youngest child on the call is in charge for five minutes. 2. They give each household one silly ten-second job: hop on one foot, sing like a cat, wave with your elbows. 3. Every household does its job at the same time, and the child picks a favorite. 4. That household's youngest player gives the next orders. Jobs stay on the spot and in view of the camera. Who holds the list: an adult beside the youngest child. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 6 min. Props: none.
Home-Made Bingo Card, Grandparent Calls 1. Every player draws a grid of nine squares and writes any nine different numbers from 1 to 30 in it. 2. A grandparent has slips numbered 1 to 30 in a bowl and draws one at a time, saying each number twice. 3. Players cross off numbers they have. 4. Three in a row wins a round, and a full card wins the game. A reader helps anyone who is still learning numbers. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: paper and a pencil. Players: 3 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: paper and a pencil each, and thirty numbered slips in a bowl.
Household Tableau: Guess the Fairy Tale 1. Each household mutes and has two minutes to plan a frozen picture from a fairy tale everyone knows. 2. Everybody in the house has a part, even as a tree or a door. 3. One household at a time holds its picture for ten seconds. 4. The other households shout guesses. Both the guessers and the frozen household score for a right answer. Who holds the list: the household that set up the call. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: whatever is in the room.
How Many Stairs at the Other House? 1. The host names something to count: stairs, clocks, chairs or doors. 2. Each household guesses the number in one other house and says the guess aloud. 3. A child in each house then goes and counts, with the call following if the camera can move. 4. Closest guess scores. The youngest player chooses the next thing to count. Who holds the list: the household that set up the call. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: none.
The Mute-Button Huddle Quiz 1. Each household is a team. The oldest person on the call asks questions about the family, such as the street they grew up on. 2. After each question, households mute, talk it over and write one answer on paper. 3. On three, every household holds its paper up. 4. A right answer scores a point, and the youngest player in each house does the holding up. Who holds the list: the oldest person on the call. Within the child's reach: paper and a marker. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: paper and a marker in each house.

Games that survive a bad connection (voice only) 7

Every Answer in Exactly Four Words 1. One player is asked five everyday questions by the other households. 2. Each answer has to be exactly four words long, counted on the fingers as it is said. 3. An answer of three or five words ends the turn. 4. Count the clean answers out of five. For a child of five or six, make it exactly two words. Who holds the list: an adult in any house. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 6 min. Props: none.
Front Door to the Cookie Jar: Directions From Memory 1. The grandparent says, "You are standing at my front door." 2. The child gives directions from memory to reach something in that house: the cookie jar, the piano, the garden gate. 3. The grandparent follows the directions exactly in their head and says what they would bump into. 4. When the child arrives, the grandparent sets off through the child's house the same way. Who holds the list: nobody; there is no list. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 4. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
Kitchen Initials: What Is D. W.? 1. One player looks around their own kitchen and says the initials of something in it, such as D. W. for dishwasher. 2. The other households guess what it is. 3. After three wrong guesses, the player says which wall it stands against. 4. The household that gets it gives the next initials from its own kitchen. A reader helps a child who is still learning letters. Who holds the list: nobody; there is no list. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 8 min. Props: none.
Opposite Answers Only 1. One player answers five questions, and every answer has to be the opposite of the truth. 2. The others ask simple questions with a clear opposite: Is it day or night? Are you tall or small? Is soup wet or dry? 3. A true answer by mistake ends the turn. 4. Count the right wrong answers out of five. For a child under five, ask yes-or-no questions only. Who holds the list: an adult in any house. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 6 min. Props: none.
Sound Effects for Grandpa's Story 1. Before the story, give each household one sound to make: rain, a horse, a creaking door, a cheering crowd. 2. A grandparent tells or reads a story and uses each of those words often. 3. Every time a household hears its word, it makes its sound. 4. Tell the story a second time at double speed. Who holds the list: the grandparent. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 3 to 16. Time: 8 min. Props: a short story.
Spell It Slowly, Shout It Early 1. An adult thinks of a word the children can read. 2. They spell it aloud slowly, one letter every two seconds. 3. Children shout the word as soon as they think they know it. A wrong shout sits out the rest of that word. 4. The first right shout scores, and scores double if it came before the last letter. Who holds the list: an adult in any house. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 6 min. Props: none.
Whose Name Has This Beat? 1. One player thinks of somebody in the family and claps the beats of their full name, one clap for each syllable. 2. The others guess whose name it is. 3. If two names have the same beat, the clapper gives the first letter. 4. The player who guesses right claps the next name. Pets count. Who holds the list: nobody; there is no list. Within the child's reach: nothing. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 6 min. Props: none.

How this list was compiled: Written by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-10-03 for relatives in different houses on one video call. The list is built on the youngest player, and an adult stays in the room with a child under seven. No game needs an account, an app or anything typed. Ages, player ranges and times are our estimates, and no history or official rule is stated. Licence: own work