Prior to 2020, the idea of having a kid’s party remotely seemed like a bizarre idea. Why would you stream a party to guests when they could be at your house?
A lot of stuff happened in 2020, but one positive was it brought virtual communication to the fore. People hosted their work meetings online, they conducted their social gatherings remotely and kids had parties on their computers, not in person. We’re back to normal now, more or less, but the idea of the remote party has not gone away. Now, kids can have a birthday bash, or another fun occasion, with friends all over the world, not just those at their school.
How can you set up such an event? What do you need for your virtual kid’s party? Read on to find out.
1) Use a Party Service
The first method of organising a kid’s party virtually would be to use a professional service. This would take away much of the stress yourself, and let others do the entertaining! There are vendors who will manage a party for you – for instance, Sky Zone trampolining conducted online parties for kids after their business closed during the pandemic. They tended to consist of 25-minute sessions featuring games and activities, broadcast to all party attendees.
There’s also the potential for hosting parties in virtual reality spaces, through platforms such as Roblox. Roblox isn’t a game, it is an online platform where users go to play games provided by other developers. However, it has become popular with kids as a place to hang out and could be an easy way to host an online party.
2) Set Up Your Own Home Party
Whilst party services take the stress out of organizing a party, they also take some of the fun and personalization out of it as well. You can simply set up your own remote party using equipment at home and invite people to attend. You’ll need a certain amount of equipment, and some killer ideas, but there’s no reason why you can’t play host to a great party without involving an outside provider.
3) What You Need
When hosting a party, you need to ensure your video equipment is as good as it can be; your participants might stream you on a mobile phone and have patchy internet connections, but as the host, the onus is on you to be clear and concise at all times. With that in mind, you’ll also need a laptop or Mac, and a good internet connection.
There are a number of camera options you can explore. A good webcam should suffice if it is a one-off party you’re planning. Usually, a laptop will have a built-in webcam, but it’s fixed to a single point and might make the party harder to manage. Having one of the many external webcams available, like the Logitech B525 Portable, will not only allow you to stream in 720p but also change the angle as you do so.
For ultimate clarity, you can link a digital camera to your laptop to act as a webcam. The are many digital cameras available which can act as a webcam, but the Canon EOS R6 Mk II is one which allows you to introduce a new element to your party. It allows you to switch lenses, so as well as shoot in 6K ProRes RAW video using an ATOMOS V+ external recorder. The flexibility with the glass on the front means you could also add a fisheye lens to distort your image for a fun element to the party.
Finally, you’ll need to find a platform upon which you can stream your party. Zoom is perhaps the most popular, and the free version will allow you to have 45 minutes with your guests. StreamYard is another option – if you subscribe, you can add graphics, videos and images to your party on this platform, and you can even record it, so guests can watch back and interact at a later date. StreamYard will also let you live stream to a social media platform, should you wish.
4) Key Ideas
Once you have the tech sorted, the rest is up to you. We’d advise having some strong ideas for interaction, with games for the kids to enjoy. Many kid’s party games require the group to be together, but with a remote party, you need to think outside of the box. You can play games like Pictionary online with a little preparation and have some fun quizzes perhaps as well. Depending on the ages of the kids you also need to keep it upbeat and have some fun, so music and some dancing might go down well
The key is to get engagement from your guests, so you could pick a theme beforehand, and get them to have a fancy dress competition. Remember, those attending will want to feel like they’ve been to an actual in-person party, rather than watching a show on TV.
You might find some good ideas for party games from our article Kids Party Games for All Group Sizes.
This article was specially written for Yombu by Amelia Foster.
Faqs:
What are some fun multiplayer games for a Kids Virtual party?
Here are our three favourites:
- Among Us – Among Us is a popular multiplayer game that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. The game is set in space, where players take on the roles of crewmates and impostors. The crewmates must work together to complete tasks while the impostors try to sabotage their efforts without being detected. It’s a fun game of deduction and strategy that can keep kids engaged for hours.
- Minecraft – Minecraft is a game that allows players to build and explore virtual worlds. It’s a great game for kids as it promotes creativity and problem-solving skills. In multiplayer mode, players can work together to build structures, explore new areas, and fight off monsters.
- Roblox – Roblox is a game creation platform that allows players to create and play their own games. It’s a great game for kids as it promotes creativity and allows them to express themselves. In multiplayer mode, players can play together in various games created by other players or create their own games and invite others to play. It’s a fun and engaging game that can keep kids entertained for hours.
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Even in the aftermath of the pandemic, I’ve found that many people are still opting to connect virtually, birthday parties included. This is an especially useful option if you have family that is scattered in different areas. There’s no reason why distance should be a reason to exclude anyone and this article gives great tips to make the distance not feel so great.
Thank you Shanice 🙂