When kids Zoom

Zoom calls with children are not the same as with adults. I’ve been offering Zoom storytimes every weekday at 2 p.m. CDT (same as Chicago) now for more than six weeks. I’ll keep on, until we feel safe enough to go out in the world.

Here are some things that happen when kids Zoom:

• Join in even if they can’t be heard, either by having a grownup or older kid type in the chat box or by acting out their suggestions (“What animal was next?” “Oh, yes, a monkey!”)

• Laugh so hard they fall over

• Put their eyes, mouths or noses right up to the webcam

• Watch themselves picking their noses

• Jump, jump, jump

• Eat lunch or a snack

• Hit their siblings

• Bring their stuffed animals, puppets and toys to show everybody

• Draw or paint the stories

• Show off their favorite jammies

• Wave at their friends

I show up about 15 minutes early, and some listeners join me for a little chat and music before the stories. I usually play the harmonica, but my new cat has begun meowing at that, so I play the dulcimer or kalimba or bells. (The concertina is right out as far as Gussie is concerned.)

I’ve learned to put everybody on mute during the stories. I don’t allow kids to unmute themselves, as they can easily hijack storytime, but I do plenty of audience participation. I know most of the listeners’ names and speak directly to them (those of us from a certain generation will be reminded of Romper Room).

I don’t record the sessions. I like to be able to see everybody, even though they’re in small Zoom boxes, and recording would require me to be the only one visible on the page.

Most of the kids come every single day. Sometimes adults attend as well. Even if listeners didn’t know me before all this began, they know me now. They make requests for stories, songs and puppets. At the end of each storytime, I unmute everybody so we can say goodbye to each other. While I do tell everyone how to send me tips at the end of the call, and I’m thankful for this bit of income, I don’t mind if they don’t. That’s not the point of these storytimes.

We build community, one listener at a time.

Feel free to join us!

Dear N. did the outline of me for this portrait, being painted here by dear H.

Daily storytime, an anchor for my day

What a difference a few weeks makes. Last blog post, two and a half weeks ago, I floated the idea of doing online storytelling by request, as COVID-19 came closer. That day, we were still out and about, not in self-isolation. That evening, the library in Lawrence closed. Uh-oh.

Within days, I’d decided to offer storytime every weekday at 2 p.m. CDT (UTC -5, same as Chicago). Stories, songs, puppets, almost always beginning with a little name-that-tune on the harmonica. The more I do it, the more comfortable I am with this medium. I love having regular listeners. I take requests and also try new stories. I bring my regular puppets out, with a celebrity guest puppet daily. Today was Triso, a triceratops.

I have space for 100 participants. Come on over! https://zoom.us/j/874033582, Meeting ID: 874 033 582. One friend asked if I had a virtual tip jar—now I do, my Venmo account, priscilla-howe or my paypal account, priscilla@priscillahowe.com. That’s helpful in this time when all my work for the next two months (at least) is cancelled.

Here’s what the Zoom storytime looks like from the other side:

Some listeners bring their own puppets to the party, or their stuffed animals.

Some listeners bring their real animals.

I have several reasons for doing these storytimes. One is to offer something of value to families in this seriously strange time (I’ve been calling it the Current Weirdness). Another is to give myself an anchor for my day. I know where I’ll be every weekday at 2 p.m. Another reason is to teach myself how to do online storytelling, something I’vewanted to do for two years. And of course, the reason I do a lot of things in my life, to have some fun.

Join me?