Creating Memories Together on Skype

Welcome to the August Carnival of Natural Parenting: Creating With Kids

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how they make messes and masterpieces with children. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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Skype Screen Share of Photos from Our South Dakota Family Visit

Anyone who knows me is aware that I love to take photos of my family. You won’t find me at a family gathering or on a trip without a camera. When my kids were young, I carried a compact camera in my purse. For family trips, I now carry a larger camera with me.

Both my son and daughter enjoyed going through photos with me when they were still at home to help me pick out the best photos. My daughter loved to  create digital scrapbooking projects with me. I wrote a post about our digital scrapbooking: Help Your Child Create Unforgettable Cards and Gifts through Digital Scrapbooking.

Even though Will and Christina are both grown, married, and living in another city, we can still create memories together – online. Of course, when they’re home visiting, it’s fun to go through photos on my computer and in our photo albums. When we’re apart, we share some photos through Facebook … but our favorite way is through Skype, which has free voice or video calls anywhere in the world via computer.

Creating Memories Together through Skype Screen Sharing and Online Photo Albums

It’s always more fun to sort through vacation photos with someone. Christina and I found we can do that together on Skype. I enable the screen share so Christina sees my computer screen even though I’m in Colorado Springs and she’s in San Diego. Then we just go through the photos together.

After we’ve picked out our favorite photos, I do any necessary editing and upload them to an online Picasa album. (Flickr or another online album would work well, too.) I send the album link to family members so that they can enjoy the photos and download any of my photos they want. UPDATE: Here’s my latest way to quickly create scrapbook pages to share in my online albums: My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software.

A Brief Video Intro to Skype

Creating Memories Together through other Experiences on Skype

Christina on Skype

• When my daughter lived in England, she and I spent many happy hours talking on Skype. My daughter had a Skype cell phone, so we were able to talk for free even if she wasn’t at her computer.
• We used the video capabilities of Skype especially if my daughter wanted to show me a new outfit, hairstyle, or ice dance costume. We still do that.
• Now my daughter and son-in-law live in California, and Christina and I sometimes watch shows like Glee or Touched by an Angel together on Skype. Christina plays a DVD or show through video streaming on her computer, shares the screen with me, and we enjoy a special time watching a show we both like.
• Christina is a Zumba instructor, and I get private Zumba classes (or semi-private classes along with my daughter-in-law, Chea) on Skype. Christina turns on the Skype video, leads the class, and I join in. I love Zumba, and those are my VERY FAVORITE Zumba classes!
• I have no doubt that Skype will be extremely important when I have grandkids!

Don’t Miss Out on Creating Memories Like These

Educational Uses for Skype

A number of sites offer lessons for homeschoolers in everything from music to karate via Skype.

Here are lots of other ideas for using Skype educationally, many of which are appropriate for both school classrooms and homeschools:

50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom from Teaching Degree.

Have you used Skype educationally and/or to create memories?

Linked with The Mommy Club Resources and Solutions

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Family Draw Time Art Show — Kate Wicker shares art (and inspiration!) from her family’s cherished tradition of family draw time.
• The Rules of Creativity: Learning to Create with the “Non-Creative” — Zoe at Give an Earthly shares how she learned to accept her “non-creative” child and claims that anyone, child or adult, can be creative given the right handling and environment.
• Creating With Kids: 4 Ways That Work For Us — See how Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings nurtures creativity with her kids through craft projects, outdoor creative play, celebrating the creative process, and setting up “little spaces of beauty.”
• Creating memories, not things — Mrs. Green from Little Green Blog reflects on life with a ten year old and how ‘creating together’ has evolved from ‘things’ to memories.
• The Gift of Creation — It may be hot, but Kellie at Our Mindful Life is already thinking about winter.
• Hidden Talents — Sylvia at MaMammalia describes how providing the opportunity for creativity sometimes means learning to look for hidden talents in unusual places.
• Creating Joy — CatholicMommy at Working to be Worthy shares how she and her one year-old son create joy for their community.
• How to do Crafts with Kids — Gaby from Tmuffin guest posts at Natural Parents Network and describes how to keep things simple when doing crafts with kids for magical (easy-to-clean, and tantrum-free) results.
• Sugar & Spice & Baking on the Kitchen Floor — Carrie at Love Notes Mama enjoys making a mess in the kitchen with her daughter.
• Young Scientist Makes Purple Potion — Hannah at Wild Parenting loves being a lab assistant for the young scientist in her life.
• Making a butterfly house — Lauren at Hobo Mama demonstrates the proper way to build a wooden butterfly house with a preschooler.
• Nurturing Creativity — Amyables at Toddler In Tow shares the enjoyment she feels in nurturing the creativity of her children.
• Home School Music – Sparking A New Generation Of Musicians — Based on her musical background, Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey talks about how she creates with and teaches music to her children.
• Creating (im)perfectly Together — Mudpiemama shares some of the highlights of a summer spent building everything from ships to hoops but most of a lesson on letting go of perfection.
• Family Soccer Kick Around — When her children wanted to play soccer, Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children helped organize something that would work for her family.
• Creating Memories Together on Skype — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now tells how you can create memories online with adult children or anyone who lives in another city or country.

• We’ll always have Halloween: Creating costumes for kids — Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama is not the craftiest mom on the block, but she does make a mean homemade Halloween costume.
• Let’s Make Juice! — Wendylori at High Needs Attachment shares about the benefits of juicing with kids, as well as a quick recipe.
• Everything’s Better When It’s Homemade — Amanda at Let’s Take the Metro praises the art of homemade goods.
• Creating the Opportunity for Art — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction shares how her family has created an environment conducive to art.
• 10 Easy and Functional Crafts Preschoolers Can Do with Minimal Assistance — Dionna at Code Name: Mama offers ten easy crafts preschoolers can do while sitting near parents — but they don’t need a lot of parental help. Added bonus: all of these ten ideas double as something functional (gifts, decor, educational).
• Creating with Kids: Singing Together — Ana at Pandamoly details the important role music takes in her household and provides a quick (and easy!) tutorial for creating fun songs to sing together!
• Create This — jessica at instead of institutions considers different aspects of creativity including those without an end product.
• Make Your Own Pocket Bib — A tutorial from Amy at Anktangle on how to make two simple and quick bibs to keep your little one clean at the table.
• Creating Together in the Kitchen — Despite not feeling “crafty,” Momma Jorje finds a way to create and connect with her toddler.
• An Artist-Mama’s Perspective — In this post, Shannon at The Artful Mama discusses the differences between her choice of artistic outlet and her son’s, and how they embrace those differences together.
• Heart of the Home — Jona at Life, Intertwined shares some highlights of cooking with kids.
• Getting creative with kids — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine shares how much she enjoys watching her daughter getting creative.
• Creating with Children – The Nature/Seasonal Table — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama celebrates the rhythm of the natural world with her toddler through the creation of a seasonal nature table.
• How Involving My Kid Saves My Sanity — The Happy Hippie Homemaker explains how involving her toddler in projects allows her to get more done, while providing valuable opportunities to teach and to bond (added bonus: amazing oatmeal raisin cookie recipe!).
• In the Kitchen with Kids — Cooking with Real and Pretend Food — Terri from Child of the Nature Isle engages her kids in the kitchen with culinary creations of both real and pretend food.