Videoconferencing games help dispersed families stay connected

Much the way Readeo helps long-distance families connect through online storytelling, so Let’s Play Please helps them interact remotely via videoconferencing-enabled games. To use Chicago-based Let’s Play Please, family members need only have high-speed internet access and a webcam. Then, once they register with the site and join each other’s contact lists, they’re ready to connect. When they want to play a game, they simply choose a family member or friend from their list of contacts, call that person through the site’s system and select an activity to play. Current choices include “Let’s Make a Story,” “Let’s Cook Together” and “Let’s Take Care of the Water,” for example. Newly launched Let’s Play Please plans to remain free for users thanks to its sponsorship model; each activity on the site will also be associated with a particular charity, it says. Physical separation may be a fact of life in many families, but online opportunities abound to help them reconnect again. One to emulate for different languages and cultures? (Related: Recordable charm for kids plays back a loved one’s voice.) Spotted by: Mariela Santori