Video Play Sean Follmer, Hayes Raffle, Hiroshi Ishii
Long-distance families are increasingly staying connected with free video conferencing tools. However, the tools themselves are not designed to accommodate children's or families' needs. We explore how play can be a means for communication at a distance. Our Video Play prototypes are simple video-conferencing applications built with play in mind, creating opportunities for silliness and open-ended play between adults and young children. They include simple games, such as Find It, but also shared activities like book reading, where users' videos are displayed as characters in a story book.