Kidding Around.(videotaping children)

6 Kid-friendly Video Ideas

The annual family cookout has arrived, and with a hamburger in one hand and a video camera in the other you set about to record the event. Everyone waves excitedly to the camera, but two guests in particular seem to be bored with the adult party -- your 10-year-old nephew Johnny and your 8-year-old niece Veronica.

You would like to play a game with the kids, but you're not quite sure what to do with the camera. Then you remember this article. You remember it because we are about to list six great ways to combine kids, camcorders and fun. Along the way, we'll share tips to help you make kids feel more comfortable under the gaze of the lens.

Children have different reactions to the blinking red light, ranging from overly congenial to downright scared. Let's pretend that these kids are a bipolar pair -- Johnny is jumping all over the place for you, a born performer, while little Veronica is hiding behind her mother's pant leg.

The best way to deal with camera shy children is to approach them with the camera at your side rather than up to your face. Kneel down next to Veronica. Make eye contact with her and ask her if she would like to look through the viewfinder. Hold the camera so Veronica's eye is looking through the viewfinder, and ask her if she can see something -- perhaps Aunt Martha standing over by the barbecue.

Kids are camera shy only because they are not quite sure what the heck a camera is for. Let them know by showing them exactly what you see.

As for Johnny, tell him that if he's zipping all over the place you won't be able to follow his motions very well. Try to calm him down a little. Though a few clips of his hyperactivity might be fun to have, he will be less receptive to your direction during the following games and exercises. Here are six ideas to try out at your next family gathering.