Creating Interactive PowerPoints on Zoom for the Grandkids You Miss

This grandmother creates interactive adventures that turn sedate video chats into all-out romps—and tells you how to do it yourself.

After seven months of being isolated and having these fleeting and fairly routine Zoom interactions with my three-year-old and five-year-old grandsons, I despaired. With COVID-19 numbers rising in the USA and in Italy, where they live, the reality of the pandemic set in. Would I ever see them again? Did I have to settle for these stilted moments on Zoom and FaceTime where the interactions felt incomplete?

They paraded dutifully in front of my son’s Zoom to say, “Hi, Grammie.” Then they took off, only to emerge several minutes later to make silly faces and disappear again. My husband and I read books to them for the first several months of lockdown, first by hand, showing the pictures, and then reading the text or by using an app that allows you to read a book (Caribu.com). But these solutions left me wanting something more substantial, so I set about to find a better way.

Now it’s different: I get two little faces glued to the screen for over 40 minutes. “Again, again!” they yell to a Grammie and Grandpa’s delight.

Another Grammie had come to my rescue with the idea. She said, “I did a Superheroes PowerPoint for my nephews and they loved it! I put pictures of them in it.”

Like a spark, that suggestion ignited ideas to connect me more meaningfully with my grandsons. I have now made three interactive PowerPoints and they ask for them each time we talk. This transformed the pattern of our interactions.

Here’s the process.

Consult the Experts

Out of touch with who their favorite superheroes were, I set up a consultation Zoom call with them and my son. The three-year-old loves Spiderman and the five-year-old loves Batman. I had them show me their Superhero T-shirts, masks, and pajamas.

What kind of story did they want? Did they want a story where they could help rescue Grammie and Grandpa? “Yes!” they said. “Who will be Spiderman, who Batman?” They told me immediately. I asked my son to take pictures of them in their superhero clothes to use in the PowerPoint.

Prepare

I created a folder of pictures on my computer, first finding ones of my grandsons — new ones from my son and old ones from my computer and my iPhone. I searched for and added to the folder fun images from the web of Spiderman and Batman (and other superheroes). I found a picture of a villain and a cartoon of two older people being carried away through the air.

Putting all the pictures together in one folder on your computer allows for easy transfer to the PowerPoint slide deck.

Create the PowerPoint

Here’s a good tutorial on how to use PowerPoint.

I designed a simple plot and had a picture for most slides, either one of them or one from the web (or both on one slide). A villain kidnapped Grammie and Grandpa. “Who do we need to get them back?” For example: A doctor? (I had a picture of one grandson with a stethoscope.) Santa Claus? (I had a picture of the other one in a Santa hat.) Tigers? (I had a photo of them with their “tiger” face paintings.) To all of these options, they say, “No!”

The next slide says, “Who do we need?” The next slide says, “We need superheroes Batman and Spiderman!” (Two pictures on each of the following slides. One of a Batman, from the web, and the oldest grandson in a Batman outfit. And another one of Spiderman, from the web, and the youngest grandson in Spiderman outfit.)

The next slide asks them, “What will the Superheroes do with the villain?” “Will they put him in a net?” (Two pictures on one slide of grandson as Spiderman and of a sport fishing net.) “Will they stick him in the mud?” (Two pictures on one slide of grandson as Batman and one of legs and shoes stuck in mud.) “Will they put him in a water fountain?” (Two pictures on one slide of boys in water fountain and Spiderman.) To these questions, they answer, “No!” “Will they invite him to dinner for negotiation?” (Picture of grandsons at their own little table.) To this slide, they answer, “Yes!”

“What do they do at dinner? They talk, ‘negotiate,’ and convince the villain to bring Grammie and Grandpa back.” Next-to-the-last slide: Grammie and Grandpa smiling.

The last slide says (with picture of them both in their Superhero clothes), “Thank you Superheroes!”

We all clap at the end. They say, “Again! Again!”

Ask questions

I ask questions as we go along: “Why won’t a doctor help?” “Why didn’t the Superheroes stick the villain in the mud?” One can change the questions during each showing, but mostly they love shouting, “No!” to all the alternatives.

I asked them if they wanted a new PowerPoint. “Yes,” they said, “about the Green Lantern.” “And what does he need?” I asked. “Rings,” they said.

Subsequent PowerPoints

The second PowerPoint involved a search for the Green Lantern’s rings, which he needs to fight off the monsters (featuring an image from the web). He enlists Batman and Spiderman to help.

My son sent pictures of my grandsons looking in places all over the house (including the toilet). And in this one, I included pictures of us looking (in a drawer, in popcorn) and their other grandparents and aunts who sent pictures of themselves looking in different places and not being able to find the rings. No one can find the rings.

In the meantime, we sent them a package with a set of Green Lantern rings and T-shirts. When they opened the package, I had my son take pictures of them with their rings on. I put those in the PowerPoint at the end. Last slide: Green Lantern thanks the superheroes for finding his rings and destroying the monsters.

I am now working on a Wizard PowerPoint and have mailed a package with wizard hats, wizard T-shirts, and wands. The plot? A snarling grey wolf is threatening the land around their other grandparents’ place in Italy and only wizards can change the grey wolf back into a pup (picture of a darling baby wolf).

The wizards need special hats and wands. What do they look like? Who has the wizard hats? Many family members sent me pictures of themselves in crazy hats and with sticks (that are not wands). My grandsons laugh when they tell me, “No, they are not the magic wizard hats/wands.”

Hopefully, the wizard package will arrive soon and our grandsons will put on their hats and T-shirts and hold their sparkling wands. Their father will take pictures that I’ll put into the PowerPoint. The snarling wolf will soon become the baby wolf and our grandsons will save the family from danger.

Collaboration for Active Participation

These co-created stories work because my grandchildren actively participate in telling the story and they see themselves as characters in the stories. I pose questions throughout the creation and the presentations. Each story has elements of surprise and humor, including appearances of other family members.

At a time when we are all isolated, this activity knits us together, grandparents and grandchildren, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, cousins… until we can hold each other once again.

I wish to thank my dear friend and educator extraordinaire Diane R. Wood for the original idea for my Zoom PowerPoints.