Something a lot of parents worry about is how much time their children spend glued to various screens. So in this post we’re sharing with you 5 Screen-free activities for children that will help insprire you to get your kids off the screens and expriencing somethig more creative, and inspirational.
Why do we need screen-free activities for children?
Many parents nowadays are rightfully concerned with how much time their children are spending glued to their digital devices. There are many benefits to the internet, and technology in general, but when children spend an excessive amount of time playing on their phone or games console, they could be missing out on a range of other beneficial activities.
There are various options to manage how much time your children spend on their screens, from screentime manager apps to daily data budgeting, all of which serve their own specific purposes. However, if you’re wondering how to encourage your child to spend less time on their devices, here are some suggestions of other activities from a secondary school in Kildare.
This post was sent to me to share with my audience. I’ve added my own experiences in here and there.
1. Games Night
After a hard day at work and school, it’s easy for families to pop the TV on and spend the evening passively scrolling through their phones. As an alternative why not consider, just once a week, having a tech-free evening and playing some board games together.
Not only is this great fun and an opportunity for you to bond, but board games can also be quite educational. Scrabble, for example, is great for helping children develop their vocabulary. My family love Monopoly too, which subtly teaches kids about buying property, mortgages and of course, avoiding jail time. lol
2. Outdoor Play
Fresh air and exercise are both important for your child’s overall health and wellbeing. So, why not prepare an outdoor scavenger hunt for them or ask them to help you do some gardning for the kids by planting some seeds in the garden. Take a trip to the seaside on the weekend or head to the park for a game of catch. There are plenty of opportunities to play and explore in the great outdoors.
3. Cooking/Baking
Asking your child for some assistance in the kitchen is a great opportunity for them to learn some new cooking skills. Most kids love getting stuck in when food is concerned, and there’ll be a tasty treat for everyone to enjoy at the end.
One of our personal favourites is baking banana bread or banana muffins with the girls. I know this was a firm favourite with families around the globe during the pandemic, and it’s not hard to see why.
4. Journaling
Writing in a good old-fashioned diary is very beneficial for youngsters. It helps them get things off their chest, which is great for their mental health and helps them with their written communication skills. If they’re not sure what to write about in their journal, perhaps you could give them some prompts. For instance, they could write about something nice that someone did for them that day, no matter how small it may seem.
Journals don’t always have to be diary style, if you have a child who loves to write poems or creative writing stories or even drawing pictures get them to keep a collection of their creative interests.
5. Arts & Crafts
Provide your child with some pens, paper, and other crafting materials so that they can get creative. Perhaps they could make someone a birthday card or paint a picture for their friend. The options are endless when it comes to arts and crafts. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out these 3 crafts to do with kids at home which includes chocolate bubblewrap. Or check out this video for some crafting inspiration:
Don’t get me wrong, as a work from home mum, who struggles with finishing off important tasks when the girls are home from school, I’m not going to pretend that screen-time isn’t easier. But at some point, even the kids themselves get sick of screens so to break up the monotony with other activities is only going to be of benefits to the kids themselves. I hope these 5 Screen-Free activities for children which may come in handy next time you need them.
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