…for rainy days, snow days, holidays and every day.
Screens are sticky things.
Not literally sticky like the lollipop welded to the carpet. But sticky in that they’re hard to put down or ignore. It’s because they’re addictive. Like SERIOUSLY addictive.
Every like, text, level-up or tweet triggers the release of the feel-good chemical dopamine. And our bodies crave it!
Which is why kids – and adults – can whittle away the hours completely absorbed in their screens, seemingly oblivious to the outside world or the racing hands of the clock. And when their screen time ends, they struggle to transition to other activities…
…which can translate into arguments, temper tantrum or worse (not to mention repetitive nagging by parents at their wits end having asked their child to put down the tablet 5 times).
A Universal Issue
A study by Action for Children found nearly 1-in-4 parents struggle with screen time. In fact, according to the survey, screen time struggles actually eclipsed other common parenting friction points including homework (10%) and bedtime routine (17%). At the same time, parents are paediatricians worry kids aren’t physically active enough…
…or have fewer and fewer off-screen hobbies and interests. So, what can parents do?
Healthy Screen Habits
Essentially, tackling screen time is all about developing healthy screen habits. It’s about setting screen time limits, so your kids don’t spend all day on screens. And when they’re on them, striking a balance between creative (e.g. coding, painting and design apps) and purely recreational screen time (e.g. gaming or social media).
Finally, it’s about balancing on-screen activities with unplugged ones (and encouraging more of the latter – more on that in today’s post). You can learn more about screen time and healthy screen habits in our ‘Preparing Your Kids for Screen Time Success series. Posts include:
But today’s blog is all about off-screen activities. Because one way of reducing your child’s excessive screen time is through encouraging them to do more unplugged activities. And giving them plenty of ideas and inspiration of how to spend their off-screen time.
So, here at Habyts, we thought we’d give you our top 101 unplugged activity ideas!
RELATED: Seeking screen-free activities to keep the kids entertained?
Beat the boredom and build good habits with games, crafts, rewards, and activities for kids of all ages.
Remember, it’s not just our kids who have problems switching off, so take time out from your screens and use these activities to create wonderful memories with your kids.
What’s your favourite unplugged activity idea? Is it in the list above?
And if you think we’ve left any activity ideas off our list, why not mention them in the comments below?
RELATED: Seeking screen-free activities to keep the kids entertained?
Beat the boredom and build good habits with games, crafts, rewards, and activities for kids of all ages.
How about learning to play an instrument? There are numerous instructional videos on YouTube that can help introduce instruments to kids and teens. Maybe they will find something of interest.
I love this list! I like how it’s a balance of things that can be done without spending money, and things that can be planned out as family excursions. I also like how it covers all the seasons and incorporates outdoor activities. Good one, Nick!
How about learning to play an instrument? There are numerous instructional videos on YouTube that can help introduce instruments to kids and teens. Maybe they will find something of interest.
this is a great idea thx
lol love this
I love this list! I like how it’s a balance of things that can be done without spending money, and things that can be planned out as family excursions. I also like how it covers all the seasons and incorporates outdoor activities. Good one, Nick!