In recent years, parents are becoming increasingly more concerned with the amount of time their children are spending in front of a screen. While screen time can be beneficial in some ways, it’s important that it doesn’t get in the way of physical or social activities. Children are becoming so reliant on their smartphones and games consoles that they struggle to find ways to keep themselves entertained without the use of technology. With that said, I have teamed up with a private school in Kensington to suggest some ideas of activities you could do with your child that don’t involve a screen.
Get Outside
There are so many things you can do as a family in the great outdoors to ensure your child receives some much-needed fresh air and exercise. Depending on their age and interests, here are some outdoor activities you could explore:
- Start a vegetable patch and grow your own
- Take a walk through the woods and learn about nature
- Go camping and develop survival skills
- Organise a scavenger hunt with friends
- Build a bug hotel or fairy garden
Get more inspiration from our post – Best Ways To Experience Nature With Your Child.
Cooking/Baking
Children seem to love making a mess and there are few things messier than baking a cake or cooking a meal. Encourage your child to help you in the kitchen, as it will help them learn how to follow instructions, understand measurements, and determine oven times and temperatures. You could even take the experience one step further and donate your baked goods to a care home or food bank.
Games Night
Games night is a great way for you to spend some quality time together with your family without the distractions of your phones or the TV. Each of you can take it in turns to choose your favourite game. Board games are great for helping children develop a range of skills, such as teamwork, patience and how to win/lose gracefully. They might even help children with their maths or English skills, like Monopoly or Scrabble.
Upcycling
Teach your child some basic DIY skills by embarking on an upcycling project together. You might have a piece of furniture at home that needs a fresh coat of paint, or you could look for something on eBay or another online platform that you could buy and give a makeover. This is quite a rewarding activity because you will be able to look at the finished result with a sense of pride.
Arts & Crafts
Arts and crafts are great for helping younger children with their fine motor skills and it also gives them an opportunity to get creative and use their imaginations. If they are lacking inspiration, maybe ask them to create some birthday cards that you could send on to various family members.
*This is a collaborative post.
