5 Screen-Free Activities for Children
With more time off school than ever before and the summer days of swing ball and water fights becoming a distant memory, it's likely that your ideas for keeping your children entertained throughout lockdown are starting to run dry.
Electronic devices are a handy tool for occupying children, especially on these dark, wintery days, however, their screen time can quickly rack up, soon wreaking havoc on their mood and sleeping pattern. It's crucial that children spend time engaging in traditional play, to develop their curiosity, social skills and creativity.
An independent school in Surrey has compiled a list of activities to keep your children off their devices and doing something a little more nourishing.
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1. Get Cooking
Although it may take a little more time and patience to cook with your kids, it provides a myriad of benefits aside from keeping them away from screens for an hour. You’ll be spending quality time together and making a daily chore more fun and enriching. Younger children will benefit from helping count out and weigh ingredients as they practice maths skills. Older children will learn to master the art of cooking which is a skill that will serve them throughout life. A bonus factor is that kids are more willing to try new foods if they've been involved in the preparation, meaning they just may finally overcome that lifelong loathing of brussel sprouts once and for all.
2. Encourage Journaling
Writing a journal is a way to practice writing skills whilst creating a collection of memories they can treasure. Print off photos from family trips or fun days at home and have your child describe the events that took place. This may help your child work through any negative feelings they have in relation to lockdown as they express themselves on paper and may encourage gratitude by focusing their mind on happy times they’ve shared with family.
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3. Get Outside
Whether you live in the countryside, by the beach, or even just close to a local park, getting into nature is a great way to spend your time. The fresh air and exercise will release endorphins, boosting your child’s mood and helping them blow off steam to ensure a restful night's sleep.
4. Try Some Arts & Crafts
Children love messy play and there's no better way to fuel their creativity than spending an afternoon playing with paints, glue sticks and glitter. The options are endless, make a fairy cottage out of an old shoebox, have them draw the badge of their favourite sports team or even make cards and gifts for relatives and send them off in the post.
5. Host a Sports Day
If your child is a sports fan, try to engage their interest by hosting an indoor sports day. Set up a ‘sock golf’ course around your home. Position an empty wastepaper basket in various positions around the house and have the family compete to see who can complete the course with the lowest score, as they attempt to throw a pair of balled up socks into the basket. Follow this with some balloon keepy-uppies or an adapted game of musical statues, shouting a different pose or action that everyone must assume when the music stops. Think: star jumps, hopping or yoga poses.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.