It’s one of the biggest challenges facing busy parents these days, and not just a problem with older kids but with younger children as well. How to reduce the amount of time spent on electronic devices?
The World Health Organisation guidelines on screen time for children below the age of five are that it should be limited to an hour a day and infants should not be exposed at all. School aged children are not covered in these recommendations but its advised to balance screen activities with more physical activities and have rules surrounding screen use in place.
Screen time can be part of a healthy lifestyle for children when it's balanced with other activities that are good for a child's development, like physical play, reading and socialising.
It's crucial for children's energy levels, development, sleep and overall health and wellbeing to get them moving around. If a child's having screen time, it's a good idea to encourage a break every half an hour and to use devices in short bursts. This can be done by using a timer to set breaks and doing something active when the timer goes off, like an activity on our list. Also make use of natural breaks – for example, a child could do a winners dance when they finish a level in a game.
There's load of different activities that a child can enjoy more than being glued to a screen.
Here are 15 fun things for kids to do that are fun enough to make them forget about their devices – for a while, anyway!
Go out for a walk or go out for a bike ride.
Get them to help out in the kitchen.
Go to the local park.
Play dress up
Read a book.
Get the building/creative toys out.
Have an impromptu disco in the kitchen.
Do some gardening together.
Do a nature scavenger hunt.
Play hide and seek.
Build a fort with sticks and fabric.
Use foil to mould into sculptures.
Put on a play.
Put sticky notes on everything that begins with a certain letter.
Do a Mini Adventure and be an explorer for an afternoon!
A Mini Adventure should be at the top of the list really as it’s one of the best activities to get children away from screens and outside for big dose of adventure and fresh air. It’s a great way to reconnect as a family too. The kids love running around looking for the clues and it’s exercise for the brain as well as the body, just don’t tell the kids that! The perfect family day trip.
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