Most parents now realize the importance of off-screen activities for kids. Screens are like nicotine, highly addictive. Even as parents, we whittle away hours scrolling through pages of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. With tons of celebrity gossips out there, memes and hot gist, it becomes hard to put down or ignore our device. The same applies to kids, nearly half of all children have their own tablet devices, and most are getting fat on-screen time with little time for exploring their environment and other physical activities. In the end, it inhibits their ability to observe and experience day to day activities that help them learn about the world. See more reasons why too much screen time may be bad for your child

So what can parents do? Is taking screens away a plausible solution? Rather than taking screens away, the key is to help kids find the right balance by infusing some offscreen fun activities engaging enough to make them spend less time on their devices. 

Here are a few offscreen activities your kids can engage in 

Read

Reading sounds boring, and it can, of course, be boring especially when you compel kids to read what they don’t like.  Most kids are visual learners and are naturally drawn to pictures. so, stock your bookshelves with fun storybooks with colourful pictures.  Also, add a bit of spice to it by asking them to summarise and make it a daily or weekly contest among them. The best summary gets a bar of chocolate or something you feel would motivate them to take up the task.

Educational Board Games

Who says your kids can only enjoy on-screen games? Before the introduction of educational apps, board games have been a source of recreation for kids and adults. Playing board games together is a veritable recipe for family bonding. Aside from this, it helps kids, in particular, develop core skills like problem-solving depending on the goal of the game. Monopoly, Scrabble and Chess are some good examples. 

Legos

Legos are fun and engaging for kids. According to Parenting Science, Lego toys are perfect toys that develop kids motor skills, spatial skills, language skills, social competence, engineering skills and divergent thinking. I have seen kids sit long hours with legos trying to follow a set of instruction to build a car. If you really want to regulate screen time with some offline activities, legos are great toys to consider. 

Puzzles

Puzzles are great for kids, they help develop and improve hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, fine and gross motor skills. Because most puzzles require strategies, they help kids think through problems and come up with strategies to solving the problems. Consider taking advantage of our activity puzzle books on financial literacy, coding and Bible to help kids spend time having fun off-screen while also learning and developing core skills. 

Bicycling

One of the core reasons to allow kids to spend less time on screen is to help them engage in physical activities, interact with the environment and develop communication skills as they play with each other. One of the most common off-screen activities that kids enjoy is bicycling.Kids within the neighbourhood enjoy riding bicycle especially if the compound is large enough to accommodate a playground. Aside from helping kids build stamina, bicycling also helps in coordination, balance, and persistence. Be sure to set clear limitations to avoid injury and teach your kids basic safety. 

Try Out Science Experiments

Get your kids to try out different science experiments at home to help them connect science and the real world. You might want to try experiments like Mentos in a Coke, Storm in a glass jar, or a volcano made out of vinegar and baking soda. 

Some of these experiments have been compiled in our Fun STEM experiment eBook. Click here to download for free

Off-screen activities will not only improve your kids’ physical and social well-being but also create time for other activities that will improve their academic performance, relationship and communication skills. 

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