We all know how much fun screens can be, and as adults, we also know that it’s crucial to take breaks from gaming from time to time to ensure we stay happy and healthy and don’t overdo it. Kids, on the other hand, aren’t so aware that taking breaks is good for them, which is why the adults in their lives need to help them learn. 

It’s useful, in that case, to have some tricks up your sleeve to persuade your child to do something away from their screens for a while and take that much-needed break. With that in mind, here are some fantastic ways to entertain kids without screens so that they appreciate it even more when they get back to gaming. 

Arts & Crafts

If there’s one thing that’s absolutely guaranteed to help kids stay entertained without needing to use any form of screen, it’s arts & crafts. This is the ideal way for them to enjoy some time for 100% creativity. Whether they’re colouring in, making something out of clay, creating a collage, or anything else, they’re going to be having fun, letting their imagination run wild and not thinking about missing their screens at all.

To ensure this can happen, you’ll need to have a good stock of various different craft supplies in your home, like white and coloured paper, scissors, glue, stickers, pens, markers, glitter, and a variety of other fun things. Let the kids really enjoy what they’re doing while creating some masterpieces and they’ll truly benefit from this arts & crafts time. 

Retro Toys

Think about the toys you had as a kid – you would have had some favourites, and it might be that those favourites are still available for your own children to enjoy. That might mean the actual toy you played with needs to come out of storage from wherever it’s been kept, or it might mean you go shopping for something similar (or even exactly the same) because you know how much fun it’s going to be. 

Choose toys that, once again, need kids to use their imagination, and ideally pick ones that don’t need batteries – it’s disappointing to find those batteries have run out and you can’t play anything. Something like a complete farm yard could be a brilliant choice – children can learn about animals, make up their own stories, and there’s no batteries (or screens) in sight. 

Outdoor Adventures

Now this idea is going to be dependent on the weather to some extent, but if it all works out, going outside for some adventures makes a lot of sense. Not only is being outside and moving around good for your child’s physical health, but it’s great for their mental health as well – studies have shown that fresh air can clear the mind and help de-stress you, and that’s a good outcome no matter how old you might be. 

You could go to the local park or woods and play some games or just run around in your garden if you prefer. But wherever you go and whatever you do, from a scavenger hunt to gardening together, being outside is a positive thing from beginning to end.