Truth time — can you guess how many hours most American children spend on screens each day?
Drumroll, please… FIVE TO EIGHT! (That’s nearly a full-time job!)
While we’re not into fear-mongering over here, the research is loud and clear: the more time young children engage with screens, the harder time they have turning them off as they become older. And with screen time linked to childhood obesity, trouble sleeping, and poor performance/behavior, it’s worth a second glance at the role we all want technology to play in the lives of our children.
From IQ to EQ, the benefits of going screen-free abound. In fact, a recent study on tech-free living reported that kids who attended a 5-day camp without media use outperformed their peers in recognizing nonverbal cues of emotion – one of the most important foundations for building empathy.
So how do you limit your kids’ screen time from the get-go?
According to Andrea Davis, author of Creating a Tech-Healthy Family, the trick is to remember the three R’s. “By creating screen-free rituals, rewarding your kids with your time instead of screen time, and finding ways to recharge sans screens, you can replace the likes on your phone with love in your home.”
If you’re ready for 7 ideas you can put into practice today, read on…
Enjoy a Sensory Challenge.
Tell your child that, today, you’re going to enjoy five minutes of spa time. Whip up a simple foot scrub (we use the coffee grounds from our empty French press, but brown sugar, oats + coconut oil, or a squeezed orange + sea salt all work equally well!) and let your child dangle his/her feet over the kitchen sink. Encourage him/her to take deep breaths and relax as you pamper him/her with a calming foot massage for a restful start to the day.
Perfect for: Relationships, Family Connection, Sensory Awareness, Rituals, Rest
Why it Matters: As your child ages, it’s common for physical contact to diminish exponentially. Independence rears its head, along with many complicating factors: new siblings, perhaps, or an outweighed desire for freedom and agency. By carving out a unique, calming moment in the day, you’re creating a natural opportunity to meet your child‘s need for physical contact while establishing a future ritual for many years to come! Soft and silky feet aside, your child will walk away feeling loved, cared for, and seen.
Challenge: Can your child guess the ingredients in the scrub you’ve made?
Variation: Sensory-sensitive children might prefer mixing their own scrub or a waterless foot rub with comfortable pressure. For less mess, take this prompt outdoors and rinse with a hose!
Related Reading (for Parents): Between Parent and Child, by Dr. Haim G. Ginott
Take a Sock Walk.
Did you know your child can plant seeds with his/her feet? Here’s how:
Task your child with getting dressed in knee-high socks and shorts. Then, take a walk through a densely vegetated area, e.g., an open field, a vacant lot with overgrown weeds, a forest, etc. Once home, encourage him/her to take off one of his/her socks with all collected seeds intact and place it in a wet cake pan. Keep the sock and pan moist, storing them in a warm place. In just a few short weeks, your child‘s sock will sprout plants of all varieties!
Perfect for: Outdoors, Nature, Exploration, Discovery, Life Cycle, Plants
Why it Matters: A sock walk provides your child with a clear understanding of a seed’s natural life cycle from dispersal to growth to decay. The phrase “tread lightly” may never apply more!
Challenge: Discuss the symbiotic relationship between plants and animals. Many animals carry seeds in their fur, resulting in widely-spread vegetation – just like your child‘s sock! Can he/she think of a few ways plants might help animals in return?
Variation: What other methods of seed dispersal can your child think of? Wind? Water? Humans? Shoes?
Related Read-Aloud (Optional): The Dandelion Seed, by Joseph P. Anthony
Play Sound BINGO.
Hop in the car and head to the park, or simply step outside your front door (extra points for giving your child a choice on the location – kids LOVE to choose!). Regardless of where you decide to go, try your best to venture outside to a) get some vitamin D, b) change things up, and c) give you both a different perspective. Once in your preferred location, encourage your child to stop for a moment and dictate to you what he/she hears. Make a list together (hand over the pencil!) of the sounds he/she identifies. Then, pull out our handy printable and engage with your child as you both play sound BINGO! Cross off sounds as you hear them, or use small pebbles your child finds outside to place on the pictures as he/she hears them. First one to make a full row wins!
Perfect for: Outdoors, Sensory Skills, Listening, Focus, Fine Motor Skills
Why it Matters: Any time spent with you is golden for your child, and playing a game is an especially good way to spend time together. And, bonus, this game will help your child develop those listening and focus skills that are so crucial in both life and learning.
Challenge: Using the blank BINGO page of our above printable, your child can draw/write in pictures/words of what he/she predicts you both may hear before embarking on your outdoor adventure!
Variation: Pick a room in your home to do this activity in instead of venturing outside – there is a surprising number of background sounds that your child may not usually hear in the midst of his/her daily play.
Related Reading (Optional): Quiet Please, Owen McPhee! by Trudy Ludwig
Create Frozen Food Art.
You know that bag of frozen peas that’s taken up permanent residence in the back of your freezer? NOW IS THE TIME. Get it out, along with a cookie sheet, and let your child go to town (after he/she washes his/her hands!). They’ll love making a design on the cookie sheet with those frozen goodies. Prompt him/her as necessary (Can you make a face? An animal?), but do your best to let his/her creativity flourish here. As he/she is working, be sure to talk with him/her about his/her creation. Ask him/her to describe what he/she is using and why. How do the veggies feel – hot or cold? Why does he/she think that is? Bonus: Microwave after he/she is done, and you’re halfway to dinner tonight.
Perfect for: Foundations, Sensory, Patterns, Nutrition
Why it Matters: Kids need to handle healthy food as they grow to set the foundation for future nutrition. As your child handles the food and you engage him/her in discussion about what he/she is touching, how it feels, etc., you’re setting the stage for him/her to be able to effectively describe things and experiences – a critical life skill. The potential for creativity and fun here is endless; prepare to be amazed at what your child comes up with!
Challenge: Skip count the number of veggies/fruit used. Have your child separate the food into groups of five, and guide him/her through skip counting and early multiplication.
Related Reading (Optional): The Vegetables We Eat, by Gail Gibbons
Make Slushies.
Let your child fill a gallon-size Ziploc bag half full with crushed ice, adding 8 Tbsp of salt to the bag. Next, fill a quart-size Ziploc bag with 1/2 cup of juice (any will do!) and seal it, securing with duct tape. Place the sealed bag of juice into the larger bag of ice, zipping it shut tightly. Then, take turns shaking the bag with your child, and observe as the juice turns to slush!
Perfect for: Logic, Cause & Effect, Discovery, STEAM Skills
Why it Matters: Observing matter as it transfers from one state to another (in this case, liquid to solid) offers your child a firm foundation in physical science – not to mention a delicious treat on a hot afternoon!
Variation: Swap juice with your favorite coffee creamer and make a delicious ice cream!
Did You Know? Slushies were invented by accident! In the 1950’s, Dairy Queen owner Omar Knedlik’s soda fountain broke down, forcing him to put his sodas in a freezer to stay cool. After realizing the slushies were a hit, he invented the official ICEE machine using automotive air conditioning to combine flavor mix, water, and carbon dioxide. Pretty “cool,” huh?
Related Read-Aloud (Optional): Ice Cream, by Gail Gibbons
Host a Service Day!
Together with your child, brainstorm a few ways to serve your immediate community – from small (e.g., bringing blankets to a dog shelter) to large (e.g., compiling a recipe book for your local fire station kitchen). Then, make it happen!
Perfect for: Habits, Service, Responsibility, Cooperation, Civic Duty
Why it Matters: Research shows that kids – no matter the age! – who engage in community service lead more responsible lives and display higher levels of resilience. By taking early steps toward instilling a civic-oriented mindset in your child, you’re placing him/her on a path that reaps endless rewards.
Related Read-Aloud (Optional): How to Make a Better World, by Keilly Swift
Play Hue Hunt.
Give your child a box of crayons and ask him/her to select a favorite color. Next, encourage him/her to hunt around the house in search of an object that offers an exact match of his/her crayon. Continue as long as interest allows!
Perfect for: Creativity, Colors, Classification, Observation
Why it Matters: Hue hunts offer the visual memory and discrimination skills required to identify patterns and relationships. By spotting similarities and differences between shades, your child is gaining in both early representation and problem-solving.
Challenge: Can your child reverse the game? Encourage him/her to identify a favorite shirt. Can he/she find the closest color match from a box of crayons?
Variation: Bust out the watercolors to see if your child can mix a custom paint color to match his/her favorite shirt. Want to experiment with color theory first? Download our handy printable here!
Related Read-Aloud (Optional): The Wonderful Colorful Wonder Wheel of Color, by Lynn Koolish, Kerry Graham, and Mary Wruck
p.s. Want 5 more crowd-pleasin’ ideas to keep the littles unplugged and engaged in the world around them? Enjoy our bestselling bonus pack here!