The habits of staying all the time in front of a screen—watching videos, playing games online, scrolling down social media, may sound fun but are a subtle cause of health decline. Obesity in children, laziness, mental health issues, cognitive retardation, and eyesight strains are common just because of staying in front of a screen for extensive hours. Here, we have explained some engaging healthy summer activities for kids to keep them off-screen.
Table of Contents
Play Sports
Putting your kids in sports allows them to have a better vision—they will have a better physique, develop motor skills, makes them gain sportsmanship, perceivable have fun and enjoyment, self-confidence. Winning the game with creating a sense of appreciation in them. Games that are healthy;
- Football
- Baseball
- Bicycling
- Badminton
Road Trips
Packing up your worries and taking your kids on road trips give a break from social media. It is also a good way to make memories with family. The long route road trips help in experiencing different cultures, and time to reflect life.
Bedtime Stories
The bedtime stories are just another soothing way to engage kids off screens. This may sound like an old way to express care for the kids, but still, in this time of era, it works like a groove. Children adopt the habit to listen, they gain moral lessons, get more attach to you, learns new things, get to know new experiences as well. Some famous bedtime stories are;
- The Elephants and The Mice—A tale about friendship
- The Dog and Elephant—A story of love and friendship
- Snow White and the Good Witch—A fairy tale
- The Lonely Snowman—A story about family and friendship
- The Moon Rabbit—A Japanese Folktale
- The Undersea Adventure of The Blue Diamond—Adventure of Six Friends.
These stories contain moral lessons for the kids, you can find read these stories from “tell-a-tale”.
Have Assigned Chores
Assigning kids some chores of houses like making them pick things from their room, setting up things—or some other teensy things, will keep them away from screens. This also makes them disciplinary about their living ways.
Tip: When you are keeping your kids off the screens, it is better to give them cheat days once or twice in a month—this will put them a sense of pleasure in them.
Board Games
The board games have an origin from the ancient times, this is another active way to engage children off the screens—likewise, the children don’t get bored and this is also responsible for sharpening their mind. Some of the renowned games are;
Chess
This is for adolescents that understand the strategic moves, age from 9 years and onwards. Only two players can play at the same time. The game majorly involves the kingdom system; thus, it attracts sensible kids.
Scrabble
This game strengthens the vocabulary—the players build up words on a board from the small lettered tiles they are given.
Monopoly
The monopoly demonstrates an economy that rewards wealth creation is better. the game is good for kids to understand; economic concerns, taxation, etc. The age range of the game is above eight years. Here, you can learn how to play monopoly.
Snakes & Ladders
this is an ancient Indian board for two or more players. There are multiple numbered squares with ladders and snakes, the rolling dice decides the movement of players’ pieces on the square.
Twister
The twister has an age range for kids of 6 and onwards—the game is not just a typical board one but involves body movement being played on a large plastic bag.
Old School Toys
Reviving the appeal of evergreen toys created for the previous generations—gifting your kids the best Beyblade in the world or “yoyo” will craze them off from the gadgets. These toys are not limited as just to simply play but different competitive tournaments of Beyblade spinning are likewise apprehensible.
Gardening
Gardening with your kids’ advantages in two major ways—it makes your garden more beautiful and helps your kids to love & respect nature. Planting different plants; vegetables, fruits, and flowers are a robust idea. Make sure when you compel your kids to garden, the plants you choose would sprout early as this makes creates a sense of pleasure and esteem. Some seeds to sow in summer;
- Pumpkin
- Radishes
- Wildflowers
Larger plants can also be aesthetic for your garden. Giant sunflowers and leggy pole beans are fascinating in their height.
Rope Jumping
The rope jumping helps your kid maintain physical skills and body fitness—the game involves variations and can be done with more players. This is an enthusiastic activity for senior fitness freaks, most people indicate this game as girl’s play but it has a main origin from Egypt as man’s play. Despite the origin, along with other board games, or plays, rope skipping can help in keeping the kids off-screen.
Swing Set for Kids
The swing sets whether for toddlers or other kids, in the garden engages your kids in outdoor activities. Many easy DIY ways to install small swings for small yards can help your garden have a playset for your kids. Also, the procedure to put it in the garden is another fun way.
How to Assemble Swing Sets in the Garden?
Artistic Activities
Engaging kids with different arts help them grow mentally and physically—every artistic activity makes the kid more creative in lateral life. There are a couple of artistic activities that are helpful;
Drawing
Teaching your kids how to draw will increase their focus, communication skills with the guardian, strategic thinking, and also their mind will stay color drawing is a suitable way to introduce drawing to the kid.
Drama/Plays
As to rekindle, every generation of this time gets inspired by acting and drama but this activity is also good to engage them off screens. Also, you never know your kid would become a prodigy as well.
Painting
The painting is another aesthetic way to keep the children off-screen—bring them canvas, paints to waste and they will spend most of the time in it.
Data Source
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_and_ladders
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly_(game)
- https://www.ultraboardgames.com/monopoly/game-rules.php
- https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/children/plant-seeds-with-kids.htm
- https://www.kalakauamiddle.org/ourpages/auto/2012/1/21/56665444/jump%20rope%20fun%20facts.pdf