As summer approaches, parents need to get creative and come up with some new screen free activities kids will love to keep them active and engaged in screen-free ways. In a technology-driven world, it’s common for our children to be consumed by screens. They use iPads and Chrome books in the classroom, they can download educational apps on their mobile devices, and they often spend hours watching TV or playing video games. Although advances in technology and screens are an imperative part of our lives, it’s necessary to unplug or even limit our screen time to bond with the family. That is why I am happy to share some fun screen free activities kids will enjoy from Shannon Philpott-Sanders today.
Shannon Philpott-Sanders has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in English. As the mother of two, she enjoys writing about the joys of parenting and she has just authored a new book called, “Screen-Free Fun: 400 Activities for the Whole Family.” Her book is available on Amazon (my affiliate link), at Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and book retailers nationwide.
Screen-Free Activities Book For The Whole Family And Good, Old Fashioned Fun
Think back to the days when you spent your summers outside jump roping or riding your bike through the neighborhood. We can bring that type of fun and freedom back to our daily lives with some screen-free activities. Screen-Free Fun: 400 Activities for the Whole Family is designed to provide creative ways to bond with the family. The book features four chapters with activities focused on embracing your creativity, supporting your community, getting to know the great outdoors and riding out those road trips. This book will help you find old-fashioned fun with a modern twist so you can enjoy your family time. Here are 5 Screen Free Activities Kids Will Love that been excerpted from her book.
Excerpted from Screen-Free Fun: 400 Activities for the Whole Family
By Shannon Philpott-Sanders
Copyright © 2018 Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
MAKE SOME GLITTERY SLIME
You can easily make cool-looking slime that kids of all ages like to play with by mixing together just two inexpensive ingredients. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup glitter glue with 1 tablespoon liquid laundry detergent (any old kind will do). Use a spatula to mix well, adding more detergent as needed until the mixture no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Once the slime is ready, you can begin to stretch it, make shapes, or form glittery stick people. This solution doesn’t stain when it comes in contact with surfaces, so don’t worry about messing up your table or kitchen counter. Keep the slime stored at room temperature so you can break this out the next time the kids are bored.
From Chapter 1: Embrace Your Creativity
GO ON A SOUND HUNT
If the only sounds you hear are sighs and groans of boredom and frustration, it’s time to change the soundtrack of your day. Just like a scavenger hunt, make a list of common sounds you might hear outside and give each child a copy of the list. As a group, head out into the neighborhood or stroll around the park to find the sounds on the list. Common sounds may include birds or crickets chirping, dogs barking, lawn mowers chopping up grass, swings creaking, or doors slamming shut. If you live in a busy city, listen for sounds such as cars honking, motors revving, music playing, or church bells ringing. Add a competitive touch to this activity by awarding points for the first child to notify you when he or she hears a sound on the list.
From Chapter 2: Enjoy the Great Outdoors
CREATE A DRIVEWAY RACETRACK
If you’re finding Matchbox cars all over your home, take those little toys outside and create a racetrack to entertain your kids. You don’t need expensive equipment or huge plastic toy sets to host a car race when you have small cars and sidewalk chalk. After gathering up enough cars for each child, have your kids choose an area of the driveway for their racetrack. Using sidewalk chalk, draw solid lines to mark the straight lanes, preferably on an incline to gain speed. After the racetrack is drawn, host races with the Matchbox cars. Little ones can bend over and physically move each car down the road while older children can use remote control cars to navigate the track. Host a race or let your kids make up their own challenges.
From Chapter 2: Enjoy the Great Outdoors
DECORATE A FOOD COLLECTION BIN
Many organizations host food drives and place bins in community centers and retail stores. Your children can attract more attention to their efforts by decorating these collection bins to encourage more donations. Before letting your kids’ artistic talents flourish, obtain permission from a nonprofit organization or pick up a bin to place in a store of your choice.
Using colored construction paper or a roll of plastic tablecloth, have your children completely cover the bin. Tape the paper or plastic to the bin for a secure fit before decorating. Next, using markers, crayons, stickers, and glitter, add a festive look to the bin. Multiple children can decorate each side of the bin with their individual tastes or they can work together to color coordinate their art. If you have crepe paper, twist it around the opening of the food collection bin for additional flair. Once the colorful bin is ready, deliver it to the appropriate destination and watch as the donations pour in.
From Chapter 3: Support Your Community
GROCERY MEMORY MATH
Whether you need several bags of groceries or just a few, make the trip much more enjoyable by prompting your children to test their memories and their math skills. Grocery memory math is ideal for tweens who can do some rounding and mental math. All you need to do is shop while your children carefully observe the items you toss into the cart. Let each one see the items and the prices. They should keep a running tally of your total bill by rounding the prices (for example, rounding $2.99 to $3). Once you reach the checkout lane, have each child estimate the total cost of the groceries before tax is applied. The player closest to the price without going over the total wins. Be sure to restrict calculators from this game.
From Chapter 4: Put a Fun Twist on Local Travel
Conclusion
Does it feel like your kids are getting too much screen time? I hope these scree free activities kids will love help you start your summer off right and bond with the family. Which of these scree free activities for kids sounds like it become a new family favorite? There are so many ways to pass the time screen free from playing in a teepee tent to writing in a journal.
Do you have any summer educational activities planned? I’d love to see your photos of your scree free activities! Share with us @familyfocusblog
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Anna Hughes says
Love these tips! Especially the Sound Hunt. Screen-free AND quiet! This is genius.
Kathleen says
I can’t wait to make the driveway racetrack with my kids! Thanks!
Some of my older kids remember making something like this with snow when it was too cold to stick. They made little walls that marked a track and raced through them just with their bodies.
Geraldine says
What a great idea! Engaging in screen-free activities can be a great way to unwind, boost creativity, and spend quality time away from digital devices. I think it’s important for all children. It keeps active to them. The key to enjoying screen-free activities is to find something that brings joy and relaxation while disconnecting from digital devices. I like music and dance!
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