Screen-free week is just around the corner! If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our eight tips to keep kids entertained.
Have you heard of Screen-Free Week? It’s the one week a year where thousands of people around the world decide to unplug and disconnect from screens. There are many reasons you might choose to go screen-free — there are a huge number of benefits for your kids, but downtime from your screen-based entertainment can do the world of good for adults, too. After all, as convenient and as fun as screens can be, let’s face it — we weren’t designed for staring at them for hours each day. We have evolved to engage, interact, and entertain one another — it’s what makes us human.
Screen-Free Week runs from May 4-10, 2020. If you’re determined to give it a go, but you’re a bit daunted at the prospect of one whole week with no screens (not even TV!), we understand. Screens are woven into almost every area of our day-to-day lives — you might not even realize how much you depend on them until they’re gone.
If you’re looking for ways to keep your whole family entertained during Screen-Free Week, we have eight great suggestions to share with you.
1. Listen to an Audiobook on Jooki
Just because you are going screen-free doesn’t mean you have to turn your back on all technology. You’re not expected to suddenly hand-wash all your clothes or put the vacuum cleaner into retirement for seven days. You can still use a music and story player like Jooki to listen to your favorite audiobooks. This is a great way of uniting the family and enjoying a story together — and there are benefits to listening to audiobooks all adults should know about.
2. Play a Family Board Game
Not all games are loaded up on a console! Try some interactive fun with your family in the form of a board game or a card game. Try something like Uno, Snap, or Cluedo. Or, if you’re looking for something a little more animated and creative, why not try Charades or Pictionary? Games can be a huge bonding exercise and something you could even integrate into your weekly routine.
3. Take the Opportunity to Declutter
Fun is all very well and good, but it can’t all be games! Take this time to declutter with your family. Perhaps you can go through your kids’ old forgotten toys and decide which ones to donate to charity. The toys will go on to make another child very happy and you’ll benefit from much more room.
4. Listen to Your Favorite Music
Have a sing or a dance with your family this Screen-Free Week. Music can do so much for us — it can energize us and inspire us, or it can calm us down when we’re anxious or frustrated. It can also be a great way to bond over common ground.
Related: Calm Music for Kids: A Playlist to Relax and Unwind
5. Cook a Meal as a Family
Cooking is not only a great skill to teach your children — it can also help to broaden their tastes and spark their curiosity about food. If you have a picky eater or two on your hands, cooking together might just be the key. According to Huffington Post, "Learning to cook opens children's eyes to food: how it tastes, feels, smells, and looks.”
6. Do Some Arts and Crafts
Arty pursuits often get forgotten when we’re so tied up in technology, but arts and crafts are important for growing minds. They give children a sense of achievement and pride while helping to boost their confidence. It might get messy, it might not turn out the way you expected — but it’s never wasted time.
Jooki is the best music and story player for a screen-free childhood. Find out more about the Jooki and discover a new way of listening to music and stories.