The solution to prying restless kids from screens lies just beyond your doorstep

LAST weekend, I dropped my eldest son to his firstever Scouts camp. He’s not technically a Scout, still just a cub and shy of his 10th birthday by a few months.

We had meticulously packed the bags together. From sleeping blanket and ground mat to torch and a few goodies for the midnight feast, it had taken some time to get everything ready.

As well as the list of what to bring, parents were sent a list of things kids couldn’t bring.

No mobile phones or electronic gadgets were allowed.

We arrived at the camp ground at Moville in Inishowen, Co Donegal, to find everything ready.

The scouting leaders had been hard at work. Tents were up and waiting for their inhabitants.

Overhead, colourful canopies hung like giant sets of butterfly wings. The evening sunlight glinted through the trees as children ran around, grabbing racquets to play some impromptu ball games.

Not a single mobile phone buzzed. No child was looking at a screen or frantically trying to control a game on a device. The noise of kids laughing filled the air as the fizz of excitement of the first night of camp overtook them all.

Parents left the camp ground feeling a bit sad that we were excluded from this magical kingdom and had to leave.

My own tendency to hover as a mum was quickly nipped in the bud as parents were encouraged not to come near the camp over the weekend. If we were needed, the leaders would get in touch with us.

As well as fostering a sense of independence in the children, as a parent, it showed me that my son is more than happy to get stuck in and get on with things very well on his own. I had to take a back seat and leave him to his own devices in the hands of caring, capable camp leaders.

The stories of the camp are still coming. Tales about kayaking and banana boats and how hard it is to get into a wetsuit on a bakinghot day. Still more stories about just how much toast was needed for breakfast, the songs they sang around the camp fire and, of course, the midnight feast.

It sounds idyllic – and in a way it is. It is exactly what childhood is about; a place for simple things, fun with friends – and yes, a break from the ever-present technology.

While parents may search for a means to limit or deny access to devices and come up with ways to cut screen time, a simple rule of camp – that any devices or phones would be kept by a leader for the duration of the weekend – worked.

Last week, it was reported that a school in Kerry, with the full co-operation of parents, had taken the brave and bold step of banning children’s smartphones.

Across the world, policies and programmes aimed at keeping smartphones out of the hands of children up until 14 or 15 years of age are growing, mainly due to the spectre of cyberbullying.

Getting kids involved in sports, clubs or organisations that help them explore the outdoors are all cited by experts as fundamental to their health and emotional development.

And while we can’t pretend that technology isn’t going to be a big part of our children’s world, rather than ban it and go to war over it, why not encourage them to get involved in activities where it’s not part of the action at least for a while?

In Britain, the well-known adventurer Bear Grylls held the post of chief scout for a number of years. He has said that being part of the movement was a bigger privilege than climbing Mount Everest and that the Scouts was the best way to get out there, follow your dreams and live an adventure.

He has also talked about how the prizes don’t go to the biggest, the best or the strongest – they go to those who persevere and that this is a life lesson worth learning.

While Scouting Ireland has become embroiled in controversy in recent months over the handling of a rape allegation, its membership has just overwhelmingly approved an overhaul of the organisation’s governance structure.

This, it says, together with a new approach to safeguarding, will strengthen the organisation as it continues to serve young people.

ACROSS the country, 40,000 young people take part in scouting activities every week, aided by 13,000 volunteers. These volunteers make things like camping – for many children, their first introduction to it – possible. They open the door to a greater appreciation of the outdoors, to the simple beauty of sitting around a camp fire singing songs and to new friendships that can last a lifetime.

Long after the camp fire has gone out and the cubs and scouts have grown, the magic of a weekend camping in the woods will remain. No device, no matter how smart, could possibly conjure up the wonder that could only be felt by stepping into those woods on a summer’s evening. That is something worth cherishing.

Across the world, programmes and policies aimed at keeping smartphones out of the hands of children are growing