Saying bye-bye to Wi-Fi with family digital detox
Annual event encourages all to consider switching on to off-screen entertainment
Instead of being stuck in front of a digital device 24/7 staring at a screen, why not get children engaged in a myriad of nondigital activities? That is the aim of ScreenFree Week, presenting an ideal opportunity to explore fun activities all the family can enjoy when we say “bye-bye to Wi-Fi”.
But it doesn’t have to end with the May 2 to 8 screen-free initiative. Lessons learned and activities engaged in can carry on allowing youngsters to play, explore, and rediscover the joys of life when not glued to a digital screen.
This year it’s hoped that thousands of families, schools, and communities around the world will put down their digital screens and enjoy fun in alternative ways.
Screen-Free Week isn’t about ditching the screen completely, simply reaching us to ration screen time and look at doing alternative activities!
Instead of just gazing at YouTube or some other digital platform for hours on end children could spend time creating art, fooling around with paper and crayons, reading a book or playing a game outdoors.
Laura Steele, former primary school teacher and education resource expert at PlanBee, has some great ideas to keep children entertained.
How about making things out of your recycling? You may have plenty but not used it in this way. Get all recyclable materials out on the table with the family and create something new such as a piece of art.
You may have plenty of insects in your garden but not really studied them and you may know little about them! Where are their homes? What can you find? Go exploring as a family!
It may seem old-fashioned, but if you are missing a family member or friend why not write them a letter or a postcard rather than sending an email or a text! Let them know what you have been up to as a family and check how they are!
Challenge each family member to create their own menu, including starter, main course and dessert! Take it in turns to ‘host’ a dinner party.
There’s always lots of rubbish in the garaged so look in there or in the garden for objects to make tricky obstacles.
Build your own garden obstacle course and challenge each other to a race! Who can complete the course in the fastest time?
You could choose a book to read together as a family, taking it in turns tom read pages/ chapters out aloud. Talk about what has happened in the book and discuss your opinions of characters and events. Predict what you each think will happen next, and see who is closest!
Have a board-game night! Provide nibbles and drinks, and if you’re feeling competitive, a score board!
Organise a treasure hunt the ‘treasure’ could be a new book or board game that you can then enjoy together.
Show off your moves by creating your own family dance routine - each member of the family could suggest one or two of their signature moves, put them all together and - voila! A dance routine you can be proud of!
On a rainy day you could turn your front room into a fortress! Use sofa cushions to create a structure – add in cushions and sheets to make it feel cosy and find a good book to share or game to play?
For those who want to find some activities they can print off, there are free puzzles and games from PlanBee by visiting planbee.com/collections/ free-teaching-resources/freebee-category_puzzles-games website.
It doesn’t matter what you decide to do as long as it is away from your usual digital screen. And you could carry on by having more digital screen free days throughout the week.