As summer approaches, you may be on the hunt for ways to keep your kids busy.
According to a study by CBS News, children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend nearly seven hours of their day staring at a screen. The American Heart Association (AHA) strongly recommends that kids in this age range should only get a maximum of two hours of screen time per day. Younger kids should be limited to even less.
If you’re looking to get your children off of their devices this summer, it may be hard to limit their screen time at first. You’ll need some creative ideas and a variety of suggestions to offer your kids who can’t see to get enough blue light.
Here are 4 ways you can keep your kids busy over the summer without the help of their beloved phones, tablets, and TVs.
Learn an Instrument
Having a child learn an instrument is a very productive way to keep them busy. This activity can reduce stress levels, develop time management skills, and foster creativity.Give your child freedom when it comes to choosing which instrument they want to learn. If they want to learn how to play the keyboard that’s been collecting dust in the playroom or the guitar that’s been sitting in the attic, encourage them to. However, they may be interested in picking up a new instrument altogether with Antonio Strad Violin.
Don’t be discouraged if they want to learn an instrument that tends to be on the pricier side. There are plenty of economical solutions. For example, you can find a violin or other classical stringed instrument from a pawn shop. If you have a future rock star on your hands, there are plenty of affordable e-kits for beginners that will serve the same purpose as standard drum kits.
Pick Up Cooking & Baking
Plan a cooking or baking day every week or so to get your kids involved in the kitchen. Assign them age-appropriate tasks. Younger ones can wash vegetables and set out all of the necessary supplies. The older ones can handle tasks like cutting up food items and operating the oven and stove.Even if you want them to be independent, make sure to supervise so that you can prevent accidents from occurring.
Make cooking and baking family activities you all can enjoy together. Allow your children to pick the recipes they want to try out and have them equally share all of the work that's involved. They will appreciate the quality time, and they’ll be able to tastily reap the benefits of their cooking and baking efforts.
Visit the Library
Going to the library may seem like an antiquated activity, but that couldn’t be further from the truth!Most local libraries will have some sort of summer reading program set up to engage children in different age groups. Even if your child isn’t an avid reader, they may enjoy the social aspect of visiting the library.
Those who do like to read can browse the shelves for books to take home with them. Allow them to pick up whatever age-appropriate books they want, even if you don’t see the appeal. Make regular trips to encourage their reading habits.
Visiting the library is a great way to keep your kids busy over the summer. Not only do the physical trips to the library pass some time, but they’ll also have new material to read for hours on end at home.
Set Up an Obstacle Course
Your children can only play so many driveways games of Four Square and basketball before they start complaining that they’re bored. Mix things up by creating an obstacle course.Use items around your garage like buckets, garden chairs, and boxes to create a challenging course where your kids have to jump and crawl their way to the finish. This kind of activity encourages them to get some exercise and turn their problem-solving gears on.
