The Best Way To Keep Kids Entertained WITHOUT Screens

Inside: Learn how to keep kids entertained and fight boredom without screens. Included is a September sale Bookroo is running. Scroll to the bottom to check it out! This post contains affiliate links. I will make a small commission if you make a purchase through one of these links, at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I love! See my disclosure policy here.  

A few years ago while I was at my son’s football practice I heard a little boy next to me whine to his mom, “I’m bored.” Then a few minutes passed as he grumbled again, “I’m reallllly bored.” This went on for probably 20 minutes until he finally demanded, “Give me your phone. I need something to do.”

Around that same time, I read an article about how parents are doing a disservice to teachers for constantly letting their children be entertained by screens.

Teachers of all grades were finding that the students don’t ever experience boredom as their brains are constantly (over) stimulated by games, videos, flashing lights, and sounds.

Some of the kids even felt physical pain if they had nothing to do.

I talked to a few Kindergarten teachers who concurred this is what they are seeing in their classrooms which is a drastic change from even ten years ago.

Point blank: Kids don’t know how to handle being bored and this is a problem.

Yes, handing a screen over to a child is WAY easier, faster and the kids typically LOVE it. However, we are finding out that it may come with a price!

Researchers are finding that screens can displace activities that are vital for healthy brain development amongst other challenges such as anxiety and depression problems, inattention and focus delays, expressive language delays, fine motor and executive function delays, academic performance problems, empathy reduction, and challenges with obesity and sleep.

Obviously, screens affect every child differently and the CONTENT being consumed matters, but it is important we look at these factors as we strive to raise competent, well-adjusted, kind humans.

Questions that often come up are, “How do we keep kids entertained without screens?” “What do parents do when dinner needs to be cooked, they have to get work done or they just can’t sit and make sure their child has something to do at all times?” Well, there are lots of things!!!

The Benefits of Boredom

Sometimes it may feel like it is our responsibility as a parent to entertain and keep our kids busy and stimulated at all times.

However, research shows that this can be more harmful than it is beneficial for many different reasons.

Kids need to experience boredom.

In fact, boredom can help kids become more creative as their mind wonders and their brain isn’t distracted or constantly stimulated.

Teresa Belton, a Visiting Fellow with the University of East Anglia in the UK says, “Parents often feel guilty if children complain of boredom. But it’s actually more constructive to see boredom as an opportunity rather than a deficit. Parents do have a role, but rushing in with ready-made solutions is not helpful. Rather, children need the adults around them to understand that creating their own pastimes requires space, time, and the possibility of making a mess…”

As I’ve seen in my own house, I couldn’t agree with her more.

Another reason boredom is good is that all humans are born with a need to feel competent and have a sense of autonomy.

If kids are constantly being entertained with structured activities, by an adult or with a screen then these innate needs don’t get met. The result is high levels of stress which can cause a slew of other mental and physical health problems.

Instead, we can keep kids entertained by teaching them to entertain themselves! Daydreaming, staring out the window and sitting and resting can all be positive things for the growing brain.

If you’re like me and want a list of benefits of boredom, here are other reasons why it’s beneficial:

• Boredom helps kids look inside themselves which can strengthen self-awareness.
• Kids can discover new interests when they’re bored that can impact who they become and what they do as adults.
• When there is nothing to do, kids can tap into creativity to figure out how to entertain themselves.
• Kids can develop life skills and learn how to become independent which then leads to a feeling of competency and self-reliance.
• Lastly, kids can become more resilient.

If it’s just too hard for you to let your kids be bored and you feel the need to keep your kids entertained, I suggest reading this article, Bordomtunity: Why Boredom is The Best For Our Kids. She has amazing tips that are very practical and easy to follow through!

The Power of The Imagination

Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Children discover their world through imagination.

In fact, we know that this helps with emotional and psychological development which leads to learning how to solve problems, become empathetic, develop resilience, create new possibilities and honestly, make a positive change in this world.

The imagination bridges the gap between a child’s inner emotional world and the outer physical world.

So when kids are bored, they’re imaginations can run wild!

Boredom gives them the space to be able to think in new ways that can’t happen when someone is telling them what to do or they have a screen in front of their face.

There are just so many opportunities for learning when a child is able to fully use his or her imagination.

The Best Way to Keep Kids Entertained Without Screens

Now that we know how beneficial boredom can be and why kids MUST use their imaginations to develop a healthy sense of self, this question remains, “What should our kids do?”

Since my boys don’t have the option to play video games, watch TV or surf the Internet Monday through Thursday, they have figured out how to entertain themselves without my involvement. And they don’t even complain or whine because it’s the expectation that we have set.

Now, my husband and I do play with our kids. We also try to have FOCUS Time where we spend one-on-one time together to create a strong connection. However, there are multiple hours in the day where our boys must figure out how to entertain themselves.

Guess what! They have gotten quite good at it!

PSSST: If you want simple easy activities to do with your kids, sign up for the Raising Kids With Purpose Newsletter and as a gift, you will get a free Quality Time Activities Printable.

I would have to say that my toddler is probably the best at fighting boredom.

While camping this past weekend, I could hear him acting out different characters. One was flying up while the other character fell down. Then he proceeded to sing, “Another One Bites The Dust.” It was hilarious!

I didn’t want to interrupt his play so I glanced over without him noticing and do you know what I saw him playing with?! SOCKS!

I thought he was playing with his superhero toys. But nope! The light gray socks didn’t even have a face but he still managed to give them both personalities and transform them into people with his mind.

He was supposed to put the socks on his feet, but instead, he was using his imagination to turn them into two guys helping each other climb a mountain while one of them “bit the dust.” How ingenious, creative, and FUN!

If we constantly kept him entertained with our agenda, these kinds of moments wouldn’t happen.

Over the years my boys have discovered that they enjoy playing with building toys, creating with recycled materials, fold and build with paper, jump on the trampoline, ride their bikes, listen to podcasts and….

read!

My boys have developed so many new skills by playing but nothing has been more beneficial than watching them read book after book.

This is why we have found reading to be the absolute best way to keep kids entertained without screens.

All we do is provide them with lots of books that are in line with their interests and reading levels.

In my boys’ school, they have an online portal to record goals, achievements, successes, failures and track the books they are reading and have read. In just over two weeks, my eight-year-old has read over 50 books totaling over 9,000 pages! Not only are his reading and literacy skills improving, but he’s also learning how to be more empathetic towards others. And guess what, he rarely complains about being bored! SCORE!

Benefits of Reading

I’m sure you already know that reading is amazing for kids.

But you may not realize that the research is also telling us that kids need to be reading real books they can hold; not read from a device.

In Unselfie by Dr. Michelle Borba, she states, “Evidence shows that children who read exclusively on screens are three times less likely to say they enjoy reading, are a third likely to say they have a favorite book and are far less likely to be strong readers.”

I also remember reading in Reset Your Child’s Brain by Dr. Victoria Dunckley a similar message about how reading from a screen just isn’t the same as reading a book you can feel. Even an e-reader can overstimulate the autonomic nervous system.

I only mention this so our children can get the full benefits out of reading which include:

• The more kids read, the stronger reader they become.
• Reading makes the brain stronger by creating more neural pathways and exercising those neural connections which become more sophisticated.
• Focus and attention skills are strengthened.
• Vocabulary and communication skills increase.
• The imagination gets stronger and more vivid which then leads to higher levels of creativity.
• Kids can develop a strong sense of empathy (especially when reading fiction) by understanding what the character is feeling and experiencing.
• A strong connection can be formed between child and caretaker as they read and discuss books together.
• Children who read a lot tend to do better in school.
• And lastly, a no-brainer!!! Reading provides entertainment and prevents boredom!

3 Easy Ways to Get Kids Reading

There are many resources out there on how to get kids reading. The three top ways that work best for our family is by

1.) Let our kids read anything that sparks their interest

2.) Visit the library often, and

3.) Subscribe to services like Bookroo to make getting new books exciting!

Even though our library is closed to foot traffic, we are able to request what we want and pick it up in the parking lot. It’s been amazing!

Then, to add more books to our own personal library (which we try to keep small to stay decluttered and organized), we can use services like Bookroo.

This month, we opted to get their picture books since we have school-aged kids and a toddler. The books they sent were perfect for our older boys to read to our little guy. They were books we have never heard of before with beautiful illustrations and heartfelt inspiring messages.

Sale!

For the month of September 2020, Bookroo is offering 20% off any three-month subscription when you use the promo code KEEPCALM. Sale runs from September 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020.

What You Get With Bookroo

Bookroo offers book clubs for three different age groups:

• Ages 0-3 years old: Comes with 3 sturdy board books
• ages 3-6 years old: Comes with 2 picture books
• Ages 7-10 years old: Comes with 2 chapter books

After deciding on the book club you want to get, pick how many months you want books for and that’s it.

The cost of the books is less in the subscription than if bought individually, which in my opinion is totally worth it!

Not only do you get a book, but you also get the excitement from you kids as they discover individually wrapped books in super fun wrapping paper that they get to tear open!

I really felt like that added touch made them want to read the books more.

They also strive to find books that are “hidden gems”. And if you happen to already own the book they send, Bookroo suggests you donate the book and they’ll give you a credit.

The only downside I see is that you don’t have a choice over the book selection. This can teach kids to be grateful no matter what they get, which is a great lesson to learn.

Keeping Kids Entertained Without Screens is Hard

I wanted to end with the reason behind Bookroo’s Keep Calm and Read On event as I whole-heartedly believe in what they are doing.

School as we knew it has been flipped on its head (for most of us here in the US even if kiddos are back in the school building). There is so much uncertainty, anxiety and worry about what each month, heck, what each week or day will look like. Because of this, Bookroo wanted to provide a little reprieve by encouraging parents and kids to keep calm and read on.

As I stated in this post, reading is powerful.

It is more than just something to do for school. Reading can empower lifelong learners, shape who kids are in a (hopefully) positive way, and build so many other character qualities.

Reading is one of the best tools we have to keep our kids (and ourselves!) happy and productive this school year that doesn’t involve a screen!

The American Academy of Pediatricians backs up all the positive benefits of reading. It states, “Reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development, strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.”

All of those skills are what most of us want to develop in our children. It’s all possible with an activity that is so simple and enjoyable. AND it’s a real cure for boredom!