Screen Alternatives: Creative Activities without Computers or iPads
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- March 31, 2025
Children today are constantly surrounded by screens like computers, tablets, and smartphones. While technology certainly has its benefits, too much screen time can be detrimental to a child’s development and their relationships. Both parents and foster carers can benefit from spending quality bonding time with children through creative activities that don’t involve screens.
Connecting Through Creativity
If you are fostering children through an agency, you will know how much they need positive attention and engagement from you. Creative activities allow for meaningful conversations and promote emotional development. Simple crafts like making DIY playdough, building with Lego bricks, painting pictures, or decorating photo frames spark imagination and provide an outlet for self-expression. As you work side-by-side assembling a puzzle or playing a board game, children feel seen, heard, and cared for. Screen-free activities build stronger connections.
The Joy of Reading
One of the best ways to bond with children is through reading aloud together. Let them pick books that interest them – whether it’s fantasy novels, funny comic books, or factual encyclopaedias. As you take turns reading pages, you’ll share laughs, gasps of surprise, and deep discussions about the story and characters. Reading encourages language skills, expands vocabularies, fuels curiosity, and most importantly, brings people closer together.
Family Game Night
Plan a weekly family game night to spend quality time together playing classic board games like Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, or mousetrap. Card games like Uno, Go Fish, and Monopoly Deal are also fun, simple options for younger kids. Outdoor games like tag, hopscotch, or frisbee are great ways to get active, too. Playing games as a family teaches social skills like taking turns, being gracious in winning/losing, and cooperating. Most importantly, it provides laughter-filled memories.
Cook Up Some Bonding
Kids can learn so much from helping out in the kitchen – math and science concepts, fine motor skills, healthy eating habits, and responsibility. Have them help select recipes, gather ingredients, measure, stir, and assemble. Let them sprinkle on some creativity by adding favourite toppings or arranging food into fun shapes. Cooking side-by-side allows for conversation about topics they care about. And sampling the tasty results together is a rewarding way to bond over shared joy and accomplishment.
The Great Outdoors
Unstructured outdoor play time is vital for children’s wellbeing and development. Take them to parks where they can run free, climb trees, fly kites, roll down hills, or create nature art from sticks and leaves. Go on scavenger hunts to see who can find the most interesting rock or prettiest flower. Observe birds, butterflies, and other wildlife together. Outdoor adventures strengthen bodies and minds, lower stress, and connect us to each other and nature.
Imaginative Play
Unstructured play encourages creativity and relationship-building. Provide dress-up clothes and props for roleplaying different scenarios – firefighters, chefs, astronauts, royalty. Set up play tents for cozy hideouts. Use paper plates, boxes, and fabric to construct forts. Play with action figures, dolls, stuffed animals, and puppets. Join in their pretend world and allow conversations to unfold naturally. Imaginative play reveals their thoughts, feelings, and interests.
When families and foster carers take time away from screens to connect through creativity, it strengthens emotional bonds and builds confidence. Keep the activities simple, fun, and focused on being fully present with each other. These meaningful moments will be treasured.
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