10 Ways to Get Kids Off Screens & Outdoors!

How do you get kids off screens, away from the pixels and spending more time outdoors?  We're here with 10 screen free entertainment swaps for more green and less screen! In fact, we think these ideas will be fun for the whole family.

 

1. Swap TV for Books

Childrens Books

Cover of Naturopolis by Deborah Frenkel, illustrated by Ingrid Bartkowiak

Reading has such a positive impact on our brains. It promotes mental stimulation, imagination, improves memory, thinking skills, and even improves verbal skills.

At Biome, we love children's books that inspire curiosity, a love of nature, and early activism. Check our our specialist collections:

Empowering Books for Girls & Boys

Children's Picture Books About Sustainability

Indigenous Story Books

Happy, Kind, Mindful Kids

  

2. Swap the Playstation for Quoits

Nothing beats a fun game of skill with friends or family. The fresh air, friendly competition and physical exercise are a sure-fire mood booster, and a much nicer endorphin release compared to video games. We love this Planet Finska range of wooden toys, including this quoits set made from sustainable materials and that is built to last.

Another fun favourite that engages everyone from young to old together, while testing some maths and strategy, is Finska.  Learn how to Play Finska here.

3. Swap FarmVille for Gardening

Microgreens growing kit

Remember FarmVille? Well you can live the real thing with the Micropod range of grow kits.  Microgreens grown right at home with ease, for less cost than supermarket greens, and without any plastic waste!   Microgreens are full of nutrition and flavour, and are a delicious accompaniment to many meals.  

Biome also offers a wide range of vegetable, herb and flower seeds, for planting in the garden or pots.

4. Swap Kid Apps for Outdoor Adventures

opinel my first pocket knife rounded blade knife

Opinel has been making pocket knives for over one hundred years! 

They make a wide variety of tools, from kitchen knives to saws to kid-friendly rounded end pocket-knives. Inspire your child to get out there and get their hands dirty, or wood whittling, with a new Opinel tool.

 For more inspiration, see our Adventure & Outdoor Books here

5. Swap WiFi for Fresh Air

Disconnect and recharge - swap the WiFi for fresh air. What's there to do outside, the kids ask? Your Wild Books has it covered.

Beautiful and practical, this range of books is full of engaging activities children. Fabric printing, wood whittling, make your own pocket press and more. You will discover new ideas for outdoor play, and also find ways to bring nature indoors - perfect for those times when you're stuck inside.

 

6. Swap Messaging for a Picnic

Picnic plates

Enjoy face to face conversations, while catching up with family and friends.

Let the kids run around, play a game of Finska and enjoy the fresh air.

Keep it eco-friendly by avoiding disposable plastic plates and cutlery. Take your plates home and wash them, or use palm leaf plates (pictured) which can be composted.

7. Swap Food Shows for Cooking

While the whole family can get behind the likes of MasterChef and Cake Wars, getting into the kitchen yourself with the kids can be great for mental health.

Research suggests that becoming engrossed in a recipe, and following it through to completion can help boost concentration, confidence, self-esteem and curb negative thinking. Why not get the kids to help make their own school lunches?

 Soulfull Tribe's range of bake kits are easy to use and produce delicious results. They are also free from gluten, dairy, and refined sugar, and vegan.

8. Swap Blogging for Journaling

Nature Journalling with children

Blogs are a popular way to read other's thoughts and ideas and even record your own. However, did you know writing, taking notes and recording information longhand can help you process and comprehend information more effectively than typing?

Journaling is also a great process for reflection, mindfulness, gratitude and relaxation.  Nature journalling is the practice of drawing or writing in response to nature, helping you to connect more closely with the natural world around you.

Find journals and books here to get started.

9. Swap Cinemas for the Beach or Bush Walk

Bushwalking books

Exploring the beach or bush walking provides fun for the whole family. Visit your local council website, or local Facebook groups.

Make it a zero waste excursion, and take your own lunch, insulated water bottle and reusable cutlery.

 

10. And, "Don't Forget the (natural version of) Aeroguard"

Natural Mosquito Repellent

 Biome's new Mozzie Mist has concentrated citronella, a smell that mosquitos avoid!

 


Further Reading https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/brain.2013.0166 https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article/25/5/1188/311796 https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-road-to-mental-health-through-the-kitchen-1418059204 https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/were-only-human/ink-on-paper-some-notes-on-note-taking.html
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