5 Screen Free Activities for Children

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There’s no arguing that technology is addictive. It gives us an outlet to have fun, play games, and stay in touch with loved ones. As the various platforms have evolved, it’s become increasingly difficult to get children to engage in screen-free activities. A problem as excessive screen time can affect the eyes, concentration, physical health, and mental wellbeing. We have teamed up with a private girls’ school in Manchester to share 5 screen-free activities that you can do with your child below.

Arts and Crafts

Crafting teaches children how to think creatively whilst helping them to express themselves and practice their fine motor skills. While it’s not the tidiest of activities, it’s one that they will have a lot of fun doing and will help them in their development.

Cooking

Children are intrigued by a lot of things that grown-ups do and cooking is one of them. By getting them involved you can equip them with essential life skills for the future.

Board Games

Board games involve strategy and can help children to exercise their brains. They also make for great bonding time too.

Gardening

Time spent in the garden can in fact help children with their mental health as the outdoors and greenery helps them to feel less anxious. A great way to encourage children to spend more time outdoors, and in their own garden is by creating a safe haven for them. Somewhere for them to relax, and unwind is great for their mental health too. How about investing in a cosy hammock from Hammock Heaven? Great for children and parents alike.

A Day Trip

There’s a whole wide world out there with so much for your child to learn and discover. They don’t need to cost anything either. You can visit local farms and other nearby attractions.

Other Ways to Limit Screen Time

Modern problems require modern solutions. If you’re struggling to manage your child’s screen time, you might find a content monitoring tool like Norton Family helpful. They help you to keep an eye on what your child does online and set restrictions so that they actually stick to their screen time limits. You can receive all of this information in the form of easy-to-read, digestible, real-time reports that notify you of what they are viewing which can also be beneficial from a safety perspective.

Top Tips for Supporting Your Child's Academic Progression

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As a parent, your words have the greatest impact on your child. They can motivate them to be the best that they can be and help them to overcome obstacles like those in their academic career. Aside from using words of encouragement, there are a number of ways that you can support your child’s academic progress. A senior school in Surrey shares a few of them with us below.

Routine
Routine is so important for children. It helps to maintain normality which in a time where there is so much change around them can be a comfort. It can help them to also form healthy habits and be better prepared for learning. An example of this is sleep. Without a good sleep routine, your child will struggle to concentrate at school and retain information.

Be An Involved Parent
Asking your child questions and staying in the loop is the easiest way of showing them that what they are doing is important and helping them to feel valued. As well as helping them to take school seriously, you have the opportunity to offer help where possible and improve their chances of doing well.

Speak to Their Teachers
As well as speaking to your child, speak to their teachers. They will be able to give an insight as to how they’re doing, and inform you of any concerns, and where they could benefit from further support. Aside from parents' evenings, teachers are more than willing to share information regarding this to help their pupils.

Do Learning of Your Own
Children pick up on the behaviours of their parents and look up to them as their role models. By taking up learning opportunities you can motivate your child to also do the same. That doesn’t have to be anything academic per se and can even be learning a new skill or mastering a new recipe.

Does My Child Need a Tutor?

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All children can benefit from extra tuition, not just those that require the support but those that are academically gifted too. They are able to solidify what they have been taught, get ahead by learning new content that’s not yet been covered, and have help revising (something particularly handy before all-important school entrance exams). We have teamed up with a private school in Cardiff to help you decide whether your child needs a tutor.

They’re Struggling to Revise

Independent study is something that good grades rely on but can be hard to do in reality with so many distractions around. A private tutor can help to make sure that your child gets their revision done and receives support with that. Many too are examiners themselves and have prior experience in preparing students for their exams, making them the best people for the job.

Your Child Has a Learning Disability

Learning disabilities can affect children in a range of ways depending on what they are. At school, it can be particularly tough for them to take information on board which is where a tutor can help. They can take things at their pace and go over the material as many times as needed using techniques designed to help.

Entrance Exams

Exams are something that we briefly touched on earlier. As tutors offer a much more personal experience, they can help your child with their specific educational needs and prep them for their exams. Many have prior experience of doing so and know the mark schemes and syllabuses very well.

Time

As a parent time isn’t always on your side. It can be difficult to make time for your child and help them with their homework. A tutor can relieve some of the pressure by giving them professional support with their studies.

What to Do if Your Child Doesn't Enjoy School

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School is vital for children to attend as its puts them where they should be in their learning and development… but what do you do if your child detests it? It’s not uncommon for children to dislike school but if they’re adamant that they don’t want to go and are showing signs of concern, it’s something that you should speak to them about alongside their teachers. If any of this sounds familiar, continue reading for guidance from a boarding school in Ireland.

Speak to Your Child
As mentioned above, the first step is for you to speak to your child to understand why they feel the way that they do. Reassure them by letting them know that you’re there to listen and help as it may be hard for them to open up about their problems. If they are more complex, you may find that their teacher can help and offer professional advice.

Speak to Their Teacher
If you’re not able to gauge what’s wrong with your child, speaking to their teacher may help as they are able to observe their behaviour in class and anything else that may be affecting them. Together, you can speak to them and create a plan of action.

Additional Help
No one likes doing the things that they are bad at. If your child doesn’t enjoy school, it may be that they’re struggling academically and can benefit from some extra support. Again, you can speak to their teacher to arrange something or find new ways of explaining things to them. Private tuition is another option that’s worth considering and could also help them with their confidence.

Celebrate Their Achievements
Your child will go through many milestones at school and it’s important to recognise and celebrate each one of them. By doing so, you give your child things to look forward to, feel proud about and help them enjoy going to school.

The Benefits of School Uniform for Children

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There seems to be mixed feelings when it comes to school uniform, with some children preferring it while others favouring the idea of wearing their own clothes. However, school uniform serves a purpose and provides many benefits, as discussed below by a prep school in Chelsea.

Saves Money

Although you probably feel like you have to spend a fortune on school uniform at the start of the academic year, it actually works out cheaper than if you had to provide your child with a different outfit for every day. This is particularly true if your child is inclined to want to keep up with the latest trends, which change like the weather, and designer fashion. School uniform is usually better quality than high street fashion, which means they should last longer.

Provides Greater Focus on School Work

Children have enough distractions without also putting added thought into fashion. With that said, school uniform heightens a child’s focus on academic work rather than what the person next to them is wearing.

Prevents Bullying

Children can be cruel and often find anything and everything to pick on one another about. If they are all dressed the same, it gives them one less thing to judge their peers on and essentially evens the playing field, regardless of social status. For instance, one child can’t bully another for wearing unfashionable or inexpensive clothing.

Promotes a Sense of Belonging

When all children are dressed the same it creates a sense of community, which promotes the feeling of belonging to a wider whole. This is great for a child’s well-being and self-confidence.

Easier for Teachers

School uniform makes life easier for teachers in a variety of ways. If they are on a school trip, for instance, they can quickly spot who they are responsible for and who they aren’t. For the same reason, it is easier to spot intruders if they were to somehow enter the school premises. Additionally, teachers are better able to keep an eye on what their students are wearing and enforce rules so that everyone dresses respectably and represents the school in a favourable way.

So, as you can see, a school uniform is not only beneficial for a child’s well-being and academic progress, but also for parents and teachers.

Exploring Mindfulness with Your Child

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Mindfulness is all about giving your full attention to what is happening in a particular moment, like what you’re thinking and feeling, or what’s going on in your surroundings. It’s a technique used to tackle anxiety because it allows a person to bring their thoughts back to the moment rather than worrying about something that may or may not happen or dwelling on the past. It also has the potential to allow a person to feel happier and more fulfilled because they are able to enjoy each experience as it happens rather than allowing instances to flash by without a second thought. Here’s some advice from a private school in New York on how to explore mindfulness with your child.

Tune Into the Senses

Try and encourage your child to think about what they can see, hear, taste, feel, or smell at any given moment. For instance, if you’re out for a walk, you could talk about the sound of the gravel beneath your feet or the breeze blowing through your hair. Sharing some of your own examples will encourage them to do the same. Even if you’re eating a snack, you could talk about the texture or flavour. This will encourage your child to truly think about an experience as it’s happening so their mind doesn’t wander to friendship problems or school stress.

As well as thinking about the experience in literal terms, and how it makes your child feel on the outside, ask them to think about how it makes them feel on the inside too. In other words, does the experience make them feel joyful or anxious? Are they excited or scared? If they know how certain experiences make them feel, they will learn what to repeat or avoid in the future.

Encourage Journaling

Journaling is often used as part of mindfulness interventions and is very beneficial for young people. It’s great for helping them tune in to their innermost thoughts and feelings and let them out on the page, which can reduce stress and anxiety and help improve confidence. It’s important to note that the process of journaling is what’s important, not the content itself, and your child can write about anything from a detailed entry about their day at school, or a list of things they are grateful for that day.

These are just a couple of ideas to get you started. Bear in mind that mindfulness takes time and practice, it isn’t something that your child will likely grasp straight away. However, the more they practice, the more natural it will become.