Our
parents didn’t know how to stop us from watching too much television.
Now we have the same headache – our kids are too busy with
PlayStation, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube etc. Technology development
is truly great, it allows us to communicate with each other on the
distance, work remotely, and learn. But isn’t it too much for our
kids? According to a study conducted by Common Sence Media, nowadays
children under 9 spend more than 2 hours on screens daily. Spending
so much time staring at the screen can lead to severe consequences
such as the lack of soft skills and Internet Addiction.
The
previous generations loved spending time outdoors, but it is not the
case for our kids due to the increased use of digital technologies
and media. According to experts in PDPlay,
outdoor play has a lot of benefits for children. The list includes
improving social skills, well-being, health and boosting creativity.
Here
are some ideas for helping your children to balance technology with
outdoor play in the 21st century:
Use
a GoPro
Kids
love YouTube, and a lot of them dream about making own vlogs.
Shooting a short movie can also be fun. Most important, it requires a
lot of effort. You can give your kids a GoPro camera for Christmas so
they can explore the world with it. For example, let them ride a bike
and film their journey or make a movie with friends and family
members. Filming is not only a good way to spend more time outdoors,
but it can also be a great hobby for your child.
Digital
Easter egg hunt
Some
kids don’t want to go for the Easter egg hunt anymore. Why will
they run around your house to look for fake eggs when they can play
with their phones or watch the video of kinetic sand cube drops? This
year you can prepare something truly special: make a map out of QR
codes that your kids can scan with their phones and get the hint for
next location.
Download
Pokemon Go
If
your kids love playing games on their phones, let them download
Pokemon Go. According to the latest research presented at an American
Heart Association meeting, this game helps people get more exercise.
An average user walks 10.000 steps a day to capture in-game
creatures. Pokemon Go is the most popular game that promotes physical
activity. Another great thing is that your kids will learn the area
better. If you don’t want to let them go all be themselves, join
them on this adventure.
TV
fitness
If
you watch cartoons or series together with your kid, introduce a new
rule of combining fitness with television. You can make space in
front of your TV and do some simple exercises while watching
favourite shows. For example, you can do push-ups, front plank, side
plank, cobra, forward lunge or side lunge. Your kids will not be able
to do without you. Be an example.
Drone
flight
It’s
difficult to find a person who doesn’t want to play with a drone.
You can take it to the vacation, play with it in your backyard or use
it in the house ( in a responsible way). Also, you can always rent it
to check whether you like it or not. Feel free to join your kid and
explore the possibilities of this technology together.
Set
up the rules
You
can speak to your kids about the use of technology in the house. The
best way to handle it is to show an example. If parents are addicted
to social media and check their phones all the time or watch
television the whole evening, children will do exactly the same.
Also, you can encourage kids to earn their tech time. For example,
one hour of physical activity for half an hour of watching YouTube or
playing video games. It was suggested by Len Saunders in her book
‘Keeping Kids Fit: A Family Plan for Raising Active, Healthy
Children’. If it doesn’t work, turn off the WiFi in the evening.
Yes, it means you will have to live without Facebook posts before
going to bed. Take some time to get used to it, and it will benefit
you as well.