Ways to Get Your Kids Off the Computer during this Summer

Looking back even just 10 years ago, it seems like kids were happy to play with toys or explore their world. And kids today? Well, many seem to be attached to their phones, Nintendo, and PCs. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of gaming every now and then – and even adults are guilty of popping the new SimCity disc into the laptop once in a while. But with summer just around the corner, now’s the time to start thinking about how to keep your kids from spending all day, every day at the computer screen. After all too much computer does less good.

The trick is to find some activities that will really keep them busy and stop them counting down the hours until they’re allowed to press the power button again. Here are just a handful of ways you can keep kids of all ages entertained without computer games and enjoy the great summer sunshine, too. 

Find Creative Competitions for your Kids

Competitions can be very appealing for kids – doing something small could result in big rewards, and so kids find participating in contests or competitions exciting and fun. Look for creative or skill-based competitions that encourage kids to either really think about their entry or spend time producing a winning masterpiece, such as SurfExcel’s Earth Day art competition. Your children will love using various materials such as glues and glitters to produce different designs, and it’s a simple way to turn plain painting and drawing into games for kids.

Show Off Your Artistic Flare 

Going for a walk around the local park? Why not add some extra fun and excitement? Show your kids what a great artist you are by painting their faces to look like pretty butterflies, roaring lions, or their favourite cartoon character before heading out. You can buy face paints from craft stores, but it’s so simple to make your own natural paints with some shortening, cornstarch, and food colourings. If you’re feeling brave, offer your own face as a canvas for your kids to show off exactly what they can do, too. There’s no limit to the designs your kids can create, only their imagination. 

Make A Picnic 

For older kids, there are few things less enticing than going for a picnic with Mom and Dad – unless they’ve helped make it! It’s always so rewarding to make and then eat your own picnic hamper, no matter what age you are. Gather the kids in the kitchen, and rather than choosing traditional picnic foods, choose more exciting offerings. 

Film A Movie 

Another activity to encourage creativity involves making a movie of your own. You can use your home video camera – or even the camera on your tablet or smart phone – and film your kids making their own movie. It can be about anything they want – first, you could help them come up with ideas and then help them write out a script. Perhaps they could do a ‘life is a day’ style movie showing what they get up to over the school break? Or, they could gather their friends and recreate scenes from their favorite TV shows, or they could even produce an informative movie showing how to recycle rubbish from the local parks to keep the community clean. Once finished, you and your family could make a snack and sit down to enjoy the film in your home.

With so many activities and games to do over the summer, there really is no need for your kids to spend too much time on their computer. Ask friends and neighbors for some more inspiration if you’re lacking ideas, or take a look online and see what other parents do to keep their families happy and busy during the school break. 

- The above post is a guest article from Surf Excel Team.