In the modern world, technology is an integral part of most, if not all, of society. The workplace, school, entertainment, stores, restaurants — practically every area of life involves a screen in some fashion.
However, while devices are necessary and definitely beneficial, there is concern that too much screen time can have a negative impact on developing youths, especially younger ones. It can be tempting on long road trips to distract your children with tablets or smartphones. After all, it keeps them quiet and unbored. However, it is important to balance screen time with other screen-free pursuits.
1. Books
Reading is a great way to engage young minds. Stop by libraries and thrift stores for free and affordable selections. If your kids aren’t much for reading or get motion sick easily, you could borrow audiobook tapes from the library. You can also invest in kids activity Navasota TX books, such as maze, coloring, word search, crossword and sudoku books. There are even sticker playbooks and sticker-by-number books for those who enjoy images more.
2. Games
Road games like the classic I Spy and license plate Bingo are excellent ways to pass the time as a family. Magnetic board games are fun and, as a bonus, it’s a lot easier to keep track of their pieces.
3. Crafts
Encourage creativity with craft kits. Embroidery, knitting, string art, crochet and latch hook are all enjoyable crafts that don’t make a big mess and don’t necessarily require a lot of room. There are beginner books and kits that come replete with detailed instructions and all the needed materials so your kids don’t necessarily need to know how to do them ahead of time.
Screen time is not bad in moderate amounts, and technology is increasingly becoming more of a need than a want in today’s world. However, a little non-screen recreation certainly can’t hurt either.
