Go Screen-Free: 10 Activities to Help Families Unplug.

When you or your children are stuck staring at a screen, it’s hard to make the most of family time. Take this as a sign to turn off the TV, phone, or tablet. Then, you can try out these fun activities to help families unplug, and make amazing new memories with the most important people in your life.

• Throw a game night. Find an age-appropriate game or two, get a few snacks, and settle in at the kitchen table it’s time for a game night. You can even find an educational game to help encourage your child’s learning.
• Have a painting party. For a painting party, all you need is paper, paint, and paintbrushes. When you finish, you can hang the art on the fridge!
• Create a summer garden. Creating a garden will give you and your child a whole season’s worth of family togetherness. Planting, watering and picking you can enjoy time with your child day after day.
• Get cooking. Whether you want to make breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even dessert, it’s time to head to the kitchen. Even young children can help with age-appropriate tasks, like selecting toppings for a pizza. Plus, this activity will help teach your child life skills that he or she can use as he or she grows up.
• Head to the museum. Culture, art, and history museums bring it all. Find a cool local museum or take a trip somewhere new. You can even research online to find a museum tailored to your child’s interests.
• If your child is old enough to volunteer, consider trying out this option among our activities to help families unplug. Maybe you can volunteer at a soup kitchen. Perhaps your child likes animals, making volunteering at an animal shelter a great option. Or maybe your older child has a particular talent at school, making him or her a great tutor for other children. No matter how you volunteer, your child will benefit from giving back to the community.
• Throw a cleaning competition. Want to spend time with your family? Need to deal with clutter? Throw a cleaning competition. Then, assign your child a room like his or her own to clean. You can stay in the room with him or her, folding clothes or helping clean. Keep a timer on and when it finishes, you can reward your child for a job well done.
• Explore the outdoors. You may have spent the winter stuck indoors, but not anymore. Now is the perfect time to take your child to explore nature.
• Talk to each other. The more you talk to your child, the better he or she will become at communication. Spend time together just making conversation. This can be at the dinner table, on a walk, or simply on the couch during some downtime.
• Read a book ‘like Pinky Bear.’ Reading to your child will help create a sense of togetherness. It also allows him or her to excel at school. Now, reading offers another advantage: helping your child potty train, thanks to the kid-friendly Potty Train with Pinky Bear book.