Tips to Keep your Kids Off a Screen
June 22, 2020This post contains affiliate links. Thank you to Razor for providing the Crazy Cart Shift featured in this post.
For many kids around the country, summer break is here. How will you keep your kids kids playing with toys, rather than staring at the TV / phone / tablet over the summer? Here are some tips to keep your kids off the screen over the next few months.
1. Get a toy that’ll bring them outside.
My daughters have been begging for a little motored vehicle for months now so when I had the opportunity to review the Crazy Cart® Shift™, I was thrilled.
This little vehicle is designed to be fun for both younger kids and older kids of all skill levels. Both of my kids absolutely love the Crazy Cart Shift!
One of the coolest features of the Crazy Cart Shift is it allows the child to drift! You can go from a fun spin session to an awesome drifting experience in no time!
The body of the Crazy Cart Shift is made of a high-impact polymer, so it’s both resilient and lightweight. It was so easy to pick this up and carry it outside or carry it across the curb. Also, even though the kids kit the curb a few times, there are absolutely no dents in the body of the vehicle.
Parents can select between two maximum speed levels: 2.5 mph for beginners and 8 mph for older drivers. Oh, and you don’t have to worry about charging it too frequently. It will drive for up to 40 minutes of continuous use in the high speed setting or up to 80 minutes of continuous use in the low speed setting. This little vehicle will definitely help us keep the kids off a screen this summer.
2. Be a positive role model!
If you want your children to practice reasonable habits when it comes to technology use, set a positive example. For example, do not check your phone during dinner and leave it aside during family time.
3. Set reasonable expectations!
Communication is key. If you expect your child to have no more than one hour of screen time per day, for example, make that clear up front. Explain that once that time period is used up, there is no more screen time for that day. Then follow through with enforcing that rule.
4. Get involved with play time!
Don’t sit on the sidelines. Get involved with your child’s play time. Get on the floor and get creative with the dolls, the building blocks, the play dough, etc. Your child will likely have so much fun playing with you that they’ll forget all about that video on the TV.
5. Do a backyard scavenger hunt!
There’s something fun about being outdoors for both kids & adults alike. One fun activity my kids have enjoyed recently is a backyard scavenger hunt. I’ll give them a list of random items that can be found in the yard and they have to race to collect them all. For example, some items on the list include: 3 twigs, 4 green leaves, 2 brown leaves, 5 blades of grass, 1 flower, etc.
How do you keep your kids entertained during the summer? Do you set limits for screen time?
How fun!!! My 12 year old would LOVE this. I might have to get him one!
These are great ideas! I need to work being more involved. Thanks for the reminder!
Cute! I haven’t seen those scooters before. When i was little I used the razor scooter, but this one looks much more fun.
How fun! I know my daughter will love this. She has a razor scooter that she loves to play with. It gets her off the phone!
This is such a cool toy I want one for me! Indeed nowadays keeping everyone off the screen is a challenge.
These are awesome tips. This would be perfect for my nieces and nephews.
I have a love hate relationship with screens that’s for sure. My kids do best when the weather is nice and their neighbor friends are home to play with. They would absolutely love that little car to ride around in!
Love this cart shift. This will definitely keep my kids outside for more time!
I definitely agree. Kids really love playing with other kids and with toys. It will always drive away their attention.
Those cars look like fun! My kids have been obsessed with their devices and it is so frustrating! Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for sharing, such a wonderful idea. Every parents should consider this and help their kids to stay away from any gadgets.
Okay I need two of these immediately! My twins grandkids are 5 and they would go crazy for this! Showing it to the hubby right now!
Such fun ideas for kids. My son is already a teen and prefers to play online games. He did play a lot outside when he was younger.
Oh my goodness my kids would go crazy for this.!
Playing outside has been essential for my children’s mental health during this crazy season.
My girls will love this for sure. They are outdoor junkies. They spend hours outdoors already but this will be a great addition for them.
It can be tough to limit screen time, but it is so worthwhile. That scooter looks like a lot of fun!
These are great ideas. I can say with certainty that my daughter is on screens more than ever, but everything I’ve signed her up for, music classes, cooking classes, drama classes, are all online. We’re trying to find balance.
I don’t allow my sons using gadget all the time. I buy them alot of toys like legos and other for them to play and to bond to each other.
I am loving the last one. Do a backyard scavenger hunt! This will be really fun that the kids will forget about the screens.
This is a fun way to keep them out of the screen. I am limiting my daughter using her cellphone, I need to.
an amazing cool toy to be used this summer. Thanks for this wonderful writeup and love your blog and the pics.
I love this ride when I was a kid. Nothing beats the fun on it outside the house.