Kourtney Kardashian
In this digital age where we’re all glued to our smartphones and electronic devices, something as simple as playing yard games outside can sound like a foreign or ancient activity for children and young adults. In the past five years, the average time kids spend watching online videos has doubled. That’s an alarming stat. We get it, sometimes it’s simply easier to hand our little one an iPad so we can focus on our daily tasks, but it’s our job as parents to limit app, TV, and YouTube usage. Just like everything in life, it’s all about balance and moderation.
Fueling children with creative outlets and educational projects is fundamental for their mental health and overall wellness as their brains are still developing. To encourage you to replace tech time with ventures that give back and inspire their young souls, we’re sharing five ways to spend time with your kids through skill-building activities that are all free.
-Have a vision board afternoon or evening.
Break out the good ol’ arts and crafts box and set up a vision board station for your kids. This will stimulate their creative muscles and allow them to express their dreams through a colorful and truly unique masterpiece. You can use old magazines and newspapers to clip out what inspires them (won’t cost you anything), and once they are done, they can gain public speaking experience by presenting what their completed board means to them.
Kourt and her children recently joined a day with @futureearth to help plant trees with @treepeople_org. Research where you can get involved in your area to teach your young ones the importance of taking care of our planet.
-Spend an afternoon volunteering.
Start them early when it comes to giving back to the community. Let your kids pick an organization they’d like to learn more about and make a plan to volunteer there (or get involved however you can) at least once a month.
-Have a cooking challenge.
Teach them basic cooking skills but make it exciting. Have them raid your pantry and fridge to create a recipe using items you already own. Sounds like a great way to clean out your kitchen, right? Be sure to have them wash and put away the dirty dishes too. They will think it’s fun if you position it as a challenge or “competition.”
-Make handmade snail mail cards.
Have them pick two or three people they’d like to write to (maybe it’s their grandparents or a friend from school). They won’t even realize they are practicing their penmanship skills and how to articulate their thoughts through the homemade letters.
What free and educational activities are favored in your household? We want to know in the comments on Instagram.
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