Reducing screentime - ideas for only child

[feejee]

Son 10 would do nothing other than be on computer all day, he does lots of coding, game design, microbit but also plenty of youtube and roblox.

I'm looking for suggestions to give him for non-screen activities once holiday club ends and theres still whole afternoon and evenings left. Especially anything that doesnt require my full attention, as i also need to cook and clean up once ive finished work. He's never been able to do things on his own other than computers and lego (under assessment for asd and adhd).

Any ideas of things I can introduce him to? What do your kids do to keep themselves amused?

I think you just have to explain ‘no screens because x, y and z’, allow him to get upset, then outrageously bored, then find things to do. Think about school holidays when you were young… you don’t pick their non-screen interests, they do.

But I would say have a ball around, some books, a guitar… don’t know really, just stuff he might pick up after being bored for a few hours. What else is he interested in?

I work with children and teens and they often love Snap Circuits. There are lots of different sets.

Is your DC into music? Maybe some decks?

As a solitary activity, Lego or reading or drawing. But what about having friends over or going to see friends?

Honestly, mine is 11 and I take screens away and tell her to entertain herself. Sometimes I boot her outside and just let her get up to whatever (obviously it has to be safe where you live to do that). It’s good for them to be bored and not have you organise an activity so they have to entertain themselves. If they don’t have that practice, they will never do it.

Read. Listen to audio books. Colour. Doodle. Crosswords. Lego sets. Kicking a football against the garage door. Pogo stick. Chalk drawing on the driveway. 500 piece jigsaw. Read the Beano magazine.

think back relatively recently to our childhoods without screens. We found things. You need to let him get bored and he will find something.

Does he line drawing? You can get books which teach you how to draw Lego characters for example. Or a coding robot perhaps?