5 Screen-Free Activities To Do With Your Child This Fall 

Now that the summer is coming to an end and the weather is going to get cooler, it’s easy to want to stay inside and get cozy. This makes it easy to turn on the TV or a video game to entertain your child. The average child between the ages of 8 and 18 spends more than seven hours on screens every day, says the National Wildlife Federation. Get your kids out of the habit of sitting in front of electronics by doing these screen-free activities with them. These are great activities for your nanny to do with your kids.

1. Family Game Night

Many families have regular movie nights, during which they might make popcorn and gather in front of the television at home. Try switching up that routine by holding a game night instead. Encourage everyone to choose their favorite game, and play each of them. Alternatively, you can hold a tournament for a particular game and reward the winner by playing their favorite outdoor activity with them.

2. Learn To Play An Instrument

If you’ve always wanted to play a musical instrument, you can start learning along with your child. The ukulele and piano are ideal instruments for young children. Even if your little one seems too young to be interested in music, demonstrating your own commitment to learning can keep your child curious.

There are many apps available to help you learn to play music. Although that would involve using screens, you would have plenty of screen-free time to practice and hold singalongs.

3. Write And Illustrate A Book

Come up with a story to write and illustrate with your child. You can let your kiddo direct the whole project or delegate different roles. When you’re done, use a photobook service such as Shutterfly to print the book. As an added bonus, you can give the books out as holiday gifts.

4. Make Fall Decorations

There are plenty of holidays to prepare for between October and January. Decorating your home with DIY décor is a great way to involve the children in beautifying their environment.

You can make a variety of decorations using leaves, including:
• Leaf garlands
• Leaf prints
• Leaf rubbings
• Leaf collages
• Leaf bowls

Work on writing by having your child make up place cards for your holiday parties, or have your child help make his or her own Halloween costume.

5. Start A Collection

Expand your child’s inquisitiveness by starting a collection. The sky is the limit when it comes to accumulating collectibles.

You can gather items from nature, coins, rocks, baseball cards, stamps or books. Encourage your child to come up with a creative way to display the items.

This is also a great way to divert children from wanting to shop for toys every time they accompany you to the store. Focus on seeking out items for the collection instead of random playthings in which they’ll quickly lose interest.