Key Takeaways:
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Families often default to screens for entertainment, causing a disconnect and reducing meaningful interactions.
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Relying on screens for fun can feel unavoidable—after all, digital entertainment is easy, immediate, and convenient. However, too much screen time can harm mental health, reduce creativity, and weaken family bonds.
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By embracing screen-free activities and establishing tech-free zones, families can rediscover fulfilling and engaging entertainment that strengthens relationships and boosts well-being.
Wondering how to lower your family’s screen time? You’re not alone.
In today’s tech-driven world, screens dominate our daily lives—from binge-watching shows to endless scrolling on social media.
And, unfortunately, this has led to a disconnect within families, as we often isolate ourselves behind devices, even when we’re all in the same room.
But changing that also sounds hard because no one wants to give up on their entertainment. Perhaps not even you.
So, here’s the good news: reducing screen time doesn’t have to mean giving up on fun.
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With the right strategies, your family can stay entertained, connected, and healthier without relying on screens. And in this post, we’ll teach you how.
Entertainment is a Huge Chunk of Our Screen Time
I know everything’s online today, from work to education. But do you know that we spend the majority of our screen time on entertainment?
Yep. That’s right.
According to a JAMA Pediatrics study, screen time for entertainment has skyrocketed in recent years, especially during and after the 2019 pandemic, with children’s screen time increasing by 52% globally from 2020 to 2022.
This surge is largely due to the shift from structured educational screen use to unregulated entertainment and leisure activities.
Entertainment Outpaces Productivity
For most families, screens are the go-to source of relaxation after work or school.
According to research published by the Institute for Child Success, a typical family evening often revolves around screen-based activities such as:
- Watching shows or movies on streaming services like Netflix and YouTube.
- Engaging in multiplayer video games, which often provide both social interaction and entertainment.
- Browsing social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok
This shift is even more pronounced in adults, where work-related screen use is quickly overshadowed by entertainment during non-work hours.
In fact, a report by EdTech Magazine reveals that entertainment consumption is the most significant driver of screen time for both children and adults.
Why We Default to Screens for Entertainment
Screens offer immediate and effortless entertainment.
Video games, streaming services, and social media provide endless content at our fingertips, offering a dopamine rush similar to the instant gratification seen in addictive behaviors.
Whether it’s scrolling through Instagram or binge-watching a series, screens have become our go-to for entertainment, far outpacing productive activities like reading, learning, or work.
This isn’t just a preference—it’s ingrained in our routines.
After long workdays or school, it’s easier to turn to screens for passive entertainment rather than engage in more demanding activities like exercising, crafting, or outdoor play.
So, here’s how you can change that.
How to Lower Your Family’s Screen Time: 5 Alternatives
We seem to have forgotten how fun it was before screens took over our lives—the outdoors, physical activities, meeting people, sharpening creativity—believe it or not, mentally going back to that time is the one thing that can help you lower your family’s screen time, without snatching their entertainment.
Have a look.
Outdoor Adventures
Time in nature reduces stress, improves your mood, and boosts your cognitive function. Here are some activities you can do outside with your whole family.
Geocaching: A Real-World Treasure Hunt
Geocaching is an outdoor adventure where you use GPS to find hidden treasures, or “caches,” in parks, forests, and even urban areas.
It’s like playing a real-life video game where participants have to solve puzzles, follow clues, and navigate the world around them.
Geocaching combines the thrill of discovery with the physical act of exploring nature.
Why It Works:
It’s an excellent way to satisfy the craving for adventure that video games provide, while encouraging movement and teamwork.
Kids and adults alike get to exercise their minds and bodies without feeling like they’re “giving something up.”
Nature Walks and Scavenger Hunts
If geocaching feels too complex, start with a simple nature walk or scavenger hunt.
You can create lists of objects to find, like particular plants, rocks, or even animals. Encourage your kids to explore their surroundings and learn about the natural world.
This form of adventure works particularly well for younger children who love to explore their environment.
Why It Works:
Scavenger hunts engage critical thinking and problem-solving skills while promoting physical activity.
They can be themed to your kids’ interests—whether it’s finding specific types of leaves, searching for animal tracks, or looking for hidden objects you’ve placed around the park.
Creative Crafts: Hands-On Fun That Stimulates the Mind
Crafting is an excellent alternative to screen time because it actively engages the brain and hands.
It offers a sense of accomplishment similar to beating a game level or completing a movie, but with the added bonus of creating something tangible.
Upcycled DIY Projects
Upcycling involves taking old or unused items and turning them into something new and useful.
For example, you can create a birdfeeder from a bottle, or transform a cardboard box into a doll’s house or decorative item for your home.
These projects not only stimulate creativity but also teach sustainability.
Why it works:
Upcycling allows for open-ended play, which is key for developing creativity and problem-solving skills. Unlike a screen-based experience, where all the content is provided, crafting requires imagination, decision-making, and fine motor skills.
Painting, Sculpting, and More
Encourage your children to paint, draw, or sculpt. If you want, you can join them, too.
Whether it’s abstract painting or creating figurines from clay, these activities engage the same creative parts of the brain as designing something in a video game, but in the real world.
Why It Works:
Art activities offer the satisfaction of creation. Children can see and feel the results of their work, which builds confidence and encourages them to pursue other screen-free hobbies.
Making art can also be an incredibly therapeutic activity, providing a calming, focused way to pass the time.
Family Game Nights: Entertainment Without Electronics
Game nights are a fantastic way to bring the family together for screen-free fun.
Board games, card games, and even physical games can offer the same level of excitement as video games but with more social interaction.
Board Games That Encourage Strategy and Fun
Games like Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, or Ticket to Ride challenge players to think critically, strategize, and collaborate.
These games engage the brain much like a strategy-based video game, but they also promote conversation and bonding.
Why It Works:
Strategy games provide a competitive and immersive experience, offering long-lasting entertainment without the screen.
The brain’s reward centers light up during board games, similar to the feeling of winning in a video game, but with more face-to-face interaction.
Active Games Like Charades
If your family prefers more physical activities, consider games like Twister or Charades. These games get everyone moving and laughing, offering a full-body alternative to sitting and playing digital games.
Why it works:
Active games not only encourage movement but also foster creativity. Charades, for example, challenges players to think quickly and express themselves without words, improving both mental agility and social skills.
Skill-Building Activities: Learn and Grow Together
Learning new skills can be a fun and productive way to replace screen time.
Whether it’s cooking, gardening, or learning an instrument, skill-building activities offer a sense of progression and mastery, much like advancing through levels in a video game.
Cooking: Fun and Delicious
Teaching your kids how to cook offers hands-on experience in the kitchen, and the reward is a tasty meal!
You can even make it competitive by hosting a mini “family cooking contest” where each person gets to choose and prepare a dish.
Why it works: Cooking combines creativity, problem-solving, and patience. It offers the same satisfaction of completing a task as finishing a game level, but with real-life benefits.
Gardening: Nature’s Progress Bar
Gardening provides a long-term project that allows kids to watch plants grow, understand responsibility, and learn about nature.
Planting seeds and watching them bloom provides a sense of achievement and helps to develop delayed gratification skills.
Why it works:
Gardening provides physical activity and teaches children about nurturing and patience, which screens often lack. It’s a perfect combination of mental and physical engagement.
Create Tech-Free Zones in Your Hom
Designating specific areas of your home as “tech-free zones” encourages screen-free habits.
For example, keeping screens out of the dining room can lead to more focused family meals, while banning devices from bedrooms can improve sleep quality.
Tech-Free Dining Room
Make mealtime about connection by eliminating phones, tablets, and TVs from the dining area. Use this time to talk, share stories, and enjoy food together without the distraction of screens.
Screen-Free Bedrooms
Sleep experts recommend keeping screens out of the bedroom to promote better rest.
Create a nighttime routine that includes reading, journaling, or talking about your day rather than scrolling through a phone or watching TV.
Conclusion: Entertainment Without Sacrificing Fun
Reducing your family’s screen time doesn’t mean losing the joy of entertainment. By replacing digital habits with creative, active, and skill-building alternatives, you’ll find that real-world activities can be just as engaging—if not more so.
From outdoor adventures like geocaching and nature walks to creative crafting sessions and skill-building activities, you’ll find that life beyond screens is full of engaging and meaningful entertainment.
Implementing simple changes, like establishing tech-free zones or hosting family game nights, can transform the way your family interacts—leading to stronger relationships, better health, and more fun.
By reducing screen time and filling your family’s days with these fulfilling, enriching activities, you’re not only improving health and well-being but also deepening connections.
So remember, less screen time doesn’t mean less entertainment; it simply means making more room for the kind of fun that strengthens your family in every way.
