Most children today have a tablet, hand-held games console or larger console. From around 10, many children even have their own mobile phones. They use their devices to speak to their friends, to play games and to watch videos online. It’s thought that children as young as two and three are spending two hours every day online.

Some time on online can be good for our children. It teaches them skills that they will need for their futures, it can help them with school work and give them a way to keep in touch with family who live far away. There’s certainly nothing wrong with some screen time if you decide that it’s right for your family.

But, even with screen time rules and days off, you might start to worry about how long your kids are spending staring at screens. You might worry that they don’t spend enough time outside or playing with toys. That they don’t get enough exercise and vitamin D, or that their social and creative skills aren’t getting a chance to thrive.

If you are completely honest, you might also worry about the example that you are setting for your children. Most of us spend a lot longer than we’d like to admit scrolling through our Twitter feeds, adding every memory to Instagram or chatting with friends online. You might worry that your kids see you attached to your phone and that they learn from you. You might even be concerned that spending too much time online is harming your own mood.

One of the best things that you can do is get your family outside. You’ll bond while spending quality time together. You’ll all get more exercise, and you’ll instil healthy habits.

Start a Garden Project

Your garden is the easiest way to get outside. It’s free, it’s close to home, and it’s easy to run indoors if the weather turns. Make sure you’ve got plenty of toys outside to play with and then consider starting a family gardening project.

You could paint your fences or build a bird feeder together. You might want to add a pond with Pond Filters and fish. Or, you could start growing some of your favourite fruits and vegetables.

Leave Your Phone at Home

Many of us are guilty of checking our phones frequently throughout the day. Even when we’re out with our friends and family, we have one eye on our notifications and can easily find ourselves missing what people are saying to us because we’ve fallen down a social media black hole. Your kids are learning this from you. So, put your own screen time rules in place. When you can, leave your phone at home. Even in your garden, leave your phone indoors where you can’t see it.

Make Plans for the Weekends

Weekends come around every week, but we so often don’t have plans. When we have no plans, it’s tempting to stay home watching TV or catching up on chores. Your children might spend these days online or playing electronic games. So, instead, make sure you’ve got plans. Even if it’s just going to your local library or park.