Disconnect2Reconnect: Engaging #gadgetfreehour activities and games for 1- to 9-year-olds

Time to pull your kids away from all screens! Shun the digital and just go manual to create memories without a screen for an hour. Check out our curated list of 10 activities to have fun the old-fashioned way during #GadgetFreeHour.

Our activity ideas for you and your child will help you disconnect from gadgets and reconnect with one another. We won’t be surprised if you decide to do a #GadgetFreeHour every day going forward.

Age group (Below 3 years)

Tip: If your child is below three years, you don’t need any elaborate complex activity ideas to spend gadget-free time! Just add a little drama to whatever activity you do with your little munchkin during that hour.

1. Once upon a time...

Kids of this age love listening to stories. Take your child in your lap and read the story aloud, you can add a few sentences of your own about the characters of the story though. You may go a step further once you finish reading and get your child to act out a scene from the book. Dressing up for the same would be fun too!

2. Dough it now

Take your child to the kitchen as you prepare for dinner and make dough for rotis. Give him some dough and ask him to give it some shape – roti, sun, cloud, flowers. Shapes, just like his imagination, will be endless.

3. Hide-and-seek

This is an all-time favorite activity for many kids. Ask your child to hide and you be the seeker. No harm if you miss some obvious sightings!

4. Chai pe charcha

Kids in this age group love pretend play. Ask your child to host a pretend tea party and enjoy the tea and snacks as a guest. Make it elaborate by dressing up for the party, you can even carry a small gift for the host. You can make use of your old plastic teacups too!

Age group (3 to 6)

Tip: Kids in this age group are curious by nature. To keep them engaged, make things interesting. Let them guess what would come next, or let them lead the way in a game.

5. Forget you’re a homosapien

Kids love animals and when you combine that with yoga asanas, it adds to the fun. Place two yoga mats or old bedsheets and start doing cat pose, camel pose, cow pose or downward-facing dog pose along with your child.

6.   Bunty aur Bubbly

Name a kid who does not like blowing bubbles? With gadgets away, bubbles could be a great way to spend quality time with your kid. You can make your own bubbles by mixing one cup of liquid dish soap, one tablespoon of glycerine and four cups of water.

7. Make a family tree

Your child may hardly know about your relatives and extended family. Why not use this #GadgetFreeHour effectively and take out your family album? Make a family tree with old photos. As you browse and place the photos to complete the tree, you can talk about childhood memories associated with that person.

8. Float and fish

Floating paper boats on a rainy day evokes childhood memories, right? You can recreate it at home with tiny paper boats and a tub full of water. Or drop small floating toys in the water and go fishing together. Be prepared for some spills!

Age group (6 to 9)

Tip: Kids in this age group love challenges. To keep them interested in the activity for one hour, you need to devise clever strategies that involve challenges.

9.  A greet thing to do

Use this #GadgetFreeHour to nourish your little one’s imagination. Get all the art supplies and some chart paper, and help your child make cards– for birthdays and anniversaries, or ones with messages like ‘get well soon’, ‘all the best’, and ‘thanks for coming’. We are sure those who receive the cards would be delighted and your child can take pride in creating something beautiful.

10. Activity jar

During the #GadgetFreeHour, make your living room a stage. Get a transparent jar, write down activities or your child’s hidden talent on small, colored strips of paper. Put those strips in the jar. As the #GadgetFreeHour approaches, open it and take turns to pick out a strip from the jar and perform that activity for the whole family. It could be mimicking a family member, dancing to your favorite song, reciting a poem written by your child or singing the latest viral song.

We are sure memories of this fun-filled #GadgetFreeHour will stay with you for a long time to come. As you wind up, don’t forget to collect your phone from the pile of gadgets you had kept aside. Click a photo of the activity you did during #GadgetFreeHour and share it with us. Also, spread the word and inspire other parents to make #GadgetFreeHour a part of their daily routines.