Gadgets have made life easier than we could ever imagine. They help us reach people, across the world, through calls/email, serve as great navigators when we are in someplace new, house apps which have transformed the way eat, dress and socialise! But most of all, gadgets have given us new forms of entertainment. Entertainment which is great, as long as we don’t get too carried away and forget the outside world – This is exactly what is happening with our children.
Busy parents who are working round the clock, submit to accessible & instant options like gaming apps to keep their children engaged. And the biggest advantage for the parents is that these games do not need their supervision or presence. So while they carry on with their work, children will keep themselves busy by swiping and tapping!
Introduce your children to games and activities listed below and see the change in them!
Board Games: Whatever happened to our old-school jigsaw puzzles, snake & ladder, ludo or scrabble? Yes, there might mobile/internet versions of these, but why not recreate the old charm of the entire family sitting around a board, throwing the dice and quarrelling about who is cheating? Games like Scrabble are not entertaining but educational too! It gives the parent a chance to motivate & realise their child’s potential. A jigsaw puzzle will teach your child patience & perseverance, something which speedy gadgets & instantly gratifying gaming apps will not!
Outdoor Hiking & Trekking: Make the best use of weekends and give your children a taste of nature. For starters pick a nearby hill which is fairly easy to climb and trek with your young ones. If they like cycling some nearby traffic-free spots will encourage them to ride & explore! Do carry some eatables & water and get a breath of fresh air, literally. Share random thoughts & impressions of nature or your everyday life with your kids and get ready to see a different dimension of them!
Outdoor Games: Apart from just sending them to cricket or tennis coaching, why not also get them interested in a game you used to enjoy playing during your childhood? It could be anything between cricket to hopscotch. Just the feeling of sharing an outside sport will not only result in great bonding but, will instil in them the significance of play & fitness.
Indulge In the Arts: Personal expressions are very important for children’s development. They use platforms like finer arts, dance, music or theatre to express and explore others and themselves. These forms cannot always be pursued in complete isolation and hence will give them scope to meet and converse with people. Ideating, sharing and collaborating to create a piece of art will always help build character. When it comes to the arts, there is always something more, than just the art form, that people learn. They learn the ways of life!
Take the time out and give your children a chance to discover themselves, you and the world. After all, there is much more to the world than swiping or clicking!