Last Sunday was officially (and strictly, may I add) NO GADGETS DAY.. meaning, the kids cannot use any gadget, no Ipad, no Ipod, no computer and as much as possible, no TV (we’re still working on it).
The kids busied themselves with books, playing around and telling stories. And knowing how much these kids love gadgets and playing games on the P gadgets, I asked them how they are planning to spend the coming No gadgets Day. I asked them to give me 10 things that is FUN for them without the use of a gadget.
So here’s 10 FUN Things Your Kids Can Do Without Gadgets (from REAL boys perspective):
Play Hide and Seek
One of my fondest memory as a child is playing hide and seek, when my kids included this activity, I was delighted. But wait! This is not your ordinary hide and seek. I just remembered that hide and seek is no fun when you’re in a small place. It’s better to play it in an open field or a park or a plaza, where running is allowed (without worrying about the things you can break) and shouting is allowed (without your neighbor giving you a puzzled look) and where there’s so many imaginable place you can hide. So, obviously, that kind of hide and seek is not what my kids are talking about, how can hide and seek be fun when all they can do is hide on the playhouse or in the slide (and half of their body’s peeking).. I learned that the kind of hide and seek that they really enjoy is, hide and seek of their belongings like slippers, notebook or their game cards. I think it works the same with the hide and seek we know (eherm calling the kids of my age!)… the only difference is the “it” is the winner, whoever finds his belonging first, wins and will be the one to hide the belongings of the other players.
Wrap A Gift
This is one of their most favorite thing to do, they look for something small on their stash and wrap it using ordinary papers. They get very creative when they start decorating the wrapper with drawings and colors. I think they got that love for crafts from me. We love papers and the possibilities with papers is endless. I am sure in no time, my kids would be making their own loot bags out of paper.
Wrapping a gift is a FUN activity not just for them but for me too as I constantly receive small items “wrapped” with love!
Draw A Comic Strip
If the boys love doing crafts, they also love drawing, and of course, they got it from me too. Anything artsy crafts comes from me, anything logical and intellectual comes from the daddy (like playing chess and math). They usually enjoy drawing their favorite TV characters but I think making a comic strip will add more fun to that.
Read a Book
English/ Language has never been my favorite subject, I would always go for Math or Chemistry but never English. I am not confident with my English skills, so I was thinking of enrolling them in an extra class that will teach them better English. It’s not that I want them to be English majors (numbers is in their blood), I just want them to learn. My teacher friend said that I don’t have to enroll them on a special class, I just have to teach them to love reading. Armed with that knowledge, I dusted my mini cabinet and turned it into a mini library. From then on, they showed a lot of interest in reading. The thought that there is one little place for their books seems very effective in introducing the hobby of reading to them. So there, reading a book is a FUN activity for my kids.
Play Sports or Get Physical
Basketball is their favorite sports and allowing them to play on the nearby court is super FUN for them. On weekdays, they go for a 2 hours basketball training, but these kids just love this sports that even dribbling is FUN for them. Getting Physical means running around the house, it’s not fun as it is for me, but sometimes, I let it slide.
Tell Stories
..specially HORROR stories. I guess it is just natural that these kids love horror stories but would end up getting scared. I think even us adults love this activity, right? Aside from horror stories, these boys also love adventure stories and funny stories, well actually any story that they can think of!
LAUGH! LAUGH! LAUGH!
What else is more FUN than laughing! yes they do that to make FUN and consider laughing over something or nothing is a really serious activity. These boys just stare each other and they will erupt laughing.. Hmm, sounds familiar to me! As a child we also do that! We pretend to be really really serious containing our laughter then we’ll face each other, whoever laughs first is the loser, for what I can’t remember, all I know is, I had FUN laughing nonstop.
Picnic Pretend
Eating is a routine, you eat breakfast, eat lunch and then dinner, well not for my kids! As their meryenda can be turned into a picnic pretend. A small table is all you need, armed with cookies, milk and little stories. Of course a picnic is not a picnic if it is done inside, play picnic outside your house! Like on you garage, balcony or on your porch.
Board Games
This is a recent activity they just discovered. Blame me for introducing board games to them this late. And thank the daddy for introducing chess to my boys. So when gadget are banned, they opt for a nice chess game or scrabble game ( which reminds me, I need to buy a dictionary for them).
Clean Up
While we were listing down FUN ten things they can do without a gadget, it was a surprise that they mentioned cleaning up or helping Mommy around the house. It is FUN for them! hurrah!
I suggested sleep, but I only heard protest! hahahaha so it’s not FUN.. I heard someone suggested TV, but it is considered in the ban list. And to end this, let me give you a simple definition of what a gadget is.. it is an invention where its use is bigger than its size 🙂 go figure.
