In a world where screens are omnipresent, many parents are wondering: what can we do instead of screens to ensure our children's harmonious development? The stakes are high, as the 6- to 12-year-old age group is crucial for building self-confidence, cultivating creativity, and learning to manage emotions. Reducing screen time isn't a punishment; it's an invitation to explore a world of tangible activities that nourish the mind and strengthen family bonds.
This article was designed as a practical guide for parents seeking concrete and caring alternatives. Far from wanting to banish technology, our goal is to put it back in its rightful place and enrich your children's daily lives with meaningful experiences. You'll find detailed tips for reintroducing moments of reading, artistic creation, physical activity, gardening, cooking, board games, and meaningful social interactions.
Every idea is a gateway to greater creativity, emotional well-being, and unforgettable shared moments. Dive into this list to rediscover activities that spark imagination and strengthen essential skills, far from pixels.
1. Escape with books and reading as a family
Replacing screen time with reading is one of the most enriching solutions for a child. A book is not just an object; it is a portal to infinite worlds that uniquely stimulates the imagination. Unlike the passive content of screens, reading invites children to become the directors of their own stories, creating their own images, sounds, and emotions.
This quiet activity is a great developmental tool. It strengthens the child's ability to concentrate, which is often undermined by the constant demands of digital technology. It also significantly enhances vocabulary and the understanding of complex sentence structures, while also promoting the development of empathy as the child puts themselves in the characters' shoes.
How to establish this ritual?
For reading to become a valued habit, it's essential to gently integrate it into daily life. The goal isn't to force it, but to make it a moment of pleasure and sharing.
- Family Reading Time: Every evening after dinner, establish a time when everyone at home picks up a book. This sends a strong signal that reading is an activity valued by the whole family, not just a "chore" for the children.
- Regular library visits: Turn a trip to the local library or media center into a monthly adventure. Let your child explore the shelves, choose their own treasures, and earn their own library card.
- Create a parent-child book club: Once a month, you and your child choose a book to read (together or separately). Then organize a small "debate" over a snack to discuss what you liked, the characters, or the ending of the story.
- Become an illustrator: Invite your child to draw their favorite scene from the book they just finished. This extends the experience and anchors the story in their creativity.
Tip for parents: Example is the most powerful motivator. If your children see you enjoying reading, they will naturally be more curious and inclined to do the same. Your own relationship with books directly influences theirs.
2. Unleash the imagination with artistic and creative activities
Immersing children in artistic activities is a powerful and practical alternative to screen time. Drawing, painting, modeling clay, and crafts are not just hobbies. They are vehicles of expression that allow children to shape their inner world, materialize their ideas, and channel their emotions constructively.
Unlike passively consuming content, creating by hand engages children fully. It develops fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and patience—essential skills often overlooked in the digital age. Each completed project offers a tangible sense of accomplishment that fuels self-esteem far more deeply than video game success.
How to set up a creative workshop at home?
To make creativity a natural response to boredom, it's important to make it accessible and fun. The goal is to cultivate the joy of doing things, without the pressure of achieving results.
- Create a "creative corner": Dedicate a small space, even a simple cart or box, where all the materials (pencils, markers, scissors, glue, colored paper) are within easy reach. This autonomy encourages the child to start an activity spontaneously.
- The Weekly Creative Challenge: Start a simple theme each week: "draw your fantasy animal," "build a cardboard hut for your figurines," or "create a landscape with elements from nature."
- The Recycling Treasure Chest: Save toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, bottle caps, and other small everyday items. This treasure trove is perfect for construction projects or impromptu collages.
- Explore different materials: Don't limit yourself to drawing. Offer modeling clay, self-hardening clay, finger paints, or bead kits. Sensory discovery is an essential part of the creative process.
Tip for parents: Value the process more than the end result. Ask questions about their creation: "What gave you this idea?" "Tell me the story behind your drawing." Your interest in their approach is the greatest encouragement.
3. Exercising with physical exercise and sports
Replacing screen time with physical activity is a win-win for your child's physical and mental health. Movement helps release pent-up energy, channel stress, and improve sleep quality, which is often disrupted by the blue light from screens. Being active offers the body and mind a healthy and dynamic alternative to the sedentary lifestyle of digital life.
Beyond the health benefits, sports are a fantastic vehicle for social and emotional development. Team activities teach essential values like cooperation, respect for rules, and how to handle both victory and defeat. Even individual sports reinforce perseverance, discipline, and self-confidence as children see their own progress. It's a great alternative to screen time to build self-esteem.
How to integrate sport into daily life?
The goal isn't to train a high-level athlete, but to make movement a source of pleasure and well-being. It's crucial to find an activity that matches your child's personality and interests.
- Family Sports Challenge: Set fun challenges each week. For example, "Who can pass the ball the most times?" or "Let's have a mini-Olympics in the backyard." This turns exercise into a game.
- Explore local clubs: Check with your local town hall or sports associations. A trial class in judo, dance, basketball, or gymnastics may reveal an unexpected passion.
- Active walks: Turn walks into explorations. A forest outing can become a treasure hunt, a bike ride an imaginary obstacle course. The important thing is to combine movement with adventure.
- Parent-Child Yoga: Practicing yoga together at home using beginner videos is a great way to connect, work on flexibility, and learn to calm yourself through breathing.
Parent tip: Be a teammate, not just a spectator. Participate in activities with your child. A pick-up soccer game, a bike race, or a living room dance session strengthens family bonds and shows that being active is a shared pleasure.
4. Reconnect with nature through gardening
Growing your own plants is a wonderful alternative to screen time that grounds children in the real, tangible world. Gardening isn't just an occupation; it's a life lesson that teaches patience, responsibility, and the cycle of nature. Watching a seed grow into a flower or vegetable helps children understand the value of effort and time—concepts often absent in the instantaneous digital world.
This hands-on and calming activity is a great way to build self-confidence. Harvesting a tomato that you planted and watered yourself provides an incomparable sense of pride and accomplishment. It's also a gateway to healthier eating, as children are much more likely to taste the vegetables they grew.
How to establish this ritual?
You don't need a large garden to start. The goal is to connect with nature, no matter the scale, and to make it a fun and educational experience.
- Balcony vegetable garden: Start with a few pots on a balcony or windowsill. Plant aromatic herbs (mint, basil) or radishes, which grow very quickly. This allows for quick and motivating results.
- Create a gardener's journal: Give your child a notebook where they can draw the progress of their plants, stick leaves in, note watering dates or the appearance of the first shoots. It's an excellent observation exercise.
- Embark on a "bug rescue" mission: Set up a small insect hotel or a water dish for the bees. Explain to your child the crucial role these small animals play in nature. This turns gardening into a broader ecological adventure.
- Visit a community garden: Find out about community gardens in your city. Participating in a community project is a wonderful way to meet other families and learn from more experienced gardeners.
Parent tip: Let your child get messy and experiment on their own. Gardening is a sensory activity. Giving them their own tools (appropriate for their size) and their own small patch of soil will empower them and strengthen their commitment to the project.
5. Get involved in the family kitchen
Transforming meal preparation into a shared activity is a great way to replace screen time with a creative, meaningful, and engaging experience. Cooking isn't just a chore; it becomes a sensory playground where children discover textures, smells, and flavors, while learning lifelong skills.
This hands-on activity grounds children in reality and values their contribution to the home. Measuring, mixing, kneading, and tasting are all actions that develop fine motor skills, concentration, and patience. Cooking together also strengthens family bonds, transforming a daily need into a ritual of authentic sharing and transmission.
How to establish this ritual?
The idea is to invite children into the kitchen without pressure, by giving them tasks adapted to their age and desires. The goal is the pleasure of working together, not the perfection of the result.
- Chef for a Day: Once a week, let your child choose a simple recipe (a mixed salad, a quiche, pancakes) and become the "chef." Guide them through the steps, from reading the recipe to tasting the final dish.
- Create a family recipe book: Buy a pretty notebook in which you can write down your favorite recipes. Suggest that your child illustrate it with drawings or collages. It's a family treasure that will grow over time.
- Weekend themed workshops: Organize cooking sessions around a theme: pastry workshop (shortbread, yogurt cake), world cuisine workshop (pizzas, spring rolls, guacamole) or even an "anti-waste" workshop to create a dish with leftovers from the fridge.
- The Herb Mission: If you have a small balcony or windowsill, start growing a mini herb garden (basil, mint, chives). Your child will be responsible for maintaining them and proud to use them in their dishes.
Parent tip: Let go of the mess. A little flour on the floor or a spill on the countertop is part of the learning experience. By focusing on the joy of the shared moment rather than on cleanliness, you'll make cooking a positive memory, not a source of stress.
6. Dive into the world of board games and puzzles
In the digital age, board games and puzzles represent a wonderful refuge, a tangible and user-friendly alternative to screens. More than just a pastime, a board game is an invitation to direct interaction, reflection, and the sharing of authentic emotions with family or friends. It creates a space where strategy, cooperation, and a touch of luck combine to generate lasting memories.
This activity is a powerful driver of cognitive and social development. It teaches children to follow rules, wait their turn, and manage both victory and the frustration of defeat. From the concentration required for a complex puzzle to the strategic planning of a board game, these activities strengthen patience, logic, and problem-solving skills.
How to establish this ritual?
To make board games a welcome experience, it's important to present them as a source of shared enjoyment, not a burden. Enthusiasm is contagious and will quickly turn this activity into a family tradition.
- Establish a weekly game night: Block off a fixed time each week, such as Friday night, for a game night. Prepare drinks and snacks to make the time even more festive and friendly.
- Adapt games to age and tastes: Start with simple cooperative games where everyone wins or loses together to avoid rivalries. Gradually introduce strategy or puzzle games adapted to your child's maturity.
- Explore game cafés: Many cities now have game cafés. This is the perfect opportunity to discover hundreds of different games without having to buy them, and to benefit from the advice of passionate facilitators.
- Create a family puzzle challenge: Choose a 500- or 1000-piece puzzle and leave it on a designated table. Each family member can add pieces whenever they like. The goal is to complete it together, transforming a solitary activity into a collective project.
Parent tip: Don't just focus on winning. Emphasize the fun of playing together, the fun strategies, and the unexpected twists. Celebrate effort and good humor as much as the end result to cultivate a positive play spirit.
7. Cultivate authentic conversations and social connections
At a time when friendships are measured in likes and conversations are reduced to instant messages, replacing screens with real social interactions is more crucial than ever. Direct human contact, rich in nonverbal nuances and mutual listening, is a fundamental pillar of a child's emotional and social development. It teaches empathy, conflict resolution, and the simple joy of sharing.
Unlike digital communication, which is often superficial and rapid, face-to-face conversation allows for deep bonds and lasting memories. It's during these moments of exchange that children learn to position themselves, understand other people's points of view, and develop self-confidence. It's an essential life skill that screens can never replace.
How to establish this ritual?
The goal is to create natural opportunities for your child to exchange, debate, and simply chat, whether within the family or with others. It's not about forcing friendships, but about building an environment conducive to human connection.
- Establish family "dinner discussions": Once or twice a week, choose a fun or serious topic to discuss (for example, "If we could have a superpower, which one would we choose and why?" or "What does it mean to be a good friend?"). The goal is to let everyone express themselves without judgment.
- Intergenerational gatherings: Organize regular visits with grandparents, uncles, aunts, or even older neighbors. These exchanges are incredibly enriching and allow children to discover other perspectives on life.
- Join a local club or activity: Whether it's a board game club, a drama workshop, or a youth gardening group, group activities are a great way to foster interaction around a common interest.
- The "Question Jar": Place a box or jar on the living room table. Throughout the week, each family member can slip a question into it on a piece of paper. Once a week, pick a few questions and discuss them together.
Tip for parents: Practice active listening. When your child is talking to you, put down your phone, get down to their eye level, and really listen. Showing that their words are valued is the best way to encourage them to open up and prioritize conversation over the silence of screens.
Comparison of 7 alternatives to screens
| Activity | Key benefits for the child (6-12 years) | How to get started simply as a family? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Family reading | Develops imagination, empathy and concentration. | Establish a ritual of 15 minutes of reading together before going to sleep. |
| 2. Artistic creation | Strengthens self-confidence, allows you to express your emotions. | Create a “DIY box” with basic materials that are always accessible. |
| 3. Physical activity | Channels energy, teaches perseverance and respect. | Organize a bike ride or a walk in the forest on the weekend. |
| 4. Gardening | Teaches patience, responsibility and the cycle of life. | Plant some aromatic herbs in a pot on the windowsill. |
| 5. Family cooking | Values his contribution, develops autonomy and sharing. | Let the child choose and prepare a simple recipe (like a fruit salad). |
| 6. Board games | Teaches emotion management (winning/losing), strategy. | Choose a cooperative game where everyone plays as a team against the game. |
| 7. Conversations | Builds strong bonds, develops listening and empathy. | Start a fun conversation topic during dinner, without screens at the table. |
Building lasting habits, one small step at a time
Each of the alternatives presented in this article, from the joy of a shared board game to the pride of harvesting your own vegetables, is much more than a simple distraction. They are gateways to a world rich in sensory experiences, human interaction, and personal discovery. The goal isn't to eradicate screens in a quest for perfection, but to cultivate a healthy balance that nourishes your child's overall well-being.
Replacing screens then becomes less of a constraint and more of an exciting opportunity to redefine family time. It's about swapping passive consumption for active participation. By consciously choosing a creative activity, a nature outing, or a meaningful conversation, you're not just reducing device time. You're giving your child essential skills: patience, creativity, empathy, problem-solving, and self-confidence.
The real challenge is not to fight screens, but to make the real world so much more captivating that they become secondary.
Your action plan to get started
Getting started can seem daunting, but the key is to take it step by step. There's no need to revolutionize everything overnight. Here's a simple approach to initiating change:
- Choose one idea: Of all the suggestions (reading, art, cooking, sports), which one excites you and your child the most? Start with this one. The initial momentum is crucial.
- Plan a first "screen-free date": Write it on your calendar as a special event. For example: "Wednesday afternoon, we'll bake a cake together" or "Saturday morning, we'll build a cabin with pillows."
- Involve your child in the choice: Give them a sense of control and ownership. "This week, would you rather we try a new board game or go for a walk in the woods?" This simple question turns an imposed rule into a shared project.
The important thing to remember is why you're looking for a screen replacement . It's not just about limiting the negative effects, but more importantly, about amplifying the positive effects of a life more connected to yourself, others, and your environment. By weaving these precious moments into everyday life, you build unforgettable memories and a family culture where curiosity and sharing are the true stars. Every small step strengthens the foundations on which your child will thrive, well beyond childhood. It's an investment in their future, a gift of inestimable value.
To support this process and offer your child a privileged space for expression away from screens, discover the My Book Story notebook. It's a wonderful tool that invites them to write, draw, and explore their emotions, transforming free time into a creative and introspective adventure. Give them the gift of self-discovery with My Book Story .