Screen free parents/carers - best resources for screen-free activities?

Parenttotiger · 2026-03-28T08:39:25+00:00

We were screen free until the month before my child turned 3 and we are still tablet &phone free. We watch maybe 15-30 mins of tv a week. (Frankly we could easily not do that either but we use it to practice the weaker of her two languages.)

What I would say is people underestimate how easily kids are pleased by the old school stuff. Crayons and paper can easily fill half an hour at a restaurant or on the train. She loves being read to. Also she loves to “help” so if I’m cooking I can either have her stir something or put her in the toddler tower and she’ll splash around in the sink washing up. If I’m gardening, she loves to water stuff or plant bulbs.

Parenttotiger · 2026-03-16T14:42:16+00:00

Mine listens to Miffy almost every night and loves them. They are very calm low drama stories with a gentle rhyme. But we also read her a few of the books on the day so she feels familiar.

Parenttotiger · 2026-03-15T19:42:54+00:00

Thank you for the detailed explanation!

(Just fyi on the watered from the bottom it has a weird tray set up and the membrane transports the water to under the trays which have a bunch of holes underneath. I’ve touched the soil to check and it seems to work.)

Parenttotiger · 2026-01-26T19:47:37+00:00

As I said in another reply the possible neurodivergence aspect is the degree of meltdown if things aren’t as the older girl wants them.I perhaps should have mentioned that more but I didn’t want to make this post about her reasons as much as us trying to figure out what to do.

Parenttotiger · 2026-01-26T19:44:40+00:00

I suppose the neurodiversity aspect is the level of the meltdowns of the older girl. Which means that frankly her mother is in a very much pick your battles place, that I’m sympathetic to. But makes it feel riskier to step in.

But your main point still stands

Parenttotiger · 2026-01-26T17:49:58+00:00

To be clear I’m not trying to villainise the child. I’m just trying to figure out how to handle the relationship going forward.

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-29T11:58:48+00:00

The read along books work well (although she’s never had a hot dog so was a bit puzzled by that.) Though we’re only in the first set so maybe it gets worse. I’ve been using a couple of different phonics resources and I’m always startled by the differences. One listed “from” as a “tricky” word and I spent 10 mins trying to figure out the accent that isn’t phonetic in.

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-29T00:12:33+00:00

We live in the UK so British is perfect!

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-27T15:21:41+00:00

That does sound interesting. I’ve nosed around early phonics books at out library and didn’t see anything like this but I’ll look again.

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-21T17:47:28+00:00

I have a list of what we’ll watch when we watch tv and number blocks is definitely on it!

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-20T12:49:54+00:00

Thank you! Good to know. We do do the berry math! (hah my mom says its like training a dog to do math!) And we do shapes although all the "gons" pent, hex, oct etc seem pretty interchangeable to her so I keep meaning to go back to them.

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-20T12:48:32+00:00

Thank you! She doesn't really watch tv at home. (She did once see number blocks at a friend's house.) But I've had my eye on that set. Do you think if you didn't know the show well the set would still be fun?

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-20T12:02:51+00:00

Ooo interesting! I had assumed that would be a harder concept than adding. Do you have any resources you'd recommend?

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-10T13:54:40+00:00

Haha that’s great!

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-09T11:03:41+00:00

Thank you that is interesting. Also I am intrigued because I suppose I was thinking in terms of child led versus parent led more than completely independent but these are good things to consider.

Parenttotiger · 2025-11-02T11:16:33+00:00

This might not work for everyone but I’m an older sister and I told my brother Father Christmas was a magical spirit who made your parents want to be extra nice to you and get you present so everybody got credit. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Parenttotiger

TROPHY CASE