How to spend time with your child (away from the computer)

Coloring with kids: one activity that never grows old

As a parent, you may have to deal with your child’s computer or screen addiction at some point. While computers can help your kid learn a lot of useful things, children can easily get addicted to the computer. Of course, this addiction could affect your bonding.

If you find your child spending too much time on his computer, no need to panic yet. There are ways you can correct this and make his time more useful and beneficial to both of you. Below you will find five ways you can spend time with your child away from the computer.

1. Play… but not in computer games

Children love to play. It is a great way to exercise and catch fun. By playing with your child, you will not only have the opportunity to bond with him and make your parent-child relationship stronger. You will also help in developing certain functions such as coordination, motor skills, confidence, patience, and more.

Fortunately, there are a lot of ways you can play with your child. It could be as simple as playing dress up or getting down on the floor and play trucks. You just need to make sure that your child is interested in the game. Ensure you choose a game that is age appropriate.

2. Read to your child

Reading to children can be fun but you have to learn how to do it right. Try to make funny faces and characterizations while reading to your child. If you do this right, it can easily become an activity your child will look forward to every day.

You can make reading more fun by including a comforting food or drink. A good example is hot milk and cookies.

3. Build a fort

Remember building a fort when you were a kid? Well, probably it is still one of the memories you won’t like your child to miss out on. If your child is old enough to build a fort, go ahead and do this with him.

You don’t have to build extravagant playhouses. You can easily build a fort with a sheet over the clotheslines. If this is not available, make use of some chairs. The important thing is to spend quality time bonding with your child.

4. Cook together

This may come as a surprise to you but children like helping out in the kitchen very much. They may be a little handful but you will definitely enjoy the time spent together. It is also a great opportunity to bond and to teach them some basic skills used in a kitchen.

To make the activity even more fun, buy their own cookbook and apron and allow them to pick a recipe. You can do this activity weekly or when you have the time if you are always very busy.

5. Let’s color!

Printable coloring pages are more and more popular. It’s another great way you can spend time with your child away from computers. This activity is so simple and it can provide lifelong benefits to your child. Coloring books are fun, exciting, inspire learning while instilling your child with a lot of useful life skills.

Working with printable coloring pages can improve your child’s handwriting, his motor skills, and stimulates creativity. But that’s not all. This simple activity will also teach your child how to focus, hand and eye coordination, and even enhance self-confidence.

While playing with your child with printable coring pages, you can be able to make your relationship stronger.

Spending quality time with your child does not have to be expensive at all. You can get started with five activities listed above. Just keep in mind that your time is the most precious gift you can offer to your child.

Discover more: Top Coloring Pages, free printables for you and your child.

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