Unplug and Play: Ditch the Screens This Holiday Season

Wouldn’t it be nice to spend quality time with your family during the holidays, like the good old days? Without the expressionless faces illuminated by the blue glow coming off cell phones, ipads, or laptops? With proper planning, you can bring the family back into the living-room and out of their bedrooms this holiday season with screen-less gifts that are actually fun!    

Product shown: Quoridor Mini 

For starters, the first thing you want to explore are gifts that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Card Games & Board Games have come a LONG way since UNO & Monopoly, which came out in 1971 and 1935 respectively. For perspective, UNO came out the same year as the VCR and Monopoly came out before World War II. Needless to say, games have been developed and improved on A LOT since then. Games like Quoridor & Squadro make you feel like you’re picking up chess for the first time all over again. While games like Just One and Wavelength allow the whole family to enjoy simple rules that can be played and replayed for years to come. No matter what you choose, there are plenty of great games that keep everyone’s attention at the table!

Related: Here are 6 Two-Player Board Games to keep you entertained!

Product shown: Makeblock mTiny Discover Robot Kit

Forgoing screens doesn’t mean you have to compromise on educational value for your children. Products like the mTiny Discovery Kit is a perfect example of a toy with great educational value without the need of a smart device to pair it with. The mTiny is capable of teaching a number of critical learning skills such as, social-emotional skills, linguistics, mathematics, and programming. You easily set up what you want the adorable panda robot to do by laying down the little programming puzzle pieces and following it along with the provided pen. One piece leads into the next and before you know it, a passion for play grows into a love of coding!

Product shown: Smartivity STEAM Warriors: Clash of Cyborgs + Blast-off Space Rocket 

Not to mention, DIY STEM kits like those from Smartivity or CircuitMess give children the opportunity to build their toys before they play with them! Just by adding in the act of seeing the pieces come together with their own hands, you are teaching children delayed gratification rather than the instant gratification that comes from endlessly scrolling TikTok or Instagram reels. Plus the end product is even more fun after building it! 

Product shown/used: 3Doodler Flow Essentials

Conversely, if robots and DIY kits aren't really their thing, why not expand their horizons by bringing their art into the 3rd dimension with a 3Dpen? 3Dpens have been making quite a splash since their arrival on the scene because the sky is truly the limit when your drawings can finally leap off of the X-and Y-axis. Using safe, eco-friendly plastic filament, springing your doodles off of the page and into life has never been easier. 3Dpens can also be used in a number of creative ways and by a variety of age groups ranging from primary school kids to university students and even professionals. So whether it is being used to take school projects to the next level or to design architectural marvels, a 3DPen is a unique gift that can strengthen one’s focus and concentration, keeping one away from the addictive screens.  

Related:  Drawn to life: The Magic of 3D Pens