In today’s world, electronic screens are everywhere — from TVs and smartphones to tablets and games consoles. Even our youngest children are growing up in increasingly digital environments. While technology brings many conveniences, intentionally unplugging can offer profound benefits for little ones and their families. Whether it’s for a day, a weekend, a holiday, or even longer, the value gained from a ‘digital detox’ may surprise even the most dubious amongst us. Today’s post investigates.
What Science Tells Us
Research consistently shows the positive effects of stepping away from our screens. Studies report that a digital detox can lead to decreased stress and anxiety, improved mood and well-being, and even better physical health through healthier, less sedentary, lifestyles. Pausing the use of electronic screens can even help reset our perception of time, making days feel longer, fuller, and more engaged.
For children, excessive screen use, especially before bedtime, can disrupt sleep. This is caused by electronic screens interfering with natural melatonin production, leading to delayed sleep onset and poor quality rest. It can also slow language development and impair attention, particularly for children under five, whose brains are undergoing rapid early development. In one study, toddlers watching three hours of TV a day were three times more likely to experience language delays and weaker school readiness skills.
The results from combined studies indicate that children who reduce screen time show fewer emotional difficulties, improved social behaviour, and greater prosocial tendencies including kindness and cooperation. In another real-world experiment, teens who took a 48-hour smartphone break noticed better sleep, more outdoor activity and stronger family interactions.
Learn more about the science of ‘green time vs. screen time’ here.
Why It Matters for Families
When families go screen-free, the benefits extend well beyond the individual. Removing screens often rekindles face-to-face interactions and facilitates more laughter and unfiltered conversations within the family. Parents who’ve tried it report a renewed sense of connection and deeper engagement with their children. Even short periods of unplugging can turn into lasting changes—more shared stories, more creative play, and more real presence.
Outdoor time plays a huge role too. Whether it’s a neighbourhood walk, a garden adventure, or imaginative forest-based play, nature helps cultivate curiosity, resilience and emotional regulation. Studies suggest that just 20 minutes spent in nature can make children significantly happier and help them learn to cooperate and handle challenges — all skills rarely honed by flicking through a screen. Similarly, nature-rich breaks support mental health and reduce the pull of addictive screen use. Studies found that even a view of a natural green space can enhance academic focus and grades — incredible! Learn more about how spending time closer to nature benefits children here.
Children’s emotional intelligence also deepens with the absence of screens as it encourages them to observe and interpret others’ feelings. For example, in a five-day unplugged camp, participants improved significantly in their ability to recognise emotional expressions, unlike peers who continued using devices.
Benefits Families Are Likely to Notice
After just one screen-free day, many families may notice:
Better sleep for everyone with children tending to drop off more easily and adults feeling more rested.- Evenings that are likely to feel longer and more relaxed.
- Greater spontaneity and creativity as children talk, play, read, draw, and excitedly ask “What shall we do next?”
- Enhanced awareness of each other’s company, with siblings rediscovering play together and children becoming more attentive to parents.
- A pleasant atmosphere overall and a likely boost to everyone’s mood.
Better sleep for everyone with children tending to drop off more easily and adults feeling more rested.Possible Challenges & Their Solutions
Of course, removing electronic screens may not always be easy, especially at first. Families trying a digital detox may face some potential challenges. If so, there are gentle ways to manage them.
If children are resistant to the idea or complain that it’s going to be boring without electronic screens, try re-framing the break as an adventure rather than a restriction. Invite children to suggest activities — let them decide during the detox. Try presenting it as a shared family challenge rather than a rule.
Adults may worry about missing their devices too. However, parents modelling the detox by putting their own phones away will help children accept it too.
There is also the potential fear of missing out (FOMO) without access to electronic devices and social connections — particularly for older children. However, explaining that it’s just for a short time will help achieve acceptance of the idea. Acknowledge the temporary interference and encourage children to choose family connection and creativity first — it will help families stay on track.
There is the potential of failure if preparations have not been made before starting. So, in readiness, it’s advisable to prepare a list of screen-free ideas so the family can hit the ground running when they begin their digital detox (see suggestion #3 below).
How to Introduce a Detox Gently & Keep It Fun
Here are some tips to help ease families into a digital detox and set them up for success:
- Begin by designating screen-free boundaries, such as bedrooms or mealtimes, and/or set a daily screen-free hour in the evening.
- Get children to buy into the idea by inviting them to help set the rules. Ask them “When are screens off?” and “What happens then?” They can be nudged in the right direction through discussion and helpful suggestions if they’re unsure.
- Plan those entertaining and engrossing alternatives together. Screen-free ideas could include reading together, making simple crafts, telling stories, going outdoors, cooking, playing music, dancing and fitness sessions, baking together, garden safaris, yoga sessions, board games — and so on.
- Celebrate small wins! For example, point out how much deeper and more restful sleep is, or how much more chatter there is at the breakfast table.
- Once screen-free moments become familiar, try graduating your family to a screen-free weekend or even a full holiday. Many families describe these as revelatory with any initial frustrations soon giving way to something deeper and more rewarding.
Begin by designating screen-free boundaries, such as bedrooms or mealtimes, and/or set a daily screen-free hour in the evening.Final Thoughts
The evidence clearly shows: families who have periods free of electronic screens will benefit. A digital detox enriches and elongates days. It enhances sleep quality for children and adults by facilitating their natural rhythms. Days feel more spacious and calm without digital distractions and imaginative play soon steps in and thrives. In the absence of screens, children are also likely to get outdoors more often — and benefit from everything nature and outdoor play have to offer. Mental health and even academic grades are also likely to improve when this happens.
A digital detox isn’t about rejecting technology, though, as it has its place; it’s more about creating balance and discovering what’s been hidden. For example, deeper conversations, creative play, richer bonds, and nourishing rest. Whether it’s a screen-free Sunday, a tech-free teatime, or a weekend getaway without devices, these breaks can evolve into high-quality, cherished family time. Although at its heart a digital detox is the most simple of concepts, it’s likely to enhance family life in profound ways, whether for an afternoon or longer term.
With all that in mind, why not invite your child(ren) to get started by trying a screen-free afternoon this weekend? It could be the first step towards more fun, enhanced well-being, greater fulfilment and more genuine togetherness.
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At first glance, this devotion to a single story might seem puzzling. As adults, we crave novelty and variation, and it’s tempting to encourage children to explore new titles or gently steer them towards something ‘different’. But this desire for repetition is not only entirely normal for infants, toddlers and preschoolers — it’s actually a sign of healthy development. In fact, there’s a great deal happening beneath the surface every time your child requests a beloved book for the umpteenth time.
There is also an emotional component to repeated reading. When a child hears a favourite story in the voice of a parent or trusted adult, it creates a strong sense of connection. The warmth, tone and rhythm of familiar words spoken by someone they love reinforce a feeling of safety and belonging. For many children, this shared experience becomes part of their routine, and returning to a much-loved story can offer comfort in moments of transition, tiredness or uncertainty.
One of the clearest benefits of repeated reading is vocabulary development. Hearing the same words and phrases over time helps children internalise them. This is especially important when books introduce new or more complex language than a child might hear in everyday conversation. By encountering those words again and again in a familiar context, children begin to understand them more deeply and even start to use them in their own speech. The rhythm and rhyme found in many favourite books further support this by making the language more memorable and easier to imitate.
At home, parents or carers can support this by continuing to follow a child’s lead. If your child keeps choosing the same book, that’s a good thing — it means they’re connecting with it. You can enhance the experience by reading with enthusiasm, pausing to let your child fill in familiar lines, or asking gentle questions like “What happens next?” or “How do you think they feel here?” If your child wants to tell you the story instead, even better — this kind of role reversal strengthens memory, language, and storytelling abilities.
Eventually, children do move on. When they’ve had their fill of a particular book, they’re often ready to explore new stories with a richer set of skills in place. The comfort and confidence gained from repeated readings help them approach unfamiliar books with greater interest and less frustration. So rather than seeing repetition as a rut, it’s helpful to view it as a bridge — a way for children to move steadily from the familiar to the new.
Our practitioners are skilled at making repeated reading feel fresh and interactive, even when the story is already very familiar. By using expressive voices, gestures, and encouraging children to join in with key words or sounds, we help bring the story to life each time. Children are often invited to take on the role of storyteller themselves, turning pages, pointing to pictures, and even “reading” aloud from memory. These small but powerful moments help build confidence and strengthen communication skills in a way that feels natural and joyful.
Concepts involving numbers and counting can sometimes be tricky for some preschoolers to grasp. Making sense of such concepts is important, though, because many aspects of children’s day-to-day lives will require an increasing understanding of numbers as time passes. Whether it’s knowing if a quantity of something is more or less than something else, how much of an ingredient is required in a mixture, or what change to expect from a purchase, children will need to grasp number-based concepts — and understand their real-world applications. What’s more, they’ll need to do this sooner rather than later if they’re to thrive, not least when they leave early years settings to begin school.
Making ‘number cards’ with your child will be a fun and useful first step. These could be as simple as small pieces of paper or card, each having a single large number written clearly on them. Alternatively, your child could take the opportunity to get more creative. For example, you and your child could make the numbers bright and colourful, have patterned in-fills, or even be made to look like animals or number ‘characters’ that have eyes. For the very young, start with numbers up to 5, or go to 10 or even 20 for older and more advanced children. Size-wise, perhaps aim for cards sized at about A6 (a quarter of an A4 sheet) or even A7 (A4 divided into 8).
A more advanced form of the number cards could depict the correct number of dots (or other drawn objects) instead of — or as well as — the actual written number. So, for example, the ‘3’ card could show a column or row of 3 round dots or squares or even something like 3 drawn strawberries — whatever your child likes! In a way, it’s a bit like traditional playing cards where each has both a number and the right amount of hearts, diamonds, clubs or spades on it, to match the number.
This next game will require a set of dominoes or, if you don’t have a set, they’re also easy enough to make in a similar way to the number cards. As you may know, each half of every domino has a number of dots, most commonly from 1 to 6. So, for example, there might be two dots on one end and five on the other, with the dot formations being rather like those you’d see on dice.
Understanding whether a quantity of something is more or less than something else is an important concept for children to grasp. Similarly, being able to estimate a quantity is a useful and practical skill for little ones to master. Such concepts can easily be highlighted, and the skills mastered, using simple estimating games. Some examples follow.
Pretending to be a shopkeeper or a shopper buying from one is a great next step for children. What’s more, they’ll naturally love playing shops having, no doubt, accompanied parents to real shops. This is where they can put all the things they’ve learned from the games above into practice. They can check they have the right quantities, weights or volumes or products, check they’re giving the shopkeeper the right amount of money, ensure that any change is correct — and so on! Playing shops is such a great way to master numbers, counting, estimating, weighing, addition, subtraction and more!
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May’s World Bee Day is a wonderful and very worthwhile International event. It’s also one that’s perfect for children, including under-fives, to get involved in. Not only does it raise families’ awareness of the importance of bees and pollinators, but it’s also a great opportunity to introduce little ones to some of nature’s adorable little creatures and get them more interested in the natural world. 
World Bee Day arrives on the same date each year — the 20th of May. The annual event celebrates bees and other pollinators and the important role they play in the world. Without them, there would be no food crops, fruit, vegetables, or nuts, leaving animals — including humans — in real mortal danger. The event also raises awareness of the plight and dwindling numbers of bees and other pollinators around the world, shining a spotlight on ways to reverse their decline.
Children naturally take to planting seeds, tending seedlings as they grow, and watering plants and flowers. That’s great because it gives many opportunities for 
Wherever there are flowers, children will find bees, particularly if the flowers are brightly coloured and fragrant. A walk around the local neighbourhood, park, or natural open spaces will be both great exercise and an opportunity for little ones to spot some lovely bees and pollinators. Getting outdoors (appropriately supervised* and dressed) is beneficial to children in many ways, and a bee-spotting walk will be a simple way to introduce them to these important and cute little creatures. Can they spot a bumblebee? Can they spot a bee collecting nectar in their leg pouches (also known as pollen baskets or corbiculae)? Which 
If the weather is unsuitable for outdoor activities, one of the easiest bee-related activities that children can take part in is making bee art. They can try drawing bumblebees, flowers, and hives with pencils, pens, or markers. Alternatively, they can get even more creative using paints or collages. Cutting up coloured tissue paper shapes and making bee-related images using appliqué is sure to be fun and impressive (child-safe scissors being used by parents or under super-close supervision). Parents can perhaps cut out any tricky shapes for the youngest children and then help guide them as they glue bee, flower, or hive elements into place.
Bee art can be extended further by creating three-dimensional models and shapes. With a little help from parents or older siblings, even children under five can take part. They will enjoy sticking shaped paper or cardboard pieces and other recycled materials into place to form three-dimensional bees and flowers. Useful materials for such models could be things like corrugated card, tissue paper in various colours, coloured pipe cleaners, fabric, kitchen roll cores, paper plates and cups and, of course, coloured paints to decorate the final piece. Such creations can be as simple or complex as families like. This is a great activity to boost fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination!
Children can get into bee-inspired fancy dress while doing their waggle dance! Striped clothes will help. Perhaps parents can help them make wings from card or material and shaped wire. Some antennae should not be too difficult to make from a headband, some pipe cleaners and some homemade pom-poms or foam balls from a craft shop. Children will love such creativity and the fun that ensues with friends once they’re all dressed up!
The bee-related activity ideas suggested in today’s post will be a fabulous way to introduce children to these magical little creatures, the wonderful work they do for us and the planet, and the measures little ones can take in their own lives to improve the plight of the natural world. The activities will also be fun and educational — indeed supporting many areas of 
Transform your living room into a mini adventure zone. If you don’t have existing adventure equipment, perhaps use cushions and make tunnels from blankets draped over furniture. You can also create masking tape ‘routes’ on the floor to mark out an exciting course for little ones to navigate, crawl through, jump over, and balance along. You can add a timer to make it a fun race or include challenges like hopping on one foot or crawling backwards. This is a great way to build gross motor skills while having loads of fun.
Hide small toys or objects* around the house and give your child simple clues or a checklist to find them. This activity encourages problem-solving and keeps them engaged in an exciting mission. Perhaps introduce themes, for example, a pirate treasure hunt with a ‘treasure map’ or a nature scavenger hunt using items like leaves or toy animals.
A few sheets stretched over furniture, with blankets, pillows, and child-safe* LED fairy lights below, can create a cosy hideaway. This can be used for storytelling, imaginative play, or simply a quiet space to relax. Encourage your child to bring their favourite books and stuffed animals inside, to make it their own secret retreat. Den building helps encourage creativity, teamwork, and a sense of independence.
Let your little ones dress up as pirates, fairies, princesses, or superheros and encourage them to act out their own stories. Role-playing helps boost their imagination, creativity, and confidence. Provide props like child-safe* toy swords, wands, or kitchen utensils as pretend play items to expand their stories. Acting out different scenarios enhances communication skills and self-expression.
Swap traditional paintbrushes for sponges, cotton pads, or even cut vegetable fingers or potato ‘stamps’. Using unusual tools to apply paint allows children to explore different textures and get creative with their masterpieces. You can also use things like leaves, or child-safe kitchen utensils, to achieve different effects. Let them mix colours and discover new shades while experimenting with new application techniques.
Help your child make their own salt dough with flour, salt, and water. Moulding and shaping salt dough is a great sensory and motor skill activity. While supervising children for safety, provide cookie cutters, rolling pins, or stamps so they can make different shapes and imprints. You can also add child-safe food colouring for extra sensory fun.
Give your child a mix of stickers, old magazines, and child-safe glue sticks to create their own collage artwork. This is a great way to develop fine motor skills. Set up themes such as Under the Sea or Space Adventure to inspire their creativity. When finished, perhaps display their artwork on the fridge or a wall to encourage pride in their work and nurture their sense of achievement.
A large cardboard box can become a rocket, a car, or a house with just a little imagination. Provide crayons or water-based markers and stickers for decoration and let their creativity take over. You can cut out* windows, and doors, and even make a steering wheel for them. Encourage storytelling by asking them where their box creation will take them.
Closely supervising* children for safety, fill a washing-up bowl with water and let them guess whether different objects will sink or float. This simple science experiment is both educational and fun. You can extend the activity by discussing why some things float and others sink, teaching basic physics in an engaging way.
Dye dry rice or pasta with child-safe food colouring for a colourful, ‘scoop-able’ sensory play activity. Once the dye has dried, provide spoons, cups, and small containers for pouring, scooping, and mixing. This activity helps develop fine motor skills while being visually stimulating.
(While supervising children*): mixing flour with baby oil or vegetable oil will create a soft, mouldable 
Freeze fruit like strawberries, orange segments, or suitably sized small toys in ice. Once you have removed them from the freezer, let children “rescue” the fruit and objects from the ice by using warm water and spoons. This activity promotes patience and problem-solving skills with a scientific twist. You can add child-safe food colouring to the water before freezing for a more visually engaging experience.
Provide ready-made bases, tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings for kids to assemble* their own mini pizzas. Encourage them to arrange toppings into faces, pictures, or patterns, making the activity both fun and delicious.
Applying icing and sprinkles to cookies or biscuits makes for a fun and tasty decorating activity. Let children experiment with different patterns and colour combinations, encouraging creativity and hand-eye coordination.
Let children choose their ingredients and blend* fruit with milk or yoghurt to make delicious and nutritious drinks. If they’re old enough, are closely supervised, and it’s safe for them to do so, let them help with mixing. Once the smoothie mix is ready, use fun paper straws or cups to make it feel like a special treat.
Play your children’s favourite tunes and have a dance-off! A dance party is great for burning off extra energy indoors and it’s immense fun. Children can swirl paper ribbons or strands of coloured tissue paper for added fun and movement when they dance. Dancing helps children stay fit and is also good for honing coordination, balance, and motor skills.
Musical statues and musical chairs are classic games that never fail to bring laughter and excitement to a rainy day. Add fun challenges like dancing in slow motion or pretending to dance like a robot and it’s sure to be a big hit with kids!
Create shakers using rice or dried pasta in bottles — or use pots and pans as drums, perhaps using a wooden spoon. Encourage your child to form their own mini band. Different materials and a range of cardboard boxes or Tupperware-style tubs will allow children to experiment with a variety of possible sounds. It’s very creative!
With all the food and feasting associated with Christmas, it got us thinking about food hygiene and safety for children. Aside from keeping alert to possible allergens, parents need to be careful to ensure families remain safe from illnesses caused by food hygiene mishaps. After all, such illnesses can be particularly dangerous to little ones, who are fragile, but can be largely avoidable when good hygiene measures are taken. With that in mind, today’s post outlines various ways in which parents can stay on top of hygiene around the preparation of food for their children. And, of course, such measures will keep adults safer too.
Ensuring the food preparation environment is clean and hygienic will reduce the chance of microbes, including germs and viruses, contaminating food. Wiping down with warm, soapy, water on clean dish cloths is ideal for many such tasks. Anti-bacterial sprays are useful but should not be allowed to contaminate food, plates and cutlery etc. directly or indirectly.
Only feed children, especially babies and under-fives, age-appropriate food/meals. This is very important because many foods contain too much salt, sugar and saturated fats for young children. Some other foods can contain dangerous levels of toxins or even heavy metals. 
Always thoroughly wash vegetables, fruit and salads and, when appropriate, peel vegetables before use.
It’s hugely beneficial if children learn about food safety and proper hygiene associated with its preparation. Such things are useful life lessons and will help to keep them more safe and free of illnesses and nasty bugs. Teach them by example whenever possible. A great start is to encourage them to thoroughly wash their hands and fingers with warm, soapy water before preparing or eating food. They should also be encouraged to sit down at the table and be in a calm state before eating. This will help to better ensure food does not become contaminated or knocked onto a dirty floor. It will also reduce the chance of the child choking on food.
Any successful storytelling nook needs to be warm, cosy, quiet and comfortable. That means choosing a corner or recess of some kind in the home that’s away from distractions like TVs and game consoles. Somewhere that’s not used as a thoroughfare by other family members will also help. Wherever you choose, it also needs to be warm. Therefore, somewhere away from draughts is required, so avoid being too close to entrances and exits to the outside. A corner of a quiet room or a tranquil alcove are therefore often ideal spots for your child’s storytelling nook.
Whether reading from a book or creating a new story off the top of one’s head, there’s something that really brings a story to life — being animated and expressive during storytelling, rather like actors might do. That’s true whether it’s the adult or the child telling the story.
Do consider adding a storytelling nook or reading corner to your child’s home. They’re great vehicles for escapism, are incredibly worthwhile, and offer potentially magical experiences for your child. And, if you go the extra mile to make them cosy, immersive and special, they will encourage your child to love reading and creating new adventures using their imagination. Storytelling nooks and reading corners can open up whole new worlds to your child and be a wonderful antidote to electronic screens, gloomy weather, and more limited daylight during winter months. What’s more, they’re a great way for all parties to grow deeper bonds through shared periods of exquisitely immersive, high-quality time.
