Digital Free Weekend

Digital Free Weekend

Create a digital free weekend of fun. It may be difficult to think of the words digital free and fun together, in the same sentence. It is possible. Many of us are walking around with cell phones in our hand. True family bonding is difficult to do when the world is at our fingertips.

It is important to have a device free weekend to refresh your brain, body, and grow closer to each other. Where do you as a family like to go to relax? There is a reason why our bodies need time to sit back and relax. It is important so you can have so much more energy when you go back to the real world. Maybe go back to the town that you grew up in as a child. Let your children know where their roots are.

Set up a family meeting for fun. Everyone in the family must give up their electronics in order to help think outside the box (or cell phone in this case), to have fun on this digital free weekend. When I was growing up, our phone was on the wall. We did not have it in our back pocket, purse, bathroom, bedroom, and everywhere else we went.

It is amazing how we feel like we are being deprived only a few hours away from our digital devices. It is like when you lose a ring on your finger. You start to feel naked. Whatever happened to the days of playing board games, talking to people face to face. You feel lonely without your cell phone, tablet, etc.

Digital Free Creative Activities

When is the last time you made a new meal together as a family without the help of the internet? When is the last time you read an actual book, and not one online? It can be fun to connect closer as a family. There is a time when the power may go out, and you have lost all power to your digital devices. What would you do then?

It is a time to encourage communication together. Your children may not like this digital free weekend, but as they grow closer to each other, they may thank you later. You may learn things about each other that you did not even know. How many old songs can you remember the words to, without the help of You Tube? Have fun, and play name that song as you are singing them together.

Craft Time and Sewing Together

Another fun idea that can be very relaxing and bonding together, is to learn how to sew with someone you love. Create fun sewing projects together. Make a family pillow together to lay out on the sofa, and have everyone sign it when you are done. This pillow could be passed down from generation to generation each time a new family has a baby, to sign their name.

I was recently contacted by a one of our blog readers, Angela. She shared an inspiring story, I had to share with you all. She said, “I run a small art club for about fifteen elementary students a few times a week after school, and look for inspiration and new ideas a lot – so I have to say, I really enjoyed your Digital Free Weekend post! I’ll definitely be able to get some great use out of the Good House Keeping ‘boredom busting kids activities’ article there, so thank you for including it! I also thought you might be interested to hear that one mother in my group was just telling me last week that she’s been looking for some fun ways to reduce her children’s technology usage, and found that setting some designated craft time for the kids has been a great way to do it. Apparently her daughter’s favorite activity right now is learning how to sew with mom! How awesome is that?! I thought this was such a fantastic idea, that I’ve decided to change our next project around and will have Casey demonstrate her skills for us!

I’m going to include the article Mrs. Taylor taught herself from, in case you have any interest.
“Home Hobbies: Sewing Resources at Home” – https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/home-hobbies-sewing-resources/

I looked at the page over the weekend, and it has the basics for beginners, as well as intermediate techniques.” Thank you Angela for sharing this great idea with all of our readers.

Make a Time Capsule

Your family may come up with new, creative ideas or crafts to add to Pinterest later. Set up a table full of markers, crayons, stickers, photo and construction paper, material, magazines, etc. Let the creative juices flow, without the help of the internet or cell phone. What creative craft will your children make.

Use the “Any Occasion” DIY Time Capsule seen below, to make a Family Time Capsule with your own personalized photos.

Create a family tree, explaining your family history to your children as you fill it out. Put paint on their fingers, and let them stamp the family tree near their name with their painted fingerprint. This can then be a creative craft to hang on your wall as a reminder of your fun, digital free weekend.

Volunteer and Be Blessed Back

Volunteer together as a family at a local retirement home and learn what life was like for the older generation. What was school like for them? What are their stories. With that in mind, spend the time making your own Family Time Capsule saving your own stories of where you came from. Interview the older generation in your family. Write a “Message to the Future” letter to future generations in your family. Share your own stories and predictions about what life will be like 20 or 30 years from now. Save these letters and other heirloom or sentimental items in the Family Time Capsule, to open in the future. Learn how to make a family time capsule here.

What would you do if you lost power in the home and had no digital devices to use? Comment below.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

– Marcie