“I’m bored! What else can I do?”
We often hear kids say these lines. While toys, multimedia devices, and the whole wide world are there to be explored, they still ask for what else they can do. Many times, I see kids being hushed by adults by handing them the magic tablet. Instead of letting these tots move, explore, and play, the screen becomes their pacifier to keep them still. Convenient to adults, yes.
But despite having gadgets and apps available to them, kids still say, “I’m bored!” This is a chicken-and-egg case. We allow kids too much gadget time for them to stay put. After which, they are still bored. Precious time for real play and development was lost to screen time, too. It just goes to say that the longer children are exposed to digital media, the longer they cannot stand real-life activities later. Moderation and management are key.
Toddlerhood to early childhood (two to seven years old) is the crucial time for the optimum development of children. This is also called the play age. At this state, children need to acknowledge and learn to make full use of their God-given time, talents and, material treasures.
While it is easy just to plug them, kids need to balance digital time and real-life play.
Parents need to deliberately make kids see the fun and value of varied daily activities. Easier said than done. This can be a challenge, but it can be done.
My son Migo used to question rules on gadget use. We tell him: “If we allow you to watch TV or use the tablet longer, then you will have less time to play outside, play with your toys or with your sister, and do other creative fun stuff.”
And so, while we do not rigidly plan our kids’ day as to what they should do, we let them appreciate the value of real play. Creating alternatives means going back to the basics like the play we had when we were kids. Consider the following factors in judging what else you can let your kids do.
Age. This is the best indicator on appropriate activities. Toddlers need face-to-face activities, with adults. Let them walk around, play ball, build blocks, sort shapes, play peek-a-boo, engage in funny conversations, and learn names of things around them.
Preschool age is when all they have in mind is play. While they play, they create and develop physically, mentally, and emotionally. Let them play outdoors, ride bikes, play pretend games, read and story-tell, do crafts, and write and doodle with big crayons and pencils. While we worry a lot about the mess and safety, we cannot buy the joy of being dirty, learning to do something new, and experiencing the real thing. This is also the best time for kids to develop their confidence and build the skills needed in knowing “I can!”
Interest and skills. As our kids grow older, we need to take note of their growing interests and emerging abilities. My son Migo likes to play outdoors, enjoys active play with cars and Lego blocks. My daughter Maia likes to dance, skip, do crafts, and play pretend. Both of our kids like to read and chat, and so we give time for such activities daily. While we boost them in these areas, we have a good lead that the activities we are engaging them in are their interests.
Play and development. Play is for kids as work is for adults. Accordingly, when children play, they build their own world where they create and imagine. They develop mentally, emotionally, physically, and even socially. A mom of an eight-year-old kid asked me what else her son can do if he cannot have too much TV. I told her, “Let him play!” She replied, “Huh, laro lang? (Just play?)”
Let us not undermine the value of real play for kids, as this is a big laboratory for them. It combines learning, fun, recreation, imagination, and skill-building for the children, which can never be replaced by gadgets and apps.
We do not need to buy them costly toys or all the apps available. They need us parents and caregivers to be there to teach and guide them through this stage and engage them in real-life activities. Through these, we can also let the children appreciate the blessings that God has given them through nature, through the home, and other resources that they experience.