Occupying Children Away From The Television: A Series of Activities to Keep Children Engaged in Mind and Body

My daughter and I are watchers of television, but occasionally, the television can get in the way of other activities that would be much more productive. To foster a good relationship, the multitude of experiences between father and daughter (or mother/son, father/son, Ok, ok, you get the point) can make the depth and breadth of parenting experiences more fulfilling. I have compiled a list of projects that my daughter and I do together which fosters improvement in physical and mental capacities for pre- teenagers. 

1. Join a Recreation Center-

A recreation center offers children as well as parents a multitude of activities that can allow a child to explore their actual interests, as compared to being compelled into limited activities which are marketed. My daughter and I played an hour of basketball (she just joined the third grade team!) and 45 minutes of racquetball, and we're currently exhausted and hungry (lunch is currently on the stove). The monetary expense, no matter how high (75 to 125 a month for a family membership) is peanuts compared to the memories that can be created.

2. Learn How To Play Chess- 

I never learned chess as a young kid, but after seeing how my daughter took to chess since visiting the website www.chesscademy.com, it's been kind of an addiction for both of us. Instead of brainless games like candy crush or other cheesy games of instant gratification, the planning and strategy of chess will take them much farther. I do have to say that letting them play at an easy level, and not compelling them to do all of the learn or train sessions is a better approach, as a kid that feels like they are working as compared to playing are much more motivated to keep playing and improving on their own. This goes for sports, too.

3. Play Minecraft with them-

My daughter and I (she prefers creative, I like survival) play Minecraft either as a team or a building competition with one another. She starts off with 10 to 15 minutes, then I play for 10 to 15 minutes. The game Minecraft is a computer game of creation, art and necessity, having the creativity aspect of Legos while not having to worry about stepping on any pieces. For a one-time charge of $20 bucks, you'll have access to a world of learning, creating, teamwork in a budget friendly application.

I will post more as the winter months hit, so stay tuned and post some of your ideas below to share with the community!