How to Entertain, Distract, and Unplug Your Kids: Tricks, Tools, and Spontaneous Screen-Free Activities

by Matthew Jervis

A fun and practical guide to keeping kids engaged and off your phone.Face it. Your kids don’t want you around ALL the time! As much as you’d like to build that go-cart or that amazing tree house for them, you also need a little time for yourself!Sure, we’d all like to hand our kids the phone when things get tough, but down deep we know that screen time will not build world leaders. So how does a parent like you keep those little rug rats entertained and engaged in a meaningful way while you get your own stuff done?Well, this book is a good start! With these simple tricks, you will turn their boredom into fun, teachable, and productive (sometimes) moments in this irreverent yet practical guide.From photo bombing magazines in the dentist’s office to sock matching speed trials to making bread, this book provides spontaneous activities that kids can do with or without you, leaving time for you to do parent stuff like making dinner, reading the paper, or enjoying a glass of wine.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

159 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2015

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I judged this book by its cover and the inside was as entertaining as the cover suggested!

[Anna-Liisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give it more of a 2.5 rating, but since you can't do half stars I thought it was better to round up. I think my expectations were too high for this book. Most of the ideas are things I have done or already do with my children. I was hoping for some brilliant new ideas of things I could try. So while it was a little disappointing for me, the book served as a good reminder of possible activities and I utilised one just the other day. I liked that the ideas were separated into categories ie indoors, outdoors and in the car. If people really are struggling to come up with ideas of things to occupy their children this book would be a good place to start.

[Janet Moulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. The author gives parents/caregivers activities for children to do so caregivers will have 5, 10, maybe even 20 or more minutes of free time to do take care of adult activities of daily living such as getting a drink of water (wine) or making breakfast/lunch/dinner or calling a therapist or babysitter. Plus, when the activity is bound to make you want to play, the author gives the warning so you can carve out an extra half hour to be a kid with your kids. Reading the book was entertaining!

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

+ في أفكار عن تسلية الأطفال زي ما العنوان بيقول.
+ الكاتب بيحاول يقدم الفكرة بأسلوب مرح (بيحاول بس مش دايمًا بينجح).
- ألعاب كتير بتركز على روح المنافسة ما بين الأخوات: أفرض طفل وحيد.. أفرض حد فلسفته في التربية بتعتمد على التعاون مش المنافسة.
-في ألعاب بتعتمد على أنك هتروح مع أطفالك للغابة أو حديقة كبيرة كفاية إنك تجمع أغصان وتبني قلعة (صغيرة للأطفال).
-الكاتب بيتكلم كتير عن طفولته وقد ايه كانت عظيمة وبالنسبة لحد عنده أطفال وبيدور على كتاب عشان يسليهم لمدة ٣٠ دقيقة على ما يعمل الحاجات اللي وراه بيتهيألي ما عندوش وقت يقعد يسمع عن طفولة الكاتب لحد ما يوصل للفكرة اللي اشترا الكتاب عشانها.

[Cori · Rating 3 out of 5]

props for multiple situations (rainy days, car trips, kicking them into sunshine) and for putting it in an easy to reference book.