Think back—what fascinated you most in your childhood?
Perhaps you’re remembering a scene of running freely with friends in a green field. Or maybe a magical morning of collecting dew-covered shiuli flowers comes to mind. Or those joyful afternoons when you’d jump with excitement as the ball hit a brick-made stump during a cricket match. Sadly, in today’s urban lifestyle, such moments of pure joy are rare for children. Many kids now spend most of their time in front of digital screens.
To break free from this addiction, engaging entertainment is essential. Scolding doesn’t help—on the contrary, it may upset the little one. Instead, give them opportunities to do things they truly enjoy. Of course, not every child is interested in the same activities. Let each one explore according to their preferences. Some activities may make the house a little messy or chaotic—but that’s part of raising a child. Embrace the mess. And as adults, try to avoid unnecessary screen time in front of children. Remember, they learn by watching you.
Children can create many things by folding or cutting paper.
Flowers, vines, birds, trees, ships, clouds, the sun, the moon, stars, airplanes—let them make whatever their imagination desires. Provide them with colorful or thick paper, whatever is needed. You can also use old cardboard. Decorate their room with the things they create. They can even give these as gifts to friends.
Children can also make various things with clay or soil. Even in city homes, you can arrange for some fun with soil bought from a nursery. And whatever they make from soil, they can also paint it. Nowadays, colorful play-dough is widely available—children can use that to create different objects too.
Encourage them to create their own stories, or play acting games by performing characters from storybooks. You can even try simple science experiments together at home.
If you take your child to a field or park, encourage them to collect leaves or flowers. They can keep these in a scrapbook or diary. For fun, they can dip a leaf in paint and press it between two pages to make a print—one will show the leaf’s image, the other its mirror image. Even if space is limited, try planting a few trees with your child. If possible, help them bond with an animal. This helps nurture empathy and a caring attitude in them.
