Category: Well-Being

Technology definitely has a time and place in our schools and we owe it to our pupils to teach them proper ways to use their devices for learning and communicating. However, we can also probably agree there are some downsides to all of this tech in our student’s lives.

Technology which opens our students up to a variety of pitfalls of dangers that range anywhere from cyberbullying to the health consequences of inactive lifestyles.

As educators, it’s no great surprise today’s technology is changing the way we monitor our children, communicate, interact, and engage with our students and, everyday we are on the frontlines watching and coping with the consequences as they unfold.

This makes it essential that we slow down and re-evaluate the role we allow technology to play in our classrooms. This is especially vital when we consider teens are digitally connected for 9 hours everyday! Yes, that is almost the same amount of time spent in school. If that statistic isn’t jaw dropping enough, we need to factor in that their younger counterparts clock in over 6 daily hours and children younger than 8 net nearly 3 hours a day!.

This data inevitably means that our children are missing out on important opportunities and activities to interact, explore, observe, and learn about the world around them. Instead of building new relationships or mastering valuable life skills, our boys and girls are inevitably living a distracted life. This is difficult for us to face, because we can only control what our students do during the hours we have them entrusted to our care. One simple way we can counteract too much technology is by examining the importance of outdoor activities and find ways for kids to strike a happy balance.     

Why Outdoor Activities are Essential for Kids

Over the course of the last few decades, a lot has changed in education as we strive to include more technology and teach for the test. While this has helped push in more STEAM activities and HAL opportunities, it has also led to a significant decrease in the amount of time allocated for recess, physical education, and the fine arts. To put this trend into perspective, according to the National Wildlife Foundation, today’s children are spending approximately half the amount of time outside than we did when we were kids.

Why outdoor activities are essential for kids:

• Poor indoor air quality is common in many schools. Fresh air is healthy!

• There is an increased risk for obesity, hypertension, and more that comes with reduced exercise and sedentary lifestyles.

• Green spaces have been proven to reduce stress and anxiety levels in children- and even adults. 

• The outdoors provide exposure to dirt, germs, and bacteria which boost a child’s immune system.

• Activities like gardening in the outdoors can help students develop observational skills and learn science concepts.

• Sunlight provides beneficial vitamin D which can help energy levels and strengthen bones.

• Adequate exposure to sunlight also helps set a child’s circadian rhythms, which will help them develop a proper sleep schedule to enhance social and educational performance in school.

• Outdoor activities and green spaces naturally improve many of the symptoms related to ADHD in children.

The Dangers of Too Much Technology

The reasons why outdoor activities are essential for kids is pretty solid, but we can’t overlook the possible dangers associated with too much technology. Our students’ devices might be entertaining, but there are real reasons educators need to be concerned. The following list shows why we need to help students find a healthy balance with technology in their lives:

• Direct links between overuse of social media and increases in depression, feelings of low self-esteem, and anxiety have been documented in young people.

• Devices can interrupt or cause distraction during key learning times in a classroom.

• Our kids might be set up for a lifetime of joint and neck pain if they don’t embrace proper ergonomics.

• Digital devices and fast paced stimuli can actually physically alter a child’s brain.

• The glow from our screens and constant notifications can disrupt circadian rhythms and sleep schedules leading to poor sleep.

• Overusing technology limits one-on-one communication opportunities for kids which may inhibit relationship and social skills development.

Benefits of Being Outside

Technology is obviously here to stay, and we can’t feasibly ban all devices from our schools. However, a little mindfulness and proactive planning can go a long way. With a little creative thinking we can help students find a healthy balance with technology and nature. Encouraging your children to play outdoors regularly needs to be more then just talk.  Give them ideas and take part in the fun as often as possible.

 

With so much access to technology as compared with human interaction and physical activity, it easy for to begin to feel run down and get bored. We may feel unchallenged mentally and soon realize that watching TV is not as fun as it seems.

If you want to challenge yourself and have fun, it’s important to realign your goals and seek more knowledge. Learn something new, try a challenge you consider undoable, change your life’s path if you can, or stretch your limits and imaginations beyond what you previously thought was humanly impossible.

To start you off, here are productive activities and fun ideas to help you beat boredom.

1. Learn a new language

Learning a new language, local or international, is a good way to remain mentally active and improve your life while at it. Set a goal now to work at it a little each day to learn Spanish or Mandarin, for example. This is your chance to learn an extra local lingo if you come from a multilingual country, or even learn the American Sign Language. All you need to learn a new language these days is a language app or an online class that teachers a new language. 

2.  Have a campfire in the backyard

This is simple: Make a fire pit and share quality time with your family around the fire. You can even roast marshmallows or steak to bring out the real camping experience. If you live alone, reading a book around the campfire could also be fun. Try anything, conventional or unconventional. Normal is boring, after all!

Note: This is illegal in some regions, so you need to confirm with your neighbors or local authorities first.

3. Learn a skill online

Take an online dance class and practice with a family member. Try a pottery class and do pottery with your kids in the backyard. If you are a business executive, hone your listening or management skills. If you are into art, learn how to write movie scripts, draw, or even how to write interesting children storybooks.  Anything you are interested in has a free tutorial online.

4. Cook

Does one person in the home do most of the cooking? Why not lend a hand while learning how to cook? This is your chance to try out the recipe you brought back from your trip abroad. Try making varied dishes from all the trips you have made, or from the TV shows you’ve watched. With a little creativity, innovation, and improvisation in your cooking techniques, you will be surprised by how many “secret” recipes you will invent in the next month or so- recipes that will remain “family secret” for tens of your future generations.

5. Learn How to Code

While many parents are getting their kids to take online coding classes there are plenty of games that teach you how to learn how to create the games while you play.  Computer coding is the unique language that computer programmers use to create software, make websites work and invent games.

6. Play games

Your parents may have been trying to get you to reduce your time looking at screens. You know what it’s like to play your Switch, Xbox, PS4, and iPads until you can’t focus anymore. Now get the old board games and play Trivial Pursuit or poker with your family. Learn how to play chess or see how good you still are at the epic game of Monopoly. We are talking about the long versions here. After all, you have all the time to push your limit.

7. Make a DIY clock

Someone made a clock using Chrome running in Kiosk mode, a Raspberry Pi, and a spare touch screen. The clock is basically a JavaScript-based web display on a Raspberry Pi 4, with the display being a local website whose textual representation is minutes, hours, and days. If technology or coding is your thing, this is a good idea for making something mechanical for yourself, in an artistic approach.

8. Plan a Comedy Show

Choose a night when the entire family can get together. Create and print free tickets that you can give each family member. Rehearse these funny jokes for kids and then tell them from a makeshift stage in your family room.  It’s your own comedy show.  Many of the world’s famous comedians started at home telling jokes to their mom, dad, brothers and sisters.

9. Exercise

There are tons of exercise and fitness apps/online platforms. If you love hitting the gym, look for trainer videos, and keep the momentum going. If you are new to this, you don’t have to jump directly to full-blown workouts; start with the calming Yin Yoga, short sprints in the backyard, or jumping rope for 10-20 minutes.

10. Paint By Numbers

This activity is a great way for family members of any age to see if they like painting.  Even beginners who try painting by numbers are able to achieve satisfying results while learning how to paint with a steady hand.  For school aged children, it also helps them a develop a myriad of skills as they learn and grow in the pursuit of art and creativity.

11. Learn How to Play Cribbage

Cribbage is a card game that combines elements of strategy, arithmetic, and probability, where the objective is to be the first player to score 121 points through card combinations in hand and play. This game is particularly beneficial for kids as it encourages mathematical skills, critical thinking, and strategic planning, making it a fun and educational pastime. Learn how to play

Conclusion

If you feel like time is becoming rather blurry, that is a sign that whatever you are doing is becoming monotonous. Don’t let boredom dim your spirit. Move on to a tougher challenge and by all means, make sure you have loads of fun in the process. 

We all have days at home that are boring.  You can’t think of anything to do that’s fun and exciting.  You just feel like just hanging out in bed watching videos on your phone. After all, what else is there, right?  Wrong. You don’t have to fly across the country or spend lots of money to have a fun, interesting time.

No matter where you live, bored kids can enjoy creative fun activities that will also bring world of adventure into an otherwise boring day.  All you need to do is use your imagination.

Here are a few ideas. Once you start thinking about the world around your home, you’ll see other activities that you can do to have fun without spending any money. By the way, you still get to use your phone when doing these things.

1. Take something apart.

This is really cool, but you need a parent to help you. Ask for a broken machine. It can be a lawn mower or a tower computer or an old toy or bike. Then ask your parents for the tools you need. Before you start, go online and read about the safety steps you need to do the work. You might need eye protection or gloves. Then grab a screwdriver and get going!

You’ll see how gadgets do what they do. You’ll learn about the insides of machines and maybe even figure out what is wrong with them. This also a great way to learn how to use tools, something everyone needs to know. Taking something apart is perfect for when your parents are doing a task beside you.

2. Become an ornithologist.

That long word looks terribly scary, but it means that you study birds. This is so easy and doesn’t cost much. All you need is a book from the library on local birds and a pair of binoculars. You could even use your phone. Just take pictures of any birds you see then go online to find out what kind of birds they are.

Warning: bird watching can be surprisingly fun and lead to a life-long hobby, not just something to do when you are bored.

3. Custom Stickers

Who doesn’t love stickers?  Least of all kids!  Did you know that you can create your own custom stickers that can be put on just about any thing you can think of?  It’s a great way to express your individuality. Stickers can be put on skateboards, leather items, water bottles, binders, phone cases, makeup cases, helmets, pencil boxes, and even car windows.

First, make a list of images you would like to put on a sticker, such as cartoons, a school sports team, or a personal sketch drawing of your. Stickers can also be created to display meaningful quotes, either written by the you personally or by a famous person.

4. Create a Treasure Hunt!

You can go online and read about the different ways that you can arrange the hunt. The best way to get all your friends together and ask a parent to hide the treasure. It could be a batch of cookies or a gift certificate for a pizza or each child could bring one small toy to make up the treasure. Or you could be the treasure master, stashing the prize and making up clues that you hide in advance.

Clues could be something like “Look for the tree with the home-made swing,” or “Find the big grey rock and take three steps south.” Each clue leads to another clue and at the very end, the treasure. Maybe each of your friends could pick a day and hold their own treasure hunt. The hunts can be as long or as short as you want.  This is fun activity you could also do as a family together, outside or in the house.

5. Make a movie.

For this, call the friends who, like you, are bored. Get together and talk about what kind of movie you want to make. It could be a documentary, where your movie is about something real. It could be a drama, where you write a script and play pretend. Then start recording videos. You will need to learn how to write a script, how to talk clearly, how to question people and how movies really work.  Get inspired from watching family friendly movies, which is also another thing do to when you’re bored.

6. Color

It’s a lost art for many.  Coloring books.  That’s a funny little play on words since we are referring to the lost “art” being actual “art”.  Anyways, whether you use pencil crayons or wax crayons, it’s easy to find free coloring pages online of your favorite cartoons or drawings.  From animals to cars, princesses to superheros, sports themes to nature, what better way to spruce up your room’s decor with you very own artwork?

With coloring pages, you can also make a colorful wall montage.  Choose from all sorts of drawings and cover one of your bedroom walls with your own colorful creations. It will be like a wall mural but made up of individual pictures.

7. Have a Box Sculpture Contest!

This is easy.  Just ask your parents to get empty boxes from a grocery or chain store. Make sure you have a lot of them in a lot of different sizes. Then you need strong tape, glue and markers to decorate what you make. You could even decide on a theme, like box spaceships, box forts or box cars.  You can also get creative and spruce up your sculptures with items egg cartons, ribbons and show boxes.

There are so many things a kid can do when he or she is bored.  You just need a few ideas.  Creativity often works that way. Often, you first need to get the creative juices flowing and soon you’ll be coming up with ideas of your own.   Our activities list for bored kids came from brainstorming ideas.  It make be one of many art projects you’ve done in school, or new ideas you want to do at home.  Start by thinking about them.  Then perhaps share them with your friends and see what they think.

8. Build a bowling alley.

You need some outdoor chalk and a flat place—like your patio or driveway or the paved area around the school. With the chalk, draw the place where the “pins” will go, then outline a lane, with a line where you roll the ball. Get some empty plastic pop bottles and fill them about one-third full with water. Then get a ball—a baseball will do.

You will need to practice throwing the ball to make sure that the lane is the right length. The bottles may need more or less water. Play around with your bowling alley until the ball rolls right and the bottles are filled so that they need a good hit with the ball to tip over. Once you start building your bowling alley, you might be surprised by the people who stop to watch you and play.

9. Learn How to Fly a Kite!

Kites are relatively cheap to buy, but many kids prefer to learn about kites online and make their own. This activity requires you to follow the weather and look for good places to catch the wind, usually a park or a hill. This takes those reflexes that help you play video games and uses them in the real world. And it’s fun.

10. Put on a Kids Clothing Swap!

Ask your parents what they think about this. It would be a good way to clean out closets as well as encourage everyone to recycle. Just make sure that all clothes are clean and mended when they are brought to the swap.

How to Create Your Own Fun Activities

This list is just the beginning or all the fun things you could do when you are bored.  Pick out a couple and ask your parents if you need help to get the fun rolling.  Whenever your faced with boredom, try going for a walk in the fresh air and use your imagination.  You may just find that the adventure will never stop.  It may not feel like it right now, but there is so much fun waiting for you just around the corner.  Finally, when you’re bored out of you mind and don’t feel like putting much effort into anything at all, bring up this page of funny jokes for kids and tell them to your family members.

Being stuck at home for weeks in a time when everything feels uncertain and out of control can be mood-dipping experience. We all want to feel safe and hopeful for tomorrow, Fortunately, there are practical things we can all do to maintain a positive attitude.

Anxiety doesn’t have to be your friend, just as you don’t have to let loneliness move in to be your roommate or neighbor. With a focus on mood-boosting activities we will be able to keep our sanity through long periods of time at home.

Psychologists say that it may be possible to beat depression, anxiety, and loneliness through physical exercise. According to a study that was published by JAMA Psychiatry in January 2020, regular physical activity can independently alleviate depression disorder and boost a person’s overall mood.

For students in school, there is the added benefits that exercise brings to the brain.  More oxygen, more blood flow, and the simple fact that a break from braining draining studies is healthy to avoid burnout.

But how exactly does exercising boost our mood, especially while home-isolated? Here is how:

1.  It is a Good Excuse to get Natural Light Exposure

Increased exposure to natural light will boost your energy and mood levels, and consequently, improve your sleep and overall quality of life. That is why people who stay indoors for too long suffer irritability, distraction, and depression. Unfortunately, we aren’t getting enough natural light these day, especially for those living in harsh winter climates.

Outdoor exercising is one of the few valid reasons for anyone to get out these days. So, if you have space on your balcony, backyard, or if you live in a scarcely-populated neighborhood, go out there and run. Do all forms of cardio and get your heart racing. If you can’t go to far from home, ride a bicycle around your garden for an hour daily. It is a great way not just to burn fat and lose weight but to boost your spirits as well.

Riding a bike is something then entire family can enjoy together outdoors.  If you have kids who are just learning how to ride, teaching them is an activity in itself. 

2.  Helps You Beat Insomnia

Being stuck indoors means that everyone is now getting the time to sleep during the day. The disadvantage of that: Severe insomnia for people who struggle to catch sleep at night. One of the effects of insufficient sleep at night is lowered spirits during the day. The good thing is that studies point to the possibilities of regular exercise being a remedy for severe insomnia. Here are 2 arguments in support of this claim:

• Intense physical activity has undisputed body-heating effects. When you increase your body temperature by exercising a few hours to bedtime, your body reacts by lowering its temperature back to normal. That post-exercise temperature dip may make you fall asleep faster.

• Most people with severe insomnia suffer from anxiety and depression. Exercising is a proven way of alleviating these symptoms so you sleep better.

3.  It makes you drink more water

Research has shown that people who drink at least 8 glasses of water per day are calmer, more content, and have way lesser physical and mental fatigue compared to people who intake less than 6 glasses per day. That is reliable evidence that drinking more water might result in a better mood.

But then, drinking water regularly might seem like extra work for people who aren’t keen on their hydration needs. That is where physical exercise comes in. When you work out, you will always feel the urge to drink more water and, knowingly or not, you will fundamentally be boosting your mood.

4.  Helps you cultivate healthy relationships

Many couples are fighting all the time because for the first time since they have known each other, they are now spending 24 hours together, up from 3-5 hours tops on normal days. When you fight, your mood deteriorates. When you work out together as a couple or as a family, your mood improves.

5.  It is a good way of alleviating emotional exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion results from prolonged stress. Most people are feeling emotionally worn-out and drained due to the uncertainties shared by people worldwide. People are feeling trapped; it seems like no one is in control of their lives or careers anymore.

Increased physical activity raises endorphins and serotonin levels in your body, which in turn can boost your emotional state. It helps take your mind off the news and the constant feeling of hopelessness.

Conclusion

Physical inactivity during this time can have detrimental impacts on both your mental and physical health. Make a point of exercising for at least 30 minutes per day, especially given that there are plenty of at-home workout ideas online. What’s more, even after the quarantine season is over, you will have developed a healthy fitness routine for the rest of your life.

Encouraging Your Kids Through Seasonal Affective Disorder