I spent last week making final plans for our homeschool year, our most “plugged in” year yet. I think that most of us with school-aged children must be facing something similar, and I am very grateful for our online schooling options. My middle school and high school kids will all be taking online classes (I can tell you more about that in my next post if you’d like.) However, it has always been my goal to minimize screen time, and I can’t pretend that screen time in recent months at our house has been minimal. So much has gotten in the way of my ideals this year. This pandemic and the financial consequences of it that are requiring us to work more, extreme weather making outdoor play unpleasant-too brutally hot and dry for weeks followed by weeks of too much rain and nasty humidity, and being just plain stressed, overwhelmed, and discouraged at the state of everything. My goal heading into this fall is to be more intentional when I can, to spend more time planning ahead for unplugged activities for my younger kids (while structuring screen time with my older kids so that they don’t sit looking at one all the time!) but also to give myself grace when things don’t go as planned. Mom’s mental health has to be a priority as well. Please don’t forget to take care of yourself, even if that means letting your little guys watch shows in the afternoon while you read a book or catch up on work.
Over the years, whenever I have fallen into allowing more screen time than I’d like, which in my experience leads to kids not knowing what to do with themselves other than more of the same, I have sat down to make a list of activities. Some of them only require me to set out the materials, and some require me to be a part of them. Maybe two lists would be good? Activities with mom, and activities without. I have collected many books full of ideas over the nearly twenty years I’ve been parenting. I first started making these lists when my oldest son was a baby who didn’t sleep and I didn’t know what to do with him. I was twenty-two when he was born and the days were long.
When my friend, Rachel Wolf, started working on The Unplugged Family Activity Book, she had no idea how timely it would be. So many of us are looking for fresh ideas right now, or even new takes on familiar ones to help us get through these months. Rachel sent me a copy a few weeks ago and it’s a beautiful, inspiring book. The activities are divided seasonally and I always love it when a book is organized that way. When I pull out my stack of activity books to work on my lists in the coming weeks, hers will be at the top. Right now, we have loads of marigolds blooming and Rachel’s summer flower bunting project was a perfect afternoon activity for Mabel. She loved carefully threading the flowers, and I love that I will be able to use the dried marigolds in my dyepots this winter.
Rachel would like to give one of you a copy of her book as well! For your chance to win, leave a comment on this post. I will close comments and randomly select a winner on Friday.
The winner is Bethany, who commented, “I would love a copy of this book! I would also love to know what your own activity list includes if you ever were up for writing a post about that. :)”
I’ve emailed you, Bethany, and will hopefully write that post sometime soon!
This book looks fabulous and definitely needed now more than ever!
Yes please tell us about what classes your middle grade kids are taking online. Thank you.
How timely indeed! The book looks great- I like seasonal arrangement too.
I believe that we (especially the kind of conciliation parents who give thought to their kids screen time at all) need to remember that this season of a Global Pandemic is not the time to beat ourselves up about letting our children (or even ourselves) take the ‘easy option’ or the ‘lazy option’ over tv, outdoors time or meals and housekeeping. Well that’s what I’m telling myself! As long as everyone here is OK and not stressed,fearful or unhappy (generally unhappy I mean! There are plenty of complaints and tears regularly!) then I am trying to be at peace with that.
Bless you through this year.
We currently have ten children with two more due in a couple weeks! We just relocated for my husband’s job and we are living in a hotel so this book would be perfect right now!
Love your posts and all the beautiful pictures you take. I’ve been following you for years and I always feel relaxed when I am able to catch up on your blog. Thank you for sharing so much with all of us!
Mom’s mental health is truly important. Take good care of yourself. I am so happy my youngest is in college. Everything is online already.
My husband & I are virtually teaching high school for the first marking period at both of our schools, while our own children (1st &
& 4th graders) will be learning virtually too. Until our schools potentially require us to return to our classrooms… what a mess! Definitely not going according to our plan for this year. Anyway, it would be great to have an unplugged resource for my family when we have downtime or need a break from all the screens.
I feel like I could have written your post above (except for reading the book and making marigold chains 😉 )! I can totally relate. We just began school on Monday – so far, so good! Working hard here to get screen time back to the minimum it should be.
This IS so timely!!! I find myself allowing more screen time than ever just to get through, even though I have only ever homeschooled.
Thank you for the opportunity and for the book recommendation
I need some new ideas right now. More than ever
A favorite type of book for me. Quite inspirational and different.
Great ideas ?
Enjoyed your post because “misery loves company” I guess and here in California we are locked down and miserable. All three of my kid’s kids are “home-schooling” even the first to go to college is having to do it online. Her senior year seemed to end so sadly: no prom, no trip to Disneyland, no concerts and graduation was pitiful with no music or friends to share it with. My daughter who has been home-schooling her two girls for 6 years is taking it in stride but my d-in-law is working hard with with her girls. And their schooling is ALL online. So, I’m sure they would love some ideas for crafting without the computer or “Tik-Tok” on the screen!
Gosh is been years since our last marigold garland. That smell is one of my favorites in the world.
We too have slipped into too much screen time and yesterday I hid the laptop to put an end to it. Today they may have chased a chicken or two, but they also pretended to be dogs at doggy school and built block houses for their duplo vehicles and started a scrap wood fort against the shed. It’s so much better!!!
I love your marigold garlands – i can smell them right now as I’m reading your post! I have looked at this book many times – it looks amazing. Rachel is indeed a great resource.
Thank you!
Oh my goodness.
Mabel’s dress.
Did you make it?
Could you share the pattern or where you bought the dress?
It’s the Oliver + S bubble dress! I made it many years ago for Larkspur!
Thanks so much for the giveaway!
Screen time can so subtly become an all consuming thing! This book sounds like fun!
I always enjoy your posts. =)
As a grandmother of 8 ages 1-10, as well as the psychotherapist who works with school-age children, this would be a tremendous resource for me in both capacities! I’m always looking for new things to do with my grandkids and ideas to give parents of my clients. Thank you so much!
This is a wonderful opportunity! Thanks for the post and I’m excited about the book! I love Rachel’s soaps from LuSa Organics as well, so worth seeking out!
I am interested in your recommendations on online middle school classes! Also interested in winning a copy of the activity book! Screen time has increased with the pandemic here. I am happy they can still connect with friends remotely but would love new activity ideas for screen free time!
This would be a lovely thing to gift to my son and bonus daughter to use with our grandbuddies.
Hi Ginny, I’m planning handwork for our first homeschool year. Kindergarten! And just found now found your site. Thanks for sharing!
This would be perfect…as we embark on 7 children online schooling, 3 littles with lots of energy, and a new baby on the way in September. If I don’t win, I’ll probably buy it anyway! I’m in dire need of constructive ways to occupy the minors in the household, and usually too befuddled to come up with anything on the spot. Thank you!
This is exactly the sort of book I’ve been looking for!
This sounds fabulous, Ginny! My kids were just asking for new activity/crafting books. It always amazes me how intensely they can pursue an idea and develop it once they get started!
I’d like that to give to my daughter (though I’ll read it first!). Thanks!
This sounds like a fabulous book, which would be a blessing to our four boy family! We greatly minimize screens and would love fresh unplugged ideas for family time!
The book looks inspiring 🙂
Ginny,
Your posts always speak to my heart. Thank you for writing about your life. It is so very encouraging. Would live the book as we tacklt our third move in two months, during the pandemic.
Screen time is the go-to quick pacifier around here! Currently SW Florida is comparable to the surface of the sun, and fresh non screen ideas are greatly appreciated! Thanks for the giveaway!
This is so timely as my husband and I just decided to phase television out for our children!
What a lovely post! I am going to share it with my daughter, who is struggling with some of these issues now with her 14 month old. Not that granddaughter is having screen time herself almost ever; but her parents are working from home, and so that means that automatically she is exposed to some of that, though they try to sequester their work as best as possible. Luckily, they live where the summer is relatively mild, so at the moment, it is possible to be outside for garden time and long walks several times a day. (And lucky me, I am spending a few months living close by to them, so I can help out and enjoy time with my lively, sweet granddaughter!)
As a retired Waldorf teacher, I support all the efforts to create healthy activities for children. This book looks like a great addition to a family’s bookshelf. If I am lucky enough to win the copy, I will pass it on to my daughter!
I’ve been following your blog since before Mabel was born, and even though my children are grown up, I have grandchildren now, who always are looking for something fun to do! We would love a copy of Rachel’s new book!
I’d loooove this book. I’ve just made the decision to homeschool two of my four kids this year…. I’m excited, but also super nervous.
Oh, this book will give me ideas to use with my grandchildren!!
This sounds like something I need!
That books sounds delightful and is exactly what I need for my boys!
Even grandmothers like myself need a book like this. I love new ideas and those that are seasonal seem to take my grandchildren more in touch with nature, a goal I have for us all.
It sounds like we are all in the same struggle. It’s nice to know it’s all of us together! The book looks lovely and timely!
I’d love a copy!
The balance with screen free time has been a challenge here as well.
The older my children get, the harder it is to keto screen time minimal. I would love ideas for my kiddos!!
This sound like an amazing book. I too have felt the overwhelm of too much screen time this spring and summer, and having just given birth to my fourth, would love some ideas for more unplugged time this fall. Thank you for this giveaway!
I would love a copy of this book for my daughter and granddaughter. They lost their husband/dad last September in a head on collision with a huge truck, it being in the wrong lane. She is now raising E by herself, its hard when you need someone to help you whip up an activity, especially when trying to run the farm on her own. This would be so great, they can go through and pick out interesting activities and build good and happy memories of togetherness.
wow. that is heart-breaking. i would love to gift your daughter and granddaughter a book. i have three daughters myself and i can only imagine how much other moms supporting her is important right now. blessings to each of you! luxe@bust.com if you would email me privately.
I’m so sorry for their loss and for yours. I’m praying for your daughter today!
I would love some new ideas for my crew!
An inspiration — thank you.
Lovely and inspiring.
This book sounds like a great companion as we navigate Zoom school!
To me, it’s always inspiring to see what other people are doing, making and creating. We spend big parts of our days creating. And a new inspiration is always a great thing. I’d love to see this book. Thanks for the chance.
I’m always looking for ways for my boys to spend time without looking at a screen. I’d love to win this book!
Yes please!!!
How cool that you and Rachel Wolf are friends! I looked to her for advice when having babies and learning about homeschooling. And now here I am, finding inspiration from you. I just started school Monday… so far so good. I know this book will be great!