If your child’s backpack doubles as their suitcase, you might be overscheduling after-school activities. Between piano lessons, soccer practice, math club, and maybe even “beginner yoga for tots,” kids today often have busier calendars than most CEOs. Sure, activities can be enriching, but too many can turn childhood into a never-ending performance review. Research shows that kids actually benefit from unstructured free time, which helps them develop creativity, independence, and problem-solving skills (Barker et al., 2014). Translation: “I’m bored” isn’t a crisis—it’s actually where imagination sneaks in.
Overscheduling doesn’t just exhaust kids—it hijacks family life, too. Family dinners, once a sacred tradition, are now eaten in the car between violin and robotics, with parents hollering, “Don’t spill the smoothie on your uniform!” But studies show eating together has major benefits, including healthier diets, better grades, and less stress (Harvard Medical School, 2018). Basically, mac and cheese around the table beats chicken nuggets in the minivan every time. And while we’re at it, put down the phones. Kids don’t need to watch YouTube at dinner any more than parents need to check emails during Monopoly. Sharing silly stories from the day, arguing over who gets the last roll, or laughing at Dad’s bad jokes are way better for connection than staring at screens.
Then there’s the stress factor. The American Academy of Pediatrics (2018) warns that kids need balance, and too many structured activities can cause anxiety, poor sleep, and even burnout. A child who’s sprinting from one commitment to another may be too tired to actually enjoy them. And when bedtime turns into a meltdown because they still have math homework after karate, everybody loses—especially the parents who were promised this activity would “burn off energy.” Spoiler: it didn’t.
So what’s the solution? Pick one or two meaningful activities, then carve out family time that isn’t tethered to electronics. Play board games (yes, even if someone cheats at Candy Land), go for bike rides, cook dinner together, or just lounge around in pajamas and talk. These “ordinary” moments give kids space to relax and families the chance to bond. Remember, children don’t need résumés by age ten; they need memories. Childhood isn’t about logging hours of extracurriculars—it’s about feeling safe, loved, and connected. In other words, unplug the iPad and pass the Uno cards.
Screen-Free Family Fun Ideas:
Best,
KJ Landis
@superiorself on Instagram and X
@SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
@superiorselfwithkjlandis on TikTok
[email protected]
Books available everywhere!
Bibliography
Overscheduling doesn’t just exhaust kids—it hijacks family life, too. Family dinners, once a sacred tradition, are now eaten in the car between violin and robotics, with parents hollering, “Don’t spill the smoothie on your uniform!” But studies show eating together has major benefits, including healthier diets, better grades, and less stress (Harvard Medical School, 2018). Basically, mac and cheese around the table beats chicken nuggets in the minivan every time. And while we’re at it, put down the phones. Kids don’t need to watch YouTube at dinner any more than parents need to check emails during Monopoly. Sharing silly stories from the day, arguing over who gets the last roll, or laughing at Dad’s bad jokes are way better for connection than staring at screens.
Then there’s the stress factor. The American Academy of Pediatrics (2018) warns that kids need balance, and too many structured activities can cause anxiety, poor sleep, and even burnout. A child who’s sprinting from one commitment to another may be too tired to actually enjoy them. And when bedtime turns into a meltdown because they still have math homework after karate, everybody loses—especially the parents who were promised this activity would “burn off energy.” Spoiler: it didn’t.
So what’s the solution? Pick one or two meaningful activities, then carve out family time that isn’t tethered to electronics. Play board games (yes, even if someone cheats at Candy Land), go for bike rides, cook dinner together, or just lounge around in pajamas and talk. These “ordinary” moments give kids space to relax and families the chance to bond. Remember, children don’t need résumés by age ten; they need memories. Childhood isn’t about logging hours of extracurriculars—it’s about feeling safe, loved, and connected. In other words, unplug the iPad and pass the Uno cards.
Screen-Free Family Fun Ideas:
- Backyard scavenger hunt (bonus points if you make it weird: “find something shaped like a dinosaur!”)
- Family cooking night (kids pick the recipe—even if it’s pancakes for dinner)
- Board games or card games (Uno, Clue, or yes… Monopoly, if you’re brave)
- Family story night (make up a silly story where each person adds one sentence)
- Bike rides, nature walks, or star-gazing in the yard
- “No electricity night”—candles, flashlights, and shadow puppet shows
- Build a blanket fort big enough for snacks and the dog
Best,
KJ Landis
@superiorself on Instagram and X
@SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
@superiorselfwithkjlandis on TikTok
[email protected]
Books available everywhere!
Bibliography
- American Academy of Pediatrics. (2018). Helping Children Balance Activities: Tips for Parents. Retrieved from https://www.healthychildren.org
- Barker, J. E., Semenov, A. D., Michaelson, L., Provan, L. S., Snyder, H. R., & Munakata, Y. (2014). Less-structured time in children’s daily lives predicts self-directed executive functioning. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 593.
- Harvard Medical School. (2018). The Family Dinner Project: Benefits of Family Dinners. Retrieved from https://thefamilydinnerproject.org
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