We all know the struggle of trying to get kids to come away from their tablets. While they are great for entertaining them and helping them learn, convincing them to give their screen a break can be hard work. Screens are woven into modern childhood, from school apps to weekend cartoons, and it doesn’t need to be a case of trying to banish them altogether. The main thing is just getting a better balance, where screen time doesn't quietly take over every quiet moment in the day.

In this guide, we cover all of the best ways to achieve this without the need for a strict crackdown. Below, we give our top recommendations for a few small, consistent changes that can make a big difference and develop habits that can be stuck to.

Why Cutting Back Is Worth the Effort

You’ll likely already be sensing when screen time has crept up too far for your child. Bedtimes get harder, moods dip when the device is taken away, and they seem less interested in the toys and games that used to hold their attention for hours.

Health bodies like the NHS encourage regular breaks from screens and a healthy mix of activities across the day, particularly in the run-up to bedtime, when a bright screen can make it harder for a child to settle. A bit of balance goes a long way, and the easiest way to find it is to have other things ready to fill the gap.

Simple Ways to Reduce Screen Time At Home

There are a good number of ways to reduce your kid’s screen time without the need to take their devices away completely. By following these steps, you can make sure that they’re having healthy breaks and building good habits while still being able to enjoy their tech. 

Set Boundaries Together

Rules tend to stick better when children have had a say in them. Sit down together and agree on when screens are fine, such as after homework or on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and when they're not, like at the dinner table. A child who's helped write the rule is far more likely to remember it without being reminded every five minutes.

Create Screen-Free Zones and Times

Bedrooms and the dinner table are a good place to start when creating screen-free areas. Keeping these areas free of tablets and phones protects the two things that matter most: sleep and family conversation. It doesn't need to be announced as a big new policy. It can just become the way things are done in your house.

Lead By Example

Children notice what their parents do far more than what they're told to do. If the television is on in the background all evening, it's a lot harder to ask a child to put theirs down. Cutting back on your own screen habits and leading by example, even just a little, makes the whole conversation easier.

Plan Something to Do Instead

Boredom is usually what sends a child reaching for a screen in the first place. Having a toy box or activity ready to go removes that default option before it becomes a habit. This is where the right toys make a genuine difference, and it's worth sorting out ahead of time, before the whining has already started.

Keep the Conversation Going

Explaining why you're making a change helps far more than simply enforcing it. A short chat about feeling tired after too much screen time or missing out on a board game with the family lands better than a flat "because I said so." Children are generally more cooperative when they understand the reasoning.

What Other Parents Say

If you ask around, you'll hear the same struggles everywhere. Plenty of parents admit the school run is the hardest part of the day to manage, since a phone or tablet is often the easiest way to keep things calm in the back seat. Others say weekday evenings are trickiest, especially after a long day when everyone's tired, and a screen feels like the path of least resistance.

The common thread is that small, boring-sounding changes tend to work best to make screens less of a constant presence in the day-to-day. Little changes like having a charging station outside the bedroom, a fixed screen-free hour before dinner, or simply having a puzzle sitting out on the coffee table can make a real difference.

Toys That Make Screen-Free Time Easier

Swapping out screen time is much easier when there's something genuinely engaging to swap it for instead. There are plenty of kids’ toys that make for engaging alternatives that offer just as much fun and stimulation as a tablet, such as:

Building Sets

The full range of LEGO sets covers everything from quick, simple builds for younger children to detailed sets that can occupy an older child for a full afternoon, and there's something satisfying about a finished model that a screen just can't replicate.

Board Games and Puzzles

Kids’ board games and puzzles bring the whole family into one activity, which is exactly what a lot of parents are after during those screen-free evenings. They also happen to be brilliant for younger siblings who want to join in with something an older child is doing.

Arts and Crafts

Craft sets are worth keeping stocked at all times, since they come in handy well beyond rainy days. A simple drawing set, some stickers, or a craft kit can turn ten restless minutes into a genuinely absorbed hour, and there's always something to show off at the end of it.

Soft Plush

Soft toys, such as the super soft and adorable Squishmallows range, are a gentle, calming option for younger children, particularly in that stretch before bed when screens are best avoided altogether. They're easy to carry from room to room, so a child can settle with one wherever they end up.

Bikes and Scooters

For children who need to burn off energy, getting outside and moving does far more for a restless mood than any app ever could. A kids’ bike or scooter also gives the whole family a reason to head out together at the weekend.

Fancy Dress Costumes

Kids’ fancy dress costumes are worth a mention too, since imaginative play is one of the easiest ways to get a child absorbed without a screen in sight. A dressing-up box gives a child somewhere to put their own ideas, and that kind of open-ended play holds attention well.

Making It Stick

No day needs to be perfect for this to work, as some evenings the tablet will still come out, and that's fine. What matters is building a house full of other options, so that reaching for a screen becomes one choice among several.

Start small, pick one or two changes from this list, and give them a few weeks before judging how well they're working. Screens can stay part of family life. The aim is simply for them to be one option among many, not the default setting for every quiet moment.

Screen-Free Toy Alternatives at True Toys

If you’re looking for toys your kids will love that make for a good switch-up from a screen, we’ve got plenty of fantastic options at True Toys. You can find kids’ toys of every kind with us to give your child entertaining and engaging options that are suitable for all ages and budgets. Whether you're after a quiet kids’ board game for a weekday evening or an outdoor garden game to get the whole family off their devices at the weekend, browse our full range of toys from big names at honest prices!