By Shilpa Divakar

New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANSlife): Screen time is the most discussed topic these days among parents. In this digital world going completely off screen is not possible, but getting your child addicted to screen is also not good. But by making a few changes we can create a screen free childhood for our children.

1. Self-Play: It plays a major role in overall development of children. It makes them learn to be more independent and helps in building leadership quality. Do start this at a very young age. Let them play and just see how they get engrossed in their own world.

2. Activities: Building blocks, puzzles, board games, activity boxes, there are many such activities which help in keeping children engaged for a long time and they also help in improving their creativity.

3. DIY activities: You can also create your own Do It Yourself (DIY) activity for your child. For example, counting beads, molding using flour dough, creating a small water pond with fishes and many more. Children do enjoy doing such activities.

4. Reading: Books are indeed a great companion, so do introduce books to children at a very young age. It helps in improving knowledge and language vocabulary. Storytelling is a very good habit, it helps in improving their imagination and they get to learn some moral values.

5. Outdoor play:This is very much essential for the physical development of children. Just by sitting inside, they don't learn anything. They need to be exposed to the outside world where they get to learn many things. It keeps them active and also helps in sleeping better.

6. Hobbies: Every child has some unique talent. Do Bring it out. If he likes drawing/colouring then keep a small colouring book and crayons in your bag, so you can keep them busy with it when you are travelling or if they love music then let them hear some good music. This helps in building their talent.

7. Play with your children: We all have busy schedules, yet we need to make some time for our children and play with them. Children feel very happy when the parents get down on the floor and play. It also helps in improving the bonding between the parents and child.

8. Pretend play: Children love to imitate. So choose a certain character from a storybook or some profession and let your child enact it. For example: My son loves enacting a doctor. He pretends to be a doctor and we become his patients.

9. Give them household chores: Include children in house chores by giving them small tasks like folding clothes, putting clothes to washing machine, putting garbage to dustbin, etc. Such kind of chores helps in teaching children about cleanliness and leading an organised life in the future.

10. Spend quality time together: Set aside at least 1-2 hours of family time where you sit together without any gadgets and spend some quality time. Interact with your children the same way you interact with your partner. Talk to them, ask them about their day. This helps in creating a beautiful family bond.

11. Practice what you preach: Last but not the least to create a screen free childhood for our children, we need to limit our screen time too. If we are addicted towards the screen, then children will also be doing the same. Therefore, to create a screen free childhood parent's role is really very important.