50 Things To Do Without Technology

Editor's note: Your family may have a hard time letting go of their screens — that includes you, Mom and Dad! — but we hope this list of tech-free activities will help you spend time as a family in fun ways that don't require a charging cord or Wi-fi.

Have you ever been challenged to take a technology timeout? How about one hour each day without technology? It’s easy to fall into the technology trap with our smartphones, iPads and Playstations.

How many of you browse Facebook in bed before you go to sleep? Then upon waking up, pick up your phone to check your email before planting your feet on the floor?

I know I do.

By forcing myself to do a technology timeout, I have seen how much I am actually tied to technology. There are times when I can’t help it (like when I am working an event or up against a deadline). The key is to make the time to take the timeout. Make an effort to break away from technology.

That’s what I did this weekend.

At my son’s baseball game, I didn’t pick up my phone once (not even to snap a picture). I cheered him and his team on, chased my little one off the field and chatted with the other parents. We then headed to a local town’s Community Day. I will confess that I did pick up my phone during the event but only to snap pictures of Ethan and the characters from Star Wars. I had to document that excitement!

Yesterday was a little harder. Deadlines to met. Consignment tags to enter. But I did it. I took Ethan to my niece’s soccer game. The only time I picked up my phone was when I called my husband about putting dinner in the oven. Again, I cheered on her team (she scored the only 2 goals!), talked with my mom and watched my shy son play with a bunch of kids he didn’t know (that’s huge!).

I know I have a long way to go when it comes to taking a technology timeout, but this weekend was a great jump start to making the effort!

Looking for things to do as a family when taking your Tech Timeout? Here are 50 tech-free ideas so you have no excuse not to try it!

50 things to do as a family without technology 

1. Cook dinner together. 
2. Go to the library. 
3. Do a puzzle. 
4. Take a walk. 
5. Have a family picnic. 
6. Play Frisbee. 
7. Volunteer. 
8. Go swimming. 
9. Take a bike ride. 
10. Go to the park.
11. Play with a pet. 
12. Look through old family albums together. 
13. Go bowling. 
14. Play hide and seek. 
15. Bake cookies together. 
16. Visit a relative.
17. Take the family sledding. 
18. Have a family touch football game. 
19. Go to a roller rink. 
20. Volunteer at the local food pantry. 
21. Go cross country skiing.
22. Go outside and take family photos.
23. Make a meal and surprise a neighbor. 
24. Play soccer. 
25. Make a chalk picture in your driveway using sidewalk chalk.
26. Make pizza from scratch. 
27. Rake an older neighbor’s lawn. 
28. Play miniature golf. 
29. Play a game of hockey. 
30. Play a board game. 
31. Visit a pet shop. 
32. Try some food you’ve never had before. 
33. Build a snow or leaf fort. 
34. Hike through the woods. 
35. Shoot some hoops. 
36. Play a game of Charades. 
37. Do a family art project. 
38. Make a family breakfast. 
39. Go to your local playground and help clean up. 
40. Make a care package for your local hospital. 
41. Roast marshmallows. 
42. Plant a garden. 
43. Take a family trip to the zoo or museum. 
44. Take a fishing trip. 
45. Build a birdhouse or bird feeder.
46. Clean house and donate items to local thrift shop. 
47. Heave a treasure hunt. 
48. Plant a tree. 
49. Pick seasonal fruit at a local farm. 
50. Go to the beach. 

Have you ever taken a technology timeout? What are some things you do without technology?

Stephanie Glover is a Collegeville, PA mom of two. This post was adopted from her blog, A Grande Life.