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How to Do a Screen-Free Week With Your Kids

By Chaz Bagri1 July 20266 min read

A child sitting cross-legged on a purple Yogi-Me mat by a window, toys and books around the room

A realistic, no-guilt plan for a screen-free week with your kids, with day-by-day swaps, age tips and easy wins backed by the NHS and gov.uk.

A screen-free week works best as a swap, not a ban. Pick seven days, tell the children a few days ahead, and give each day one active morning swap and one calm evening wind-down. Protect mealtimes and the hour before bed first, agree a short list of exceptions such as homework, and expect a day or two of grumbling before it settles.

You know the tablet has taken over when every "five more minutes" turns into a negotiation. You want a reset, but you dread the whining that comes with it.

Good news: a screen-free week doesn't have to be a punishment. Done well, it's more of a family experiment, a chance to swap scrolling for the stuff kids actually remember.

This is a practical plan, not a lecture. Here's how to run one without the house descending into chaos.

What is a screen-free week, and does it really work?

A screen-free week is a set period, usually seven days, when your family swaps recreational screen time for play, movement and time together. It works best framed as replacing screens with better activities rather than banning them, which is the small-swap approach gov.uk recommends to parents.

Screens are deeply embedded in family life. Ofcom found that 99 per cent of parents say their 8 to 17-year-olds go online, and 85 per cent of parents of babies aged six months to two years say their child has looked at a screen.

That's why a deliberate reset helps. It's not about proving screens are bad. It's about giving the other good things (sleep, outdoor play, chats over dinner) room to breathe.

gov.uk's guidance for parents suggests simple screen swaps, like a bedtime story instead of a programme or a game at mealtimes. A screen-free week is simply that idea, turned up for seven days.

How do you plan a screen-free week without the meltdowns?

Plan the swaps before you start, warn everyone a few days ahead, and ramp up gently rather than going cold turkey. Expect some boredom and grumbling in the first day or two. That's normal and it passes. Boredom is where imagination usually kicks in.

Tell the kids what's happening and why, in plain terms. "We're taking a week off screens to do more fun stuff together" lands better than a list of rules.

Have a visible menu of activities ready. When a child says "I'm bored", you want to point at options, not scramble.

Keep it flexible. You might keep a Friday film night, or allow screens for homework. The government's own explainer says avoiding screens altogether isn't realistic, so treat this as a reset, not a life sentence. If the week includes a long drive, our long car journey activities for kids keep it screen-free.

Our guide to screen-free habits that actually stick has more on making changes that outlast the week itself.

What should kids actually do all week instead of screens?

Fill the week with active, hands-on play: outdoor time, kids' yoga, cooking, reading, dens and games. Aim to move plenty, because the NHS says 5 to 18-year-olds should average at least 60 minutes of activity a day, and a screen-free week frees up exactly that time.

Here's a simple day-by-day starter you can adapt. Mix and match to suit your family.

Monday, Morning swap: Nature walk, collect leaves; Evening wind-down: Kids' yoga on the mat
Tuesday, Morning swap: Bake something together; Evening wind-down: Read a chapter aloud
Wednesday, Morning swap: Park or garden ball games; Evening wind-down: Board game night
Thursday, Morning swap: Build a den or fort; Evening wind-down: Drawing and colouring
Friday, Morning swap: Bike, scooter or a big walk; Evening wind-down: Family film night (optional)
Saturday, Morning swap: Playground or soft play; Evening wind-down: Calm yoga stretches before bed
Sunday, Morning swap: Cook lunch as a team; Evening wind-down: Quiet reading and early night

For more ideas by age, our list of screen-free activities for 3 to 8-year-olds is a handy pin-to-the-fridge resource. Wednesday's board games could become a weekly family game night.

Kids' yoga earns its place here twice over. It counts towards that daily movement target and it doubles as a calm, screen-free way to settle little bodies before bed.

Which screen-free zones are the easiest place to start?

Start with mealtimes and the hour before bed. These are the simplest, most evidence-backed screen-free zones, so they give you quick wins with the least resistance. The gov.uk screen-time guidance for 2 to 5-year-olds advises avoiding screens at mealtimes and in the hour before bed.

Screen-free meals bring back conversation. Screen-free evenings help kids wind down and sleep better.

If a whole week feels daunting, protect these two zones first, every day, before you tackle the rest. They build the muscle for a fuller reset later.

How do you tailor a screen-free week to your child's age?

Match the plan to their stage. Under-5s already have the tightest guidance (avoid screens under 2 except shared activities, and try to keep it to an hour a day from 2 to 5, less if possible), so the week is mostly about active play. School-age children respond to a swap menu and clear zones. Older kids and teens do better when you involve them in setting the rules together.

For toddlers and pre-schoolers, the advice is firmest. UK government guidance says under-2s should avoid screens except shared activities such as video calls, and 2 to 5-year-olds should aim for no more than one hour a day, less if possible. The WHO recommends no sedentary screen time for one-year-olds and no more than an hour for two-year-olds, replacing it with active play. The NHS says toddlers and pre-schoolers need at least 180 minutes of activity spread through the day.

For 5 to 11s, lean on the day-by-day menu and the 60-minute movement target. For teens, negotiate rather than dictate, and agree on exceptions like homework upfront.

Do parents have to go screen-free too?

Honestly, yes, and it's the hardest part. Children copy what they see, so a week where the adults are still glued to their phones sends a mixed message. You don't have to be perfect. You do need to model the behaviour you're asking for, especially at meals and bedtime.

Put your own phone in a drawer at dinner. Read a book where they can see you. Join in the yoga.

Your effort is the thing that makes the week feel like a shared adventure rather than a rule imposed from above. If the week goes well, our guide to family screen time rules shows how to keep the best bits as house rules everyone agrees.

Frequently asked questions

Will my kids have a meltdown when the screens go off?

Some grumbling and boredom in the first day or two is completely normal, and it usually settles fast once the replacement activities kick in. Warn them in advance, start gently, and always have a hands-on option ready to offer instead.

How long should a screen-free week actually last?

A full seven days is a good reset, but there's no magic number. If a week feels too much, start with screen-free mealtimes and evenings every day, then build up. The government's own explainer says avoiding screens altogether isn't realistic and suggests small swaps instead.

Can we still keep some screen time during the week?

Yes. Many families keep a Friday film night or allow screens for homework and staying in touch with relatives. The point is a deliberate reset, not total deprivation. The government's guidance for under-5s also says watching together and talking about what you see is better for young children than solo screen use.

What can we do instead in bad weather?

Plenty. Indoor swaps include kids' yoga, baking, board games, den-building, drawing and reading aloud. A yoga mat turns any front room into an active, screen-free space, which is handy when the British weather refuses to cooperate. Plan the hardest slot, usually late afternoon, first, so you are not improvising when the rain starts.

A calm way to end each day

Ready to give your child a calm, screen-free way to move every day? Our colourful kids' yoga mats mark 15 numbered poses into the mat, so a wind-down session is as easy as rolling it out. It's a small, screen-free habit that fits any week of the year.

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