How to Help Your Kids Reduce Screen Time Through Crafts

If you're parenting kids, you may be concerned about the amount of time they spend in front of a screen. 

And nowadays, screen time isn't limited to TV viewing. According to a Medgate article published in November 2021, Filipino children spent an average of 34 hours a week in front of a screen for entertainment purposes alone. 

Excessive Screen Time: The Pitfalls  

There are direct and indirect effects brought by prolonged screen time. The pitfalls of prolonged screen time are --

• sleep problems
• the tendency to do poorly in school 
• less time for more beneficial recreational activities
• less time for outdoor or physical activity 
• less time spent with family members and friends 
• weight problems 
• mood problems 
• the tendency to develop a fear of missing out (FOMO) 
• less time to cultivate new skills or explore different hobbies

Crafts: Why is the Creative Process a Good Replacement for Prolonged Screen Time?

Aside from allowing kids to express their creativity, spending time on crafts requires active engagement. Children get to use their imagination as well as critical thinking skills. 

The majority of crafts also leads to improved hand-eye coordination, and fine and gross motor skills among children.

Crafting can also be frugal in the long run. Parents, guardians, and coaches don't need to spend a lot, since craft materials aren't pricey at all.

And at an age when kids are prone to fear of missing out (FOMO) and cyber-bullying, they can take pride in anything they've crafted out of their own hands and boost their confidence. 

This is infinitely better than garnering self-esteem from owning the latest toys, or anchoring their happiness on being popular among their peers. 

Reduce Screen Time Through Crafts: Start Small 

If you want your kids to do something engaging yet screen-free after they've done their homework, you can start with something simple like recycling greeting cards, origami, or paper plate projects, which can be done in as little as 15-20 minutes. 

Just think: reducing screen time by even as little as 15-20 minutes a day will accumulate to an hour or more of going screen-free every week. 

Reduce Screen Time by Including Crafts Among Family Activities 

Instead of leaving your children to craft alone by themselves (a proven recipe for distraction and boredom), get the entire family together to bond over a crafty activity. 

When kids see their parents enjoying an activity, they'll be much more likely to engage and be into that activity as well. 

Here are several suggestions to get you started: 

• Ask your kids to suggest themes or ideas for layouts for a family scrapbook. 
• Download free coloring pages, and spend hours of fun with crayons.
• Substitute a craft project for an afternoon of physical activity, reading, or playing board games. 
• If you have daughters and they're old enough, teach them sewing so they can make their own scrunchies. They can also learn to embroider handkerchiefs.
• Instead of rewarding your kids with something from the candy or toy store for good behavior, doing well in a school competition, or getting a good report card, let them pick a craft kit from the hobbies section or an arts and crafts store.

Reduce Screen Time by Making Crafts the Focal Point of Celebrations and Special Occasions 

Every year is peppered with special occasions here and there. Why not turn them into an opportunity to get your kids to craft? 

• If you're planning birthday parties or sleepovers for your children, why not make crafts the focal point of such occasions? Girls can make keychains, phone straps, or beaded accessories, while boys can paint on carved wooden figures or make a spider out of a pine cone and pipe cleaners. 

Click here for a complete tutorial.

• Get the entire family together to create props for annual family photo shoots. Kids can use colorful ribbons or pipe cleaners to decorate headbands.

Deck the Halls With Recycled and Upcycled Crafts 

You can turn leftover cardboard like the cover of a pizza box into the base of a festive wreath for Christmas. 

Cut out stars of different sizes from red and green cardstock or construction paper. For a 3D effect, you can include a few cutouts made from corrugated board or glitter foam. 

If you have a huge stash of Christmas cards lying around the house, look for ways to recycle them, since Christmas cards have pretty and festive designs.

For easter, bring out a set of poster paint and paint a bunch of styrofoam eggs. You can also create a rabbit bunting out of construction paper.

Giving Handcrafted Gifts = Reduced Screen Time 

Make it a habit to give DIY gifts to your relatives, your kids' teachers, the school bus driver, and classmates and friends.

DIY gifts don't only lead to reduced screen time because your children must brainstorm and plan which items to make; you can cut back on your gift giving budget as well. 

Here are a few ideas for DIY gifts: 

• Get your kids to create several pin cushions or plush animals from fiber filler and fabric quarters and felt cloth.
• Crocheted items still remain popular to this day. 
• Go eco-friendly by sewing coffee sleeves out of bright, patterned cloth or felt cloth. 
• By using a glue gun, decorate a plain, inexpensive picture frame with craft buttons or colorful, plastic sewing buttons 
• String art can be satisfying to make and give.
• Turn old cardboard boxes into attractive containers by using techniques in decoupage.

Make do without wrapping paper, gift tags, and ribbons by coming up with possible replacements for them. Butcher or brown, kraft paper can take the place of gift wrapper. 

You can also recycle old gift bags and gift boxes. Paper bags from boutiques and shops are attractive enough to hold DIY presents as well. 

If you still have old issues of glossy magazines, or some of your kids' comic books, you can use their pages for wrapping small items. 

Replace ribbons with paper, jute, or baker's twine or colorful kids' yarn. Cut unruled, 3" x 5" index cards in half for gift tags. 

DIY Birthday and Christmas Greetings = Reduced Screen Time

At a time of instant messaging, video calls, and SMS, receiving a handmade or personalized greeting card on one's birthday or Christmas is such a rare commodity.

Get a pack or 2 of 8 1/2" x 11" or A4-sized cardstock, and use a paper cutter to divide a sheet in half. 

Fold each half sheet in half, and get your kids to decorate them with washi tapes, die cuts, ephemera, or stickers. 

Your children can use felt-tip pens, markers, or calligraphy pens to write birthday or Christmas greetings. 

Halloween-Themed Event: Patron of the Arts 2024 at Elements at Centris, Quezon City

The celebration of my 43rd birthday was a rather stark contrast to last year's celebration. 

My family and I went to the Venice Grand Canal Mall in Taguig last year. The venue was modeled after the gondola-populated Italian city. 

This year, my sister and I revived our love for stickers and other paper-based merchandise by attending Patron of the Arts, a fall and Halloween-themed event at The Elements at Eton Centris, Quezon City.

Patron of the Arts: A Fun Halloween-Themed Event 

Held on October 5 and 6, Patron of the Arts 2024 is an art-centric event. 

Children, teens, and adults alike were asked to come in their most creative costumes. 

A few teen girls and young ladies came dressed like dolls and fairies, or went in full anime-inspired attire. 

Others donned familiar costumes from movies, cartoons, pop culture, and video games, and some kids toted plastic pumpkin containers.

Patron of the Arts: A Vibrant, Thriving Community of Local Artists, Designers, Illustrators, and Makers 

Vendors that have set up booths and kiosks at the Halloween-themed event were comprised of independent, local artists, designers, illustrators, and makers. 

The crowd was treated to a delightful array of paper-based products like stickers, art prints, and greeting cards, and accessories like keychains, button pins, earrings, and bracelets. 

A few other vendors specialize on tote bags, plush toys, wax candles, crocheted items like cats, candy corn, pumpkins, and ghosts, while some sold ceramics. 

Photo courtesy of
PotA Facebook page

While some might not appreciate Halloween-themed merchandise, there was no need to worry because a lot of vendors sold chibi-style and kawaii-style products, and those with autumn themes.

Patron of the Arts attracts a highly niched crowd, since merchandise are original. 

Some of the products may be deemed as high-end and pricey. But discounted rates can be enjoyed if one buys stickers and button pins in bulk.

Patron of the Arts: How it Works

Upon paying the highly affordable Php100 entrance fee, guests who came in costume are immediately welcomed with a ticket, a free sheet of stickers, and candies. 

The enclosed space was turned into a pet-friendly venue, so guests are free to bring their cats and dogs along.

Free stickers sheets;
each guest can
choose one. Photo
courtesy of PotA
Facebook account

A playlist of pop songs provided background music, but it wasn't too loud to the point that you can't strike up a conversation with the vendors or your companions. 

Some of the fun highlights of the event is completing a candy trail, which is a series of tasks one must do to be entitled to a free tote bag and additional stickers. 

Other highlights were pumpkin carving, a skull and pumpkin painting competition, and games.

One of the advantages of Patron of the Arts is the venue being in close proximity with different kinds of fast food chains, restaurants, and coffee shops. Guests can choose their meals according to their preferences or budget. 

The Elements at Eton Centris is also accessible to public transport. One can take a cab or book a Grab.

13 Things You May Not Know About My Life as A Crafty, Single Lady

I recently turned 43, and I have lived in Quezon City, a huge, bustling, cosmopolitan area in the Philippines since 1994.

I've been single all my life, and crafting has been my hobby since I was 25. 

My craft room

Here are 11 things you may not know about my life as a crafter:  

(1.) My creative journey as a crafter was accidental and unplanned. 

(2.) Contrary to popular belief that most crafters are sedentary, I make sure to be moderately active on most days of the week.

(3.) I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 16, and crafting has been highly conducive to the stability of my mental health.

(4.) I originally intended to launch a career as a freelance writer. I finished my distance learning course in 2003 and was granted a Career Diploma in Short Story Writing + Freelance Journalism by Penn Foster Career School.

I did earn a bit of cash working on tasks like ghostwriting, editing, and proofreading resumes. 

But I guess God had other (or rather, additional) plans for me. I heard a piece of advice over a radio broadcast, about how artistically inclined individuals can make a living by making and selling greeting cards. Since I knew I was a decent artist, I decided to give it a shot. 

I started out with a meager budget of Php500. I went out and bought colorful cardstock, a bottle of glue, stencils, scrapbook scissors, and felt-tip pens. 

I only wanted to create greeting cards and sell them. But one of my mom's colleagues suggested that a gift card would be a more sale-able product because it's a tradition in the Philippines for adults to give cash to children on their birthdays and Christmas. 

I experimented with a pattern and came up with a prototype for my own gift card. 

My version of the gift card bore a full front flap with a design that would suit the occasion, and had enough space to insert not just cash, but other paper-based presents like gift certificates, concert tickets, video game currency, and even passes to the cinema. 

And aside from greeting cards and gift cards, I also made gift tags and bookmarks.

Some of the keychains
I've created

As my business (and budget) grew over the years, I decided to diversify and include accessories like keychains, phone straps, and refrigerator magnets among my merchandise.

(5.) Being unmarried and not having to raise kids at 43 gave me plenty of time to devote to my crafts. 

(6.) I was more of an artist as a child until my early teen years, and drew and painted to my heart's content.

I briefly went back to drawing and painting when I helped take care of my grandmother, who was bed-ridden for 6 months before passing away. 

(7.) I never learned to knit or crochet, but I was quite good at cross stitch in grade school. One of my projects was hung in our 5th grade classroom's wall.

(8.) I briefly went through a phase when I tried other forms of crafts, like scrapbooking, journaling, diamond painting, making vision boards, and upcycling junk into ornaments. Only the last 2 stuck with me. 

(9.) Now that I'm making good money from my crafts and have enough savings to tide me over for the next few years, I got into collecting art prints and postcards as a hobby. 

One of the highlights of my life as a crafter was attending the first ever paper convention in the Philippines, then called Paper Con Ph, held at Elements at Centris, Quezon City. 

I got to mingle with a huge variety of artists, makers, designers, and illustrators. 

The best part was being able to purchase rare and limited-edition art prints and postcards.

Celebrating my 42nd
birthday at the Venice
Grand Canal Mall

(10.) I was able to receive plenty of greeting cards and postcards when I joined an online community called Random Acts of Cards (RAoC) on Reddit. 

(11.) Being a Redditor and RAoC member meant that I also have the privilege of receiving bonuses and perks from card senders, like washi tape samples, die cuts, and stickers. 

(12.) As a crafter, I enjoy giving away some of the stuff I created. But so far, the best birthday gift I have received was a trip to the Venice-inspired Venice Grand Canal Mall at Taguig.

(13.) Crafting was the gateway from which my life has been blessed tremendously, and not just in the monetary and material sense. 

Not only was I able to deal with the reality of coping with bipolar disorder for the rest of my life. Being involved in crafts led me deeper into the arts and respective handicrafts, not just of my native Philippines, but of various cultures. 

Craft Books: A Comprehensive Review

Over the years, I have built quite a substantial collection of books about crafts. 

I read avidly and widely, and I have explored and enjoyed various genres of books and magazines. 

But in my mid-20s I stumbled upon precious gems in the world of craft books.

Learning From Craft Books: The Advantages

• Craft books often contain glossy pages with colorful photos that are engaging and highly entertaining. 
• Children and adults alike are being made aware of the importance of recycling, upcycling, and refurbishing stuff.
• Children and adults alike can indulge in a screen-free pastime. 
• Craft books often indicate the level of difficulty and complexity of the craft projects.
• Craft books are proof that crafting is an active hobby with numerous benefits.

Photo from Amazon
Click here to
place your order

The Paper Book -- Fun Things to Make and Do With Paper by Hannah Tofts, Diane James 

Yay! 

• You can learn various things to do with different types of paper -- pattern or scrapbook paper, gift wrapper, magazines and newspapers, corrugated board, etc.

Nay

• This book will probably entice paper crafts enthusiasts only. 

Rating: 3 stars

Photo by Bookxcess
Click here to
place your order.

101 Ways to Stitch/Craft/Create for All Occasions by Various Contributors

Yay!

• This book is ideal for DIY enthusiasts who enjoy giving away handcrafted cards and gifts during special occasions.
• Craft projects are categorized according to themes and occasions. 
• Various craft materials can be explored and utilized, including fabric, scrapbook paper, ribbons, etc.

Nay 

• Doesn't focus on recycling

Rating: 5 stars 

Photo from DK
Click here to
place your order.

DK's Make It! by Jane Bull

Yay! 

• Focuses on the importance of recycling and upcycling as a way of reducing clutter.
• The book shows how fancy and chic stuff can be made from materials like paper, metal, fabric, and plastic. 

Nay 

• Adult supervision might be needed for some of the projects.

Rating: 4 stars

Photo from DK
Click here to
place your order.

DK's Make Your Own Gifts 

Yay!

• Encourages kids to be imaginative and stretch their creativity 
• Promotes recycling and upcycling

Photo from DK
Click here to
place your order.

DK's Let's Sew

Yay!

• This book will delight absolute beginners in sewing. Children will be trained to sew on a button as well as do a running stitch.
• Each spread is colorful and engaging, and projects are easy enough for kids.

Nay 

• This book will hardly interest children with intermediate to advanced sewing skills. 

Rating: 4 stars 

Photo from ebay
Click here to
place your order.

Christmas Things to Make & Do

Yay! 

• This book, with its countless Christmas-themed projects, will make you look forward to the festivities of the holidays.

Nay

• You won't find projects for other occasions, and with themes other than Christmas.

Photo from Usborne
Click here to
place your order.

Write and Draw Your Own Comics by Louie Stowell

This instructional book leans more into drawing with a paper, pencils, or ballpoint pens than crafts. It's perfect for kids who aspire to make their own comic strips.

Yay! 

• Kids are guided step-by-step into developing characters for comic strips, as well as crafting story arcs.
• The book is filled to overflowing with ideas.

Nay 

• Some of the comic book prompts might seem limiting to some children. 

Rating: 4 stars

Photo from eBay

Click here to 

place your order.

Photo from eBay
Click here to
place your order.

Photo from World of Books
Click here to
place your order.

Art Attack books by Neil Buchanan

Yay!

• There are a lot of books included in the Art Attack series, so you'll find countless projects with which you and your kids can get preoccupied.
• Art Attack projects require the use of materials like old newspapers, cardboard, and other junk. Except for paint, glue,  and paintbrushes, there's no need to buy any craft materials. 
• Children and adults alike will learn about mixed media.

Nay 

• Some of the projects might seem too complex for children of pre-school age to tackle, so adult supervision is needed.

Rating: 5 stars

Photo by DK
Click here to
place your order.

The Girls' Book of Crafts & Activities 

Yay! 

• This book is filled to overflowing with ideas for activities that girls will enjoy. 
• Encourages pre-teen girls to stretch their imagination, improve their creativity, and go beyond learning makeup application.
• Some activities can be done during birthday parties, while others can be planned for sleepovers or pajama parties.

Nay 

• This book is exclusively for girls, so boys won't benefit.

Rating: 4 stars

11 Spooktacular Replacements for Halloween Candy

Image from freepik

We're now halfway through October, and adults and kids alike are excited about Halloween.

However, kids consuming a lot of Halloween candy as a result of trick-or-treating has been the concern of numerous parents.

Parents are also wary about spending too much on candy and chocolates to give to trick-or-treaters.

The Trick? Keep Up With the Spirit of Halloween, Sans the Treats

Allow your kids to be imaginative and dress up in their most creative costumes to keep the fun part of Halloween. And then, set a new tradition by offering replacements for Halloween candy. 

Giving Trick-or-Treat Alternatives to Halloween Candy: The Advantages

Some parents would rather have their kids skip Halloween candy altogether, while there are children with allergies or weight issues.

And yet, why allow these restrictions to dampen the spirit of this spooktacular occasion?

As parents, coaches, guardians or caretakers of kids, why not deviate from the norm of buying or giving away Halloween candy, and look for items that would be just as delightful for children to receive?

What's even better is, other parents and guardians might appreciate what you're trying to do, and get started in giving away their own non-candy treats during succeeding Halloweens.

And the best part? You don't need to spend a lot on these spooktacular replacements for Halloween candy.

(**DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links. Every time you click on a link and make a purchase, I'll get a commission from your purchase.)

(1.) Color sticky notes

Sticky notes in different colors or cute prints and patterns can help kids a lot. 

MysticAurora's
Post-It notes with
cute animal patterns

They can jot down reminders like homework, chores, a friend's birthday party, band practice, a field trip, or the date of the science fair. 

Sticky notes can be useful for summarizing important passages and tucked inside textbooks, and make a wonderful adornment for plain notebooks, journals, folders, and binders.

(2.) Ephemera

Ephemera is any paper-based material, like bus tickets, movie tickets, stickers, greeting cards or postcards, or receipts that are kept as mementos despite having very little value. 

Scrappalific's
scrapbook embellishment/
journal ephemera

Scrapbookers and journaling enthusiasts swear by the decorative effects of ephemera. 

Encourage children to document their schooldays or extracurricular activities through a scrapbook, or journal their thoughts and feelings, and then enhance the pages with manufactured ephemera.

Lip Smacker lip balm
by 7lq6irbuvg

7lq6irbuvg

(3.) Flavored lip gloss

Help keep children's lips chap-free by reminding them to hydrate and put on lip gloss.

You can get flavored lip gloss that tastes like chocolate or fruity candy.

Crayola crayons
(set of 12 and 16 colors)
by shopeechoicelocal

(4.) Crayons with coloring pages

Crayons have remained popular among children, for good reasons. 

Kids enjoy passing away time by coloring. It's also a good alternative to watching TV or playing video games. 

Image from Monday Mandala
Click here for free printables

Forget jumbo coloring books. Buy a ream of typewriting paper, and then Google and download free PDF printables. 

Try to think about what kids would like. You can give coloring pages with Disney characters, video game characters, unicorns, or dinosaurs. 

Come up with 12-15 coloring pages and use sheets of sturdy cardboard as covers (you can upcycle cereal or pizza boxes). Have them bound by butterfly clips.

BIGDISCOUNT
Home & Living's
spooky  Halloween
acrylic tassel bookmark

(5.) Bookmarks

There are many benefits to getting children to pick up the reading habit early. 

For starters, reading books other than the ones assigned in school will increase their knowledge and make them more aware of their surroundings. 

Reading helps improve their vocabulary, which can make them express themselves better.

Also, being introduced to new places or settings, fictitious or real, will enhance their imagination and help broaden their horizons. 

Owning a bunch of bookmarks can make reading less intimidating. 

Set of 2 wooden gnome
needle minders  by shop_day.ph

(6.) Needle minders

Sewing can be a handy skill that we need to teach kids. Being able to replace a missing button, mend a tear, or even embroider a design can make a difference in your budget in the long run. 

Lovely gnomes
magnetic needle minders
by shop_day.ph

For this reason, having cute needle minders can entice children to learn to be adept with a needle and thread. 

(7.) Beads   

Allowing kids to make stuff like necklaces, bracelets, keychains, and phone straps from beads is a tactile activity. 

DIY children's free-to-match
jewelry box by SUPERMAX.ph

Beads are very colorful and are made from different materials, which can make children familiar with various textures, shapes, and sizes. 

Austen & Bronte's UNO
Sanrio Hello Kitty card game

(8.) Deck of playing cards

Card games provide hours of screen-free fun for children. Just get playing cards that are appropriate for their age. 

Chenilles/fuzzy wires/
colored pipe cleaners  by
Daily Discount store3

(9.) Chenilles/Pipe cleaners

Chenilles or pipe cleaners can help improve children's fine motor skills, because they can be bent, twisted, and formed into various shapes. 

Cartoon washi tape set
4 pieces/lot by
shopee_choice_global.ph

(10.) Washi tapes 

Kids will enjoy trying out washi tapes, being a versatile craft material.  

Washi tapes can come with themes like fall or Christmas colors, or plain, and also have caricatures or cartoon characters.

Sanrio-themed tear-off notepad
(50 sheets) by Fruitnotesph

(11.) Notepad 

In this age of texting and auto-correct, getting children started on writing letters can pave the way for them to develop their communication skills. 

Effective written communication skills can help them when it comes to submitting book reports and composing those essays for college application. 

Looking further down the road, getting one's point across through writing can help spell out the difference between success and failure in the workplace.

And yet, getting kids to write on an entire page of stationery might intimidate them. 

The key is to provide them with notepads, where they can write notes and brief messages first.