Craving screen-free Saturdays? Here are five analogue adventures to try this weekend
From alfresco art sessions to mystery bike tours, there are plenty of ways to connect and make memories as a family
Quick survey: how long after switching off the screens in your home does it take for your children to utter the words: “I’m bored. What can I do?”? In our house, it’s usually about five seconds, but I’m willing to bet it’s a similar story in many households across the country.
However, a recent poll revealed that it’s not just adults who want to reduce family screen time; children want to be more present IRL too – 72% of eight to 12-year-olds said they would rather spend most of their time together doing things in-person, without screens.
“Play is so much more than having fun,” says parenting coach Jenni Honeyben. “It is the primary way that children process the world; it’s the way they regulate their nervous systems and is also really importantly the way they build attachment security and bonding. When parents enter their child’s playful world, they’re not just making memories but they’re really helping to wire their child’s brain for safety, resilience and connection.”
With that in mind, here are five weekend activities that will create moments of connection for all the family.
Outdoors hide-and-seek scavenger hunt
Oh no! A gang of your child’s favourite plushies have escaped outdoors! And the only way to find them all is by answering clues on a scavenger hunt “created” by the stuffed toys themselves.
If you grew up reading The Famous Five or The Secret Seven, you’ll know that there’s nothing children love more than getting stuck into a good old mission. And while this might take a little bit of preparation, children will love getting involved. Make a start by writing eight clues that lead the way to the toys, which can be hidden in a nearby playground or favourite play area. Some suggestions to try are: “Teddy’s got the best place to hide/Find him where you like to slide!” Or, “Where oh where could Bunny be/She’s hiding behind the biggest tree”. Tailor the level of difficulty of the clues according to the children’s ages, and let the final clue lead them to their favourite toy.
Funny family photo collaging
We’ve all got family photos that never fail to crack everybody up. Whether it’s someone captured having a hangry strop or someone pulling the gnarliest of faces at the camera; go analogue by printing them off and turning them into a new work of art.
For this alfresco arts-and-crafts session, pack the car with a craft box full of different coloured paper, old magazines and newspapers along with pens, paint, glue, sticky tape and scissors. Then, the pièce de résistance, take along printed-out paper copies of favourite photos of family and friends, and set everything up on a blanket or picnic bench. Task the kids with dreaming up new crafty collages using these as the centre point. Younger ones will be happy just to be cutting and sticking familiar faces on to colourful sheets; while older children and teens might like to create comics or zines, based around fun family memories.
Mystery bike or hike trail
No Google Maps necessary for this analogue approach to choosing a day out. Get a map of your local area, and draw a 10 to 20-mile radius around your home. Then give one member of the family a 5p piece, tell them to close their eyes and drop it somewhere on the map. This is your destination for the day!
Jump in the car – with or without additional bikes or scooters – and head off to the mystery destination for a family hike. Make like explorers and see what you discover when you get there. At the very least, you’ll probably come across a cafe for a hot chocolate stop, but you might just stumble across a long-forgotten attraction or an off-the-beaten-track viewpoint. Good luck!
Have a dream cake bake
Inspired by The Great British Bake Off and similar to a Yes Day for baking, this kitchen-based activity is a great way for children to use their imagination and end up with an incredible cake. Sit down around a table with colouring pencils and paper, and guide your kids into creating and drawing their dream cake, the only proviso being that it needs to be possible with ingredients available from a local shop.
Using a plain sponge recipe as the base, let the children go wild with their own flavour combinations: chocolate and cherry sponge with melted Mars bar icing, topped with marshmallows? Great. Banana and Smarties sponge with raspberry icing, drizzled with caramel sauce and popcorn? Why not? Then work together to make their dream cake a reality and bake it. This fun project will make for a truly memorable childhood moment – even if the end result is sweeter than a tour of Willy Wonka’s factory.
Go day camping
All the fun of a camping weekend in just one day – and no waking up in a soggy field. According to a 2025 study, 93% of children agreed that being in nature made them very happy, so throw everything (and everyone) you need into the car, making sure to pack a picnic, blankets, camping chairs, firelighters and, this being the UK, wellies and umbrellas, and head out to a woodland or forest space.
After a hike through the trees – little ones might enjoy pretending to go on a bear or Gruffalo hunt – set up a base camp. Build a fort from nearby logs, sticks and branches, or pitch an actual tent. Depending on the seasons, there might be an opportunity for a bit of foraging – wild garlic in spring; blackberries and apples in the autumn to add to a family cookalong around a fire (after you’ve checked that fires are allowed in the public space). You can toast marshmallows, safe in the knowledge that everyone will be sleeping in their cosy beds after the drive home.
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