Facts That You Should Know About The Anti Screen Revolution

What is the Anti Screen Revolution?

The Anti Screen Revolution is our campaign for more real play, and less time spent on screens. We believe that real play is packed full of benefits for childhood development and too much time spent on screens could mean your kids are missing out on these benefits.

We definitely do not think that screens are bad or that kids should never spend time on devices with a screen, such as iPads and mobile phones. The digital age is amazing, especially during COVID-19. During this difficult time, screens allowed children to learn remotely and kept them entertained during lockdown. However, we believe that children should have a mixture of real play along with time spent on screens. There simply is no substitute for traditional toys and games.

The Benefits of Play for Kids

Communication Skills

• Real play involves verbal and non-verbal communication through facial expressions and actions. When playing on their devices, children are not regularly communicating with others by using their voices and actions. Real play enables children to develop their communication skills better by talking to others during play, expressing themselves, listening carefully to others and learning to read facial expressions and actions. This in turn increases emotional intelligence.

Collaborative Play

• This includes being able to take turns, to listen to others, to play fairly and accept wins and losses gracefully. Board games are fantastic for teaching collaborative play as well as traditional table games, like dominoes.

 Developing Fine Motor Skills

• Most real play activities involve movements. When playing with small toys and playing pieces, kids need to exercise precise hand movements. This development of fine motor skills will benefit your kids throughout their lives in daily activities such as writing, playing sports, and completing arts and crafts activities. When developing fine motor skills, it is never too young to start. Check out our kids toys here.

Inclusive Play

• Time spent on screens is very isolating as it is often one player and does not involve real communication. In comparison, real play involves lots of communication and, often, multiple players. This encourages quality time spent together and a feeling of happiness and being part of a team. Real play is for the whole family; there are many different types of family games, such as board games, jigsaw puzzles and outdoor games.

Boost Child Imagination

• Real play has limitless imaginative freedom. Your little one’s creativity and imagination should be cherished and encouraged. Creativity and imagination are essential for self-expression and understanding their own likes, dislikes, and interests. You can find our range of educational and wooden toys here.

FAQ’s

Why do you use screens to communicate with us if you run the Anti Screen Revolution?

This is a question we get asked frequently. Jaques of London is an E-Commerce retailer, meaning we do not have a high street store, we are entirely online. Therefore, our only method of communicating is through screens. Moreover, marketing is becoming more and more digitalised. Screens and the internet are the most valuable and effective way for us to communicate with you. As mentioned in the introduction, we are not entirely opposed to screens. We recognise the fantastic benefits of using a screen, such as easy communication and the ability to access information in a couple of clicks. The Anti Screen Revolution is about playing with toys and games more often, spending less time on the screens.

Why are you trying to get kids away from screens? Screens have been essential during lockdown; this is positive and should not be discouraged.

This is a fantastic question. There is no denying that screens have been incredibly valuable during lockdown, helping children to access educational resources and take classes online whilst allowing parents to do work from home. We recognise how amazing digital technology is and the huge impact it has on everyday life; it benefits the vast majority of us. We are not saying that children should be banned from using their devices. The Anti Screen Revolution is about less time on screens, not preventing them from accessing screens completely. Play should be a mixture of traditional fun and games alongside the digital age.

What made you start the Anti Screen Revolution?

As an established toys and games retailers specialising in educational toys and wooden toys and games, we know first-hand the many benefits of real play. We are seeking to promote the benefits of real play as well as familiarising parents with a range of toys and games for the whole family.

How can I get involved?

• You can sign up to the Anti Screen Revolution by following this link.

• We are looking for guest bloggers to write some anti screen content taking the form of fun and games alongside more educational and lifestyle content.

• Promote the Anti Screen Revolution on your digital platforms, using the hashtag #antiscreenrevolution – share photos of your family engaging in real play.

• Share with us your favourite toys and games and your favourite real play memories of your childhood

What do you do to help people take part in the Anti Screen Revolution?

• On our Anti Screen Revolution blogs we have a whole host of ideas for games, activities and educational resources for all ages. The blogs incorporate free, downloadable content created by UK teachers and guest bloggers who are often parents.

• Regular giveaways and competitions to win some of our toys and games – the perfect opportunity for screen free fun.

• A continually expanding range of screen-free toys and games for the whole family.

• Active social media pages on Facebook and Instagram with tips and ideas shared regularly.