It only feels like 5 minutes since the kids went back to school after the summer holiday’s but half term is upon us already.
Keeping the kids entertained at home can be a challenge, especially when the weather prevents them from getting outside in the garden so I have put together a list of our top 5 essentials:
- Netflix – we are recent converts to Netflix having ditched our Virgin Media TV package as it was becoming ridiculously expensive. The app is brilliant for finding new television shows to watch and whilst I get my fix of the new series of Lucifer, the kids can watch what they want too (it’s all about Pokemon at the moment). We have downloaded the app onto the Alba 10 Inch 16GB HD Wi-Fi Tablet so that the kids don’t argue over what they are watching anymore and that coupled with games such as Angry Birds, a front and rear camera for selfies, it can be a real saviour when it comes to keeping the kids occupied. The tablet comes with red and blue silicone bumpers for protection against accidental knocks and scrapes and a 2 year guarantee for extra peace of mind.
- Movies Nights (or on drizzly days). Curl up on the sofa, make some delicious popcorn and snuggle with the kids for a movie marathon. Eliza now has an Alba 19″ HD Ready LED TV/DVD Combi) in her room which also comes with a DVD player and freeview……….no more arguing over what they are watching now and we are planning to watch all these films over half term!
- It is not all about technology though as I try to limit that where possible. Building a huge fort with sheets, blankets and carefully rearranged furniture is lots of fun and keeps the kids occupied for hours.
- Board Games never fail to keep the kids entertained and one of our favourites is Don’t Rock the Boat from Drumond Park.
- Get Building…….Lego, Meccano, Duplo, we love it all and it is a great skill for the kids to learn as not only does it help them improve their fine motor skills and numeracy, but it also teaches patience.
They’ve never had it so good! A look into the changing technology tastes of today’s ‘Insta-tweens’
- With weekly allowances up 77% to £295.36 a year – poll by Alba finds that a third of insta-tween pocket money is put towards ‘must-have’ tech, including digital music players, headphones, mobiles and tablets
- Demand for tablets three times higher than for TVs* – with mobile phones crowned the most coveted item of tech for tweens in 2016 and the #1 backpack essential.
- Poll finds a quarter of super connected ‘tweenagers’ bring their mobile phone to school everyday and a third use their phone from the moment they wake up.
As we approach the October half-term, British consumer electronics brand Alba, exclusive to Argos, has today revealed how ‘tweenagers’ are rejecting TV for tablets and other mobile devices, as they become the most mobile-centric generation we’ve ever seen.
The study of over 1,000 UK parents with children aged 7 and over has found that the days of tweens being glued to the TV are over, as interest shifts considerably to smaller and smaller screens. So much so, that demand among this group for tablets is three times higher* than for TVs, with tweens instead using the devices to consume traditional media, such as TV shows, play interactive and educational games, and engage with friends online.
With the average pre-tween pocketing a tidy £295.36 a year, parents reveal a third (31%) of their child’s money is put towards ‘must-have’ tech, including mobiles, headphones and tablets.
Mobile phones top the league of most coveted tech for ‘tweenagers’**, with mobile phone credit considered a ‘must-have’ in order to stay connected. In fact, Argos reports that sim-free mobile sales are up by over 50% [1], as pay as you go deals become more competitive and consumers take to sim-free options, such as the Alba Sim Free 2.8 inch Mobile Phone , to save money. This is particularly true for parents looking to purchase a suitable first phone for their child.
The importance of being constantly connected is evident, with a quarter of ‘tweenagers’ taking their mobile phone to school and a third switching on as soon as they wake up. In fact, the mobile phone is now the most common item inhabiting a pre-teen’s backpack.
While other staples remain largely unchanged from that of their parent’s generation, including notebooks (15%) and magazines (10%), the poll reveals that present day pre-tweens may be more health-conscious than their parents, with only 19% taking sweets to school compared to 28% of their parents’ generation.
In addition to engaging with new technologies, the poll also reveals that tech-savvy tweens spend a lot of their time talking to their friends about technology and social media (49%), considerably more than chatting about other popular culture topics, such as fashion (22%), celebrity (15%) and reality television (13%).
In another sign of the changing times, today’s tweens are getting more money for half the work. Present day tweens pocket an average of £5.68 a week compared to the £3.20 weekly allowance given to their parents – a 77% increase. In fact, half (45.5%) of parents claim they had to do chores to earn their cold hard cash, while only a quarter (25.5%) of present-day tweens have to get their hands dirty.
Purchased music has now fallen far down the list of items that pocket-money is spent on – a likely result of the proliferation of free music available on the internet accessed on mobile phones and tablets. In contrast, parents spent almost a fifth (17%) of pocket-money on music versus the 9% spent by their own children now.
Andrea Derrick, Alba Brand Controller, said: “Alba provides great value technology for pre-teens whilst also offering vibrant and fun designs with technology that is easy to navigate. It’s starter technology that parents can buy for their children, with the confidence that it is durable, affordable and safe, with parental control options offering peace of mind.”
Disclaimer: Our top 5 #family essentials for keeping the kids entertained at home this half term was written in collaboration with Alba and Argos. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
All great choices. We always loved building things, whether a den or construction toy, but board games and movie night would be top of our list. We still love playing games and there are so many great ones out there.
Great suggestions, I believe building a fort can occupy kids even for few days. Try giving them more “add ons” each day to “upgrade” a fort and they will spend all their holidays in there:)
About technology influence to “tweenagers”.. Well numbers you mentioned talks for it self. Every kid wants something new and shiny and it cost to parents lot of hard work to get it.
It is hard to navigate parenting around changes in regards to technology. We use the Netflix app on our TV, it’s fab!