Fun and Educational Screen Time Ideas That Actually Teach Something – Penniless Parenting

Nowadays, “screen time” has almost become synonymous with doing something unhealthy. Of course, there are drawbacks to staying on the computer or your phone all day, but another side that often goes overlooked is that the quality of the screen time matters as well. After all, there is a world of difference between doing something that’s not worthwhile on your phone for hours every day and enjoying fun and educational screen time that actually teaches something.

What exactly constitutes “fun and educational” screen time can seem like a complicated question at first, of course. So, here are a few ideas that might be worth considering.

1. Coding Games

Coding is becoming more of a crucial life skill with every passing day. Gone are the days when learning to code was important only if you intended to become a software engineer. Nowadays, virtually everyone can benefit from having at least basic coding skills.

This has made coding education almost a must-have, and more and more people are considering teaching coding to kids from an early age. And, indeed, there are plenty of ways to learn coding through play as a kid or as an adult. Even for kids in the K-8 range, there are plenty of online tools that teach coding in a fun and engaging way that is educational, challenging, and stimulating without being overwhelming.

For older kids, young adults, as well as actual adults, there are also plenty of courses and materials out there, many of which are a far cry from just dry and boring textbooks but instead also focus on learning through interactive games and fun simulators.

In many ways, coding games are the ideal screen time activity today for both having fun and learning something genuinely useful, not just for people looking for a profession in the software development niche but in general.

2. Interactive Learning Apps and Online Courses

Coding games are far from the only interactive and educational apps out there. Instead, nowadays there are interactive learning apps and online courses for virtually everything. Whether you want to learn a new language or virtually any online or offline skill there is, chances are that there is an interactive learning app for that.

Of course, not all apps are created equal, and there are a lot of sub-par applications out there, but finding the right app for you can easily occupy countless hours of your next few months in a fun and educational way. Whether it’s learning knitting, a new language, home DIY, maths, or any other skill, with the right app, you can have an easy and fun time learning a new thing.

3. Designing and Drawing

Another particularly popular and useful thing to learn online via a course or an app is graphic design or any of the various artistic niches related to it. Drawing and design are fantastic skills to learn both as a kid and as an adult, as they let you express your artistic side in one of the best possible ways, and they are a particularly calm and relaxing way to spend one’s time, especially after a hard day at work or at school.

What’s more, it is easy to underestimate the practical usefulness of having basic art design skills nowadays. With digital marketing being as important as it is today, virtually everyone out there can benefit from having some basic graphic design skills and know-how.

Even for personal use, being handy with Photoshop or Canva to make a cool banner for an event without relying on a professional’s help or on generative AI slop (or, at least knowing how to edit and fix whatever AI gives you), is a great life skill to have.

4. Video Editing and Animation

Similarly, video editing skills are a great thing to be proficient at and are also very fun to learn. Whether it is to quickly edit an ad for your business or a video compilation for someone’s birthday, or just for fun, knowing your way around a video editor is always useful.

And knowing the basics of animation, be it by hand or with the help of AI, is just as useful. What’s more, learning these skills through a good online course or an app can be a lot of fun. The ceiling here is very high, so you can go as far as you want to, but you can also only dip your toes for a bit and still come out having learned something useful.

5. Screen Time Turned Physical

Spending your time in front of a screen doesn’t necessarily mean sitting at a desk for hours at a time. Instead, there are lots of apps and video courses that aim to not only teach but also get you to practice physical activities while watching them.

There are interactive dance games, fitness apps, and even just fitness practice videos you can watch while following their instructions on your mat at home, and there are even yoga or martial arts videos for beginners you can also use to start learning on your own at home.

And, for those who like their physical exercise a bit more gamified, there are plenty of VR/AR (augmented reality) walking games, scavenger hunts, or other games that can offer a great physical exercise while technically still being video games.