Keeping kids busy during half term

Hi everyone,

With half term in full swing, many of us are juggling work, home life, and figuring out how to keep the kids entertained during the break from school. Mobile phones can feel like a quick and easy solution offering games, educational apps, messaging with friends, and even creative outlets like photography or video editing.

But they also raise questions about screen time, online safety, sleep disruption, and whether they’re replacing more active or social experiences.
Everyone has a different approach and it would be great to hear from our community members about how they manage screen time during school breaks.

• Do you allow more screen time during half term? Why or why not?
• What apps or activities on mobile phones have actually been positive for your children?
• How do you balance keeping them busy with limiting screen time?
• Have you found any good offline alternatives that genuinely compete with phones?
• Do you set specific rules during school holidays, or relax things a bit?

Lets hear what’s working and what isn’t when it comes to screen time and school holidays!

I allow more screen time until 11pm in the school holidays as, most of my sons friends go on holiday or aren't allowed to play out or have friends over but still message each other constantly or play on Fifa which i don't mind as its keeping them entertained and they actually work together and do quite well in tournaments that our local youth clubs set up during lockdown and are still going strong.
We got my son a dart board as he's a fan of Luke Littler, if I ask if he wants a game with me he'll drop his controller and race downstairs to have a game of Round the clock!

If we could afford it, we'd let him go to the local arcade centre but its out of our price range - not like when I was a kid and we'd spend all day there.

Sounds like a sensible approach zeep2k, allowing a bit more screen time during holidays keeps them busy and in contact with their friends. It's good that their up for things like darts! Some kids are glued to their screens and you cant get them off without upset!