Handicrafts for Boys: Keeping Orthodox Christian Boys off screens when they grow out of playing, especially when homeschooling

Organization cart full of school supplies. My son can access the supplies for a handicraft by pulling out a tray.

One of the hardest things for me as a parent has been adjusting to the constant phase changes involved in child development. It seems as soon I get used to one phase, there is another to learn about! Since probably last summer, once of my biggest challenges has been adjusting to a world without my boys playing! On top of that, both of my boys have always struggled with playing to some degree. My youngest son, for the most part has mostly engaged in sensory play, art and crafts, and building, though I do have the occasional memory of playing restaurant, veterinarian, and of course "school," which is basically him teaching me about the things that he likes.

On top of that, most people know, our world has a convenience and community problem. While there are some exceptions, most upper elementary and pre-teen boys don't go off on their bikes and pal around with neighborhood kids like in the Henry Huggins series anymore. (Even my husband has memories of living like that in the 1980s.) There are fewer chores to be done around the house, in general, than there were a hundred years ago. (Though we do have a small homestead to counteract this a bit.)

I think, this is why we modern parents have to put in the extra effort to make sure our children have a habit of physically engaging hobbies. Ideally, we should get them to the point where spending four or five hours (or far less) in front of any screen, in the absence of having the flu, would make them feel quite uneasy.

So, in case it helps anyone, I wanted to share some handicrafts and hobbies we are going to try, or have tried with our children. This list will be a list of things boys over the age of 8 can do that for the most part do not involve screens. After seeing a list like this, we can probably see that there is still much to do and that it is more often an inclination to despondency that makes us feel that there is not....or that things aren't worth doing, or aren't worth trying. The hardest part is staying the course and resisting the temptation to think that you have to live like everyone else around you and be "normal." And of course, we must be careful who we share our counter-cultural efforts with because discouragement can unfortunately come from "surprising" places.

List of less obvious hobbies to try....

1. Paracord crafts

2. Plastic lanyards crafts

3. Friendship bracelets

4. 3d pen printing

5. Wood burning

6. Wood working

7. Water color painting

8. Music Lessons

9. Aquabead crafts

10. Maintaining trails on property / landscaping

11. Loom knitting

Ideas that involve screens but are not video games

1. 3-d printing and designing

2. Composing music with a mix of software, acoustic instruments, synths, etc.

3. Making stop motion films using old phones without internet access, etc.

Other classic ideas

1. Reading

2. Drawing

3. Bike riding

4. Rock climbing

Well, I hope this list inspires someone in the New Year! Let me know in the comments if you have something to add!