Spotlight On: The power of tech-free play

This week, Sidcot School has partnered with Ocean Adventurers (a local soft play company) to launch a pioneering ‘Offline Adventure’ movement – a new, year-round initiative designed to help families rediscover the joy of tech-free play from a young age during the school holidays. It coincides – not uncoincidentally – with this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week, given the parallels that are increasingly being drawn between screen use among young people and their mental wellbeing.

Our launch follows mounting national concern about rising screen use among children, with 79% of parents reportedly concerned that their children’s screen time has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic. Screen time has been blamed by many for rises in depression among young people, as well as behavioural issues and sleep deprivation. Renowned neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield has been quoted as saying that internet use and computer games can ‘harm the adolescent brain’. 

With growing numbers of European countries increasing the minimum age limit on social media to protect children, it is a topic rarely out of the headlines, and we are well-versed in the potential dangers. So why does it continue to be an issue?

To understand local experiences more deeply, Sidcot School and Ocean Adventurers surveyed over 1,000 parents across Somerset on various social channels. 

The results revealed a clear appetite for support across different questions: 65% of parents said they rely on screens simply to ‘get things done’, 58% use screens for entertainment, and 64% struggle to think of low cost offline activities during the school holidays. 

When asked what makes offline play hardest, parents most cited juggling work and chores, with many also noting the British weather. 

These findings reinforced the need for a non judgemental, practical resource that helps families rebalance screen time in the home – exactly the space the new Offline Adventure is designed to fill.

Children are invited to become ‘Offline Adventurers’, taking part in a lightly structured journey of imaginative challenges that celebrate curiosity rather than perfection.  

They can choose from activities such as inventing new games, building dens, embarking on mini scavenger hunts, exploring outside, or enjoying simple mindfulness moments. Each activity earns a tick on an illustrated Adventure Map inspired by the shared value ‘Live Adventurously’, a theme that beautifully connects both Ocean Adventurers and Sidcot School. 

Importantly, this partnership aims to help a generation of young people find ways to avoid becoming addicted to screens before the habit begins and give them the skills they need for their future. Providing support that is both practical and fun at an early age is an essential component in our strategy to make a long-term difference. 

We are also aware that we have an obligation as part of our wider community to support parents beyond our own school gates. None of us should be acting in silo when it comes to the health of our young people. For this reason, we are also grateful for the tremendous work being done by PAPAYA and the Smartphone Free Childhood (whose speakers have worked with us at both our Junior and Senior Schools) in empowering parents and young people to make informed choices about smartphones, social media and screens. We are delighted to be among those schools who have increasing numbers of parents signing up to the Parent Pact to delay giving their children smartphones. Are you?