It’s the eternal quest for parents everywhere: trying to get a child off their screen. And while it might feel impossible at times, there are lots of ways to reduce their time online without compromising on fun.

No matter what your child says, screen-free doesn't have to mean boring!

From brilliant crafts to family obstacle courses, there's plenty of entertainment to be found IRL.

We've got lots of ideas for offline activities, along with tips for helping manage your child's screen time ... all without spoiling their fun.

1. Create a screen-free ‘lucky dip’

Ramping up the offline fun is a great way to encourage your kids to step away from the screen.

Cut up some paper into strips and on each one, write an activity. This could be anything from kicking a ball in the garden to having a family party.

You could also add in some extra fun by adding strips of paper with your child’s favourite snack or drink written on them. Why not include Tropicana Lean, which has 40 percent less sugar than fruit juices on average but is still full of flavour.

And with no added sugars, it's a great option for families who love the delicious taste of juice but are looking to reduce their sugar intake or who prefer lower sugar alternatives.

With a choice of Citrus Fruit, Mixed Berries or Tropical Fruit, your kids will be delighted when they pull this lucky dip out the bag ... and won’t give their screens a second thought.

2. Go online to find offline activities

It might sound odd to suggest going online when you’re trying to cut your child’s screen time. But it’s a great way to find crafts, hobbies or activities you can do offline together.

Help your child search for a project, switch off the devices and then spend time painting, colouring or sticking.

And don't forget to use your empty Tropicana carton – it makes a great juice box house.

3. Try weaning 3.0

The last time you weaned your child was when they moved from milk to solid foods. And while it was VERY messy, you’ll remember the key was taking things slowly.

The same is true for cutting your child’s screen time. 

Rather than trying to introduce strict new limits overnight, try slowly chipping away at their daily time spent online instead. 

Get your kids to turn off their devices five minutes earlier for a week or so. Then increase that to 10 minutes earlier for the following week. Carry on until you’ve hit the screen time limit you’re aiming for.

Replace the time they would have been online with a fun activity like comic-making or a dance contest.

4. Get your kids to design ‘no tech’ zones

From the toilet (ewww) to the kitchen, decide which areas of your home are going to be tech-free. This means that when you or your kids are in them, your devices have to stay switched off.

Then get your kids to make 'tech-free’ signs to put up as a reminder. These can be as bright and colourful as they want.

You can also have some family fun deciding the penalty if someone breaks the rules (and yes, that does include you!).

If you're limited on space, then introduce unplugged hours instead. For example, no tech at lunchtime or teatime. 

5. Give your kids a reality check

You think your child spends too long online. Your child says you are TOTALLY WRONG (in a shouty voice, obvs).

We’ve all been there and it’s an argument you’re never going to win without hard facts. 

Which means a simple hack for cutting your kid’s screen time is giving them a reality check about how long they really are online.

If your child uses an iPad, go to Screen Time in Settings. This will give you a report about how they use the device, including the hours they spend online.

You can do something similar on Android devices using the Digital Wellbeing function. If your child is using a PC, Microsoft has a Family Safety function that shows you how long your child is on the internet.

The number of hours is likely to shock them (and you – gulp). But it might also convince them that they really do spend too long on a screen.

And if it doesn’t, you can use the parental controls to put a limit on their hours online.

6. Invent your own games

Are your kids obsessed with Minecraft and Roblox?

Then get them to use their skills to create your own family game ... offline of course.

It could be a quiz or something more active outside. Whatever it is, it's a great way to unleash your child's competitive spirit.

7. Have a family digital detox

Okay so this one is a *bit* extreme, but one quick way to cut the time spent on screens is to remove them altogether.

With homeschooling, this is obviously not possible during school hours. But you can take away access to screens in the evenings and weekends.

This temporary digital detox isn’t just for the kids – for the screen time reset to work, the whole family needs to do it. 

Replace the time you would have been online with family activities you've been meaning to do: movie nights, a family bake-off contest or an obstacle course in your garden are all great fun.