'My 7-year-old daughter went device-free for a week, and I have thoughts.'

Thanks to our brand partner, Lego®

We've just finished the longest school holidays in the history of school holidays. 

Except, apparently we didn't. I googled it and it turns out it was a normal length, it just felt VERY long.

And naturally after a few weeks, bad habits set in.

We started with one TV show before dinner just to kill time, but by month two of the holiday marathon, screens were becoming the sixth (and seventh and eighth and ninth) member of our household. 

Then I thought: time for a change. And I decided we'd go device-free for a week so the kids could spend more time engaged in physical play.

But this isn't my first parenting rodeo, so I knew that if we were going screen-free, I'd have to make it fun.

Spoiler alert: we made it through the week. Of course we did — (insert boomer voice) because plenty of people parented before screens. But I did learn a few things that really surprised me…

1. Creative toys will keep them entertained for longer.

My annual leave balance was no match for the school holidays, so I had my seven-year-old, Grace, at home while I worked.

On Monday — the first day of screen-free week — I made sure she had a creative activity to keep her entertained: the LEGO® Friends Heartlake City Candy Store set.

The set includes a giant lollipop, gumball machine, cash register and mini dolls, all in five easy-to-assemble packages. I set Grace up next to my desk and she spent a good chunk of time following the instructions to build it.

After that, she was completely immersed in creative role-play, bringing the cheerful mascots and mini dolls — Alba, Gigi and Leo — to life as fully-formed characters with backstories and all. She played shopkeepers and customers happily while I worked.

Image: Supplied.

One minute it was a busy candy store with elaborate pick-and-mix options, the next it was part of a whole shopping centre she'd invented with the rest of her LEGO® Friends sets.

During my lunch break, I got roped in as a customer stocking up on marshmallows for a camping trip — and I must say, it was actually really fun to do something interactive together.

A set like this truly brings their imaginations to life while also helping them develop social skills as they role-play different scenes and characters. And I loved seeing the creative side of her personality come out.

I can confidently say this was a genius idea on my behalf.

Image: Supplied.

2. Don't make the activities hard.

The big lesson of the week came early on: don't make activities so hard that kids end up just watching you do them. That's not fun. For anyone.

On Tuesday, I had grand ideas that Grace would do gardening, but in reality, she just ended up being a passenger princess as I purchased herbs and potted mint, basil and rosemary.

Decorating the patio with chalk was a much bigger hit — it turns out it's the simple things that kids love the most.

The key was giving her plenty of space — both mental and physical (no hovering from me) — along with some open-ended play materials. Things like cushions, blankets and chairs to build a fort, or even an empty box and a bunch of pens and stickers.

When I backed off and let her figure things out herself, she was way more interested for significantly longer — even if things got VERY messy.

Which brings me to…

3. Don't stress about mess.

Physical play generally means getting dirty.

Grace's chalk masterpiece turned into an epic art installation — and yes, she got chalk everywhere. But compared to slime (never again) or kinetic sand (still finding it three house moves later), chalk is practically mess-free.

Plus, it led to a bonus activity: getting in the bath and playing day spa with lots of bubbles and a bath bomb. Another hour of screen-free fun sorted.

4. Turn everyday errands into mini-adventures.

After a few days of organised fun, I was feeling pretty burnt out by Thursday. My mental load doubled without the screen safety net.

So instead of planning an activity, I took her into the city with me to run some errands.

We caught the tram, which turned the outing into an adventure as we people-watched through the window. We also took the scooters to the shops instead of driving — apologies to any shoppers who had to dodge us that day, but the kids had a blast.

Image: Supplied.

5. You're not the only one trying to do this.

Pretty much every parent I know is trying to decrease screen time and get their kids to be more active or creative.

And somehow, parenting two seven-year-olds with no screens is significantly easier than looking after one. So I took advantage of living close to Grace's school friends and organised a bunch of playdates over the weekend.

The beauty of a playdate is that I could bring out the LEGO® Friends set and they'd instantly dive into their own world — collaborating, storytelling and role-playing as characters who form friendships.

The result? They entertained each other with made-up games all afternoon.

Playdates are my ultimate holiday parenting hack — and if you're lucky, you'll score double the benefit: one session when you host and another when they return the favour, giving you a kid-free afternoon.

6. Your kids won't even notice the devices missing.

Surprisingly, Grace didn't ask to watch TV or use a device once. I don't know if she picked up on the experiment, felt proud of herself or maybe she's just seven and didn't notice?

Looking back, my biggest takeaway from the week is that screens have their place, but nothing compares to watching Grace get lost in real play.

Whether she was creating stories with her LEGO® Friends set, building forts for her sisters or making up games with her friends, I loved seeing that creative side come out.

Shop the LEGO® Friends Heartlake City Candy Store online.

Feature Image: Supplied.

LEGO® Friends provides a vibrant world for kids to unlock their creativity. Packed with adorable details from everyday life that spark countless stories and so much fun!