Connect. Create. Celebrate
Family Toolkit: Unplugged & Off the Grid
Kids Unplugged goes off grid.
We experience the adrenaline rush of reeling in a snapper, bush bash to a secluded snorkelling spot and try tasting fresh kina with John and Ezra.
Let’s Ponder & Pātai Together
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Play: John and Ezra turned the bush into their playground. What fun worlds have you imagined in places like the bush, streets, or backyards?
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Discover: The boys learned lots of real-life skills growing up off-grid. Brainstorm the skills you noticed the boys had and who they learned them from.
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Unplug: What might some positives be about the family’s decision to wait until 16 before giving their kids a phone?
Activity Ideas
Real Life Video Games
Create a real-life adventure game together outdoors. Ideas could include...
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capture the flag
- obstacle courses
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scavenger hunts
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backyard survival games
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treasure maps
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team challenges
Encourage creativity, movement and teamwork instead of competition.
Afterward, discuss:
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What made the game exciting?
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What felt different from playing online games?
Build From Scratch
Challenge the family to build something useful or fun from scratch.
Ideas could include...
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a backyard fort
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bird feeder
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driftwood sculpture
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mini shelter
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a rope swing or bike ramp
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knit a scarf
Reflect afterward on:
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how creativity grows through hands-on activity
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the satisfaction of making something yourself
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how problem-solving feels in real life
"Boredom" cards
Using an old deck of playing cards, cardboard cut-outs, or dice, create a simple set of “Boredom Cards” filled with quick, go-to activity ideas.
Whenever someone in the family says “I’m bored”, draw a card (or roll a dice) and do whatever it says — no debating, just try it.
Ideas can include things like:
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Build a fort using what you can find at home
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Go outside and find 5 interesting objects
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Scribble lines all over a page, then find hidden objects in the doodle
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Cook or invent a snack together
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Tell a story where each person adds a sentence
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Paint a map of your neighbourhood from memory
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Do a mini challenge (e.g. “quietest person wins for 5 minutes”)
You can keep adding new ideas over time, so the deck grows with your family.
The goal is to turn boredom into action, creativity, and shared moments — instead of screens.
parent reflection
How can you rethink the balance between screen boundaries and real-world freedom in your own home?
explore further with whānau...
Play mode
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John says they used to build forts and “raid each other’s huts.” Where around your home feels like it could become an adventure space?
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The boys didn’t like fish at first but learned to enjoy it over time. Have you ever tried a food you didn’t like but grew to enjoy?
discover mode
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“There’s just so much you can do up here.” What would be fun about living off-grid? What would be challenging?
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Who is someone who has taught you something important, and what did they teach you?
unplug mode
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The episode explains that screens and real-life adventures both release dopamine. Take a moment together to look up what dopamine is. Then chat about the kinds of everyday things that lift your mood or give you a sense of reward — at home, at school, or outdoors.
We’d build little forts – we’d have like video games but in real life.
We’d go and raid each other’s huts.
We were the video games.
– John Hunter
discover next...
Walking in Wonder
Kids Unplugged goes on wonder-filled walk. Hiking, haikus and huts — Iris and her family share their hopes to explore every Great Walk in Aotearoa. CLICK HERE FOR THIS EPISODES FAMILY TOOLKIT
Jack Hits the Road
Kids Unplugged hits the trails! Jack shows us how to send it mountain biking, roll up our sleeves to help in the community and an take an epic road trip to Wellington! CLICK HERE FOR THIS EPISODES FAMILY TOOLKIT
Forged in the Wild
Your Kids Unplugged adventure starts here. The Steel Brothers get pumped on anything outdoors and can’t wait to introduce you to a life of unplugged epicness. CLICK HERE FOR THIS EPISODES FAMILY TOOLKIT