101 Things to Do Instead of Playing on Your Phone

This creative book by Ilka Heinemann is a reminder to return to the genuine simple life before the phones were taking over our existence. Simple facts as reading a book, planning your future, thinking about where will you be in 10 years, or a ridiculously creative dot-to-dot exercise can happily replace an afternoon spent looking at your screen. It is an easy to read book sharing simple tips and even simpler life skills - like writing a love letter or remembering the names of the planets in the solar system or write your own bedtime story or sharpen your mind while solving some mathematical operations.
If you are thinking about having a new, more meaningful start into life, use this summer vacations to think about the inspiration of this book. Cheers for the new beginnings!

Cute little book with many fun, if obvious ideas that have you putting your phone aside. Some ideas are more creative. I would love to have this in a pocket-sized book I could slip in my purse for when the kids and I are out and about.

This is a wonderful little book. So often we automatically whip out our phones while waiting and tap at it mindlessly hoping to entertain ourselves. This book presents alternative, more fulfilling ideas. Some are more serious, some are just plain fun. The book's layout is clean and interesting. It is a great pocket guide to keep in your bag. Some would spark fun conversations with a friend or child.

I love it when the title tells you everything you need to know. However, I’m reading this on a tablet, so it was a little hard remembering it’s meant to be a physical book, which makes things like Draw a Selfie and Coloring very difficult, though not as impossible as Cutting out the Paper Airplane.
Kids’ games abound, my faves being I Spy and Cloud Zoo. Smile at someone, see if they smile back. Play Fashion Adviser has too much opportunity to turn to the dark side. I particularly like the Giving Awards one, though the fun in it is coming up with the right awards.
But there’s also quite a bit of stuff like Write Your Grocery List for Tonight’s Meal or Bucket List where it’s the same as doing it on the phone, and would be simpler. Still, most of it is fun stuff, as well as things to think about.

This book would make an excellent (and somewhat pointed) graduation gift to the high school or college senior in your life (though not middle school, as a bit more complicated than that). As for adults, I could imagine someone using it on a subway, but some of the activities felt better suited to a younger audience. Over all, a good variety of things to do-- mathematical, relaxation, creative, memory-based... As someone who is trying to reduce my own device usage, I liked many of the ideas!
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

5 helms

Please follow me on my blog :) Review originally posted on Vellum Voyages (www.vellumvoyages.com)

Such a fun book and it made me smile! So many things we forget to do just because we are so taken with our phones! This book is a perfect reminder of the simpler things in life and what we used to do before technology took over. Colouring in, practising your multiplication tables, relaxation techniques, creative writing, reading poetry are some of the activities and it has something to suit individual tastes! You don’t have to go in order, just pick one and do it and forget about the world for a few minutes :)

Perfect as a gift for someone or for yourself! Great to have around the house or the car for long road trips with your loved ones as it will definitely make the journey more pleasurable. Enjoy the phone break up and enjoy the nostalgia of putting pen to paper!

I loved this book, such a great little book that you can take with you anywhere.
Yes some of the suggestions appear like common sense but it appears we have lost all common sense where our phones are concerned, especially the younger generation.
Some of the suggestions are practice your times tables or write poetry, many can be done alone or with family/friends.
I would actually give this book as a gift and will be purchasing a paper copy for myself and the kids to carry around in the future.
I feel lucky to have received a free e-copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is a fantastic little book to buy as a present for someone who needs their phone surgically removing from their hand!! It would be great as a birthday, Christmas or Secret Santa present for a colleague at work - we all know the people who are addicted to their phones!! Fab little ideas and fun things in this book as an alternative to social media - 5 stars from me, it is a great idea for a book!