The good old landline is making a quiet comeback, giving kids a way to chat with friends without slipping into the endless scroll of apps. It was slower, taught patience and turn-taking — a far cry from today’s chaotic group chats. And stepping away from screens doesn’t mean boredom. The 1990s thrived on unstructured, active play and simple joys that kept kids engaged, curious, and connected. Once the devices are down, here are a few throwback ways to bring that screen-free energy back.

Radio and mixtapes

Before Spotify, there was the radio, Walkmans, and handmade mixtapes. Reintroducing kids to the charm of listening without the distraction of endless video and scrolling can be surprisingly grounding. Curating 12 songs for one side of a tape meant thinking hard about what mattered. Imagine kids valuing music instead of skipping 30 songs in three minutes.