Pune | Updated: November 13, 2025 10:56 PM IST 3 min readSingham mascot with students during a fair organised by Bharat Scouts and Guides on the eve of Children’s Day. (Express Photo by Arul Horizon)Written by Neha RathodEvery parent today has the same complaint — screens have swallowed childhood whole. Outdoor play has shrunk to rare weekends, reading has been replaced by scrolling, and “five more minutes” has become the most repeated phrase in modern parenting. What used to be evenings filled with cousins, neighbours, and outdoor games has turned into hours spent with tablets and consoles. Kids meet friends online, laughter happens on chat, and even boredom needs a password. Childhood, once full of scrapes and stories, is now framed inside a screen. So this Children’s Day.The Indian Express decided to flip the script — and ask the kids themselves: what would they happily trade their screens for? Their answers — funny, honest, and refreshingly real — remind us that beyond the pixels, children still crave people, play, and the pure joy of being out there.Marissa Abraham, 9Story continues below this ad“On school days, I watch TV for about an hour, and that goes up to three during holidays. But I’d happily trade that for sleeping in till 11, hanging out with my friends, and working on a music band. We’re even writing our own song, ‘Water Droplets’! One day, we want to be as famous as Huntrix.”Ahaana Rathod, 12“My screen time crosses 30 minutes on school days — between school, classes, and sports, there’s hardly any time left! But if I could trade that for anything, I’d love to cook something new in the kitchen, play board games with friends, or just spend time on the piano or writing in my journal. It’s not that I don’t want to do these things — I just wish I had more time for them.”Anaya Oswal, 11“I spend one to two hours on screens daily, but I’d trade that for cycling with my friends but everyone is not always available.Vihaan Rathod, 14“My screen time is about an hour or two a day, a little more on weekends. But if my friends call for football or cricket, the phone can wait! I’d trade screen time for real goals, real laughter, and real games on the turf — but all friends do not come to play every day.Amaira Gundesha, 9Story continues below this ad“My TV or mobile time hardly crosses 20 minutes a day. But I’d trade even that for playing with my friends, cousins, and family. I love where everyone forgets their routine and just plays together.”Arihaan Kankariya, 13Weekdays mean around two hours of screen time, but weekends are for the outdoors! I’d trade gadgets if my parents accompany me for swim everyday.Leanna Munigety, 13“After long school hours, I love relaxing with my phone or watching a show. But if I could trade it, I’d spend that time with my best friend — shopping, chatting, and laughing.The writer is an intern with The Indian ExpressClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:pune