Podcast Summary: ScreenStrong Families – ENCORE: The Endless Non-Tech Gift Ideas with Evan Hempe (#130)
Host: Melanie Hempe, BSN
Guest: Evan Hempe
Release Date: December 10, 2025
Episode Overview
This highly practical and conversational episode of ScreenStrong Families is all about empowering parents with a robust toolkit of non-tech Christmas gift ideas for tweens and teens. Host Melanie Hempe is joined by her high school senior son, Evan, to candidly discuss the challenges modern families face as kids clamor for smartphones and video games for presents. Together, they break down why those gifts may actually undermine your family goals—and offer dozens of alternative categories and specific ideas that develop life skills, creativity, social connections, and fun—without screens.
The tone is supportive, direct, and loaded with real-life encouragement from both a parent and a young adult who lived the "screen strong" childhood. Any parent struggling with pressure to buy screens for Christmas will find reassurance, inspiration, and a concrete list of gifts that align with healthy family values.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Say No to Smartphones for Christmas (01:11–08:18)
- Parental Pressure: Melanie opens by acknowledging parental anxiety: “If you have a tween or teenager, you’re getting a lot of pressure to get them a smartphone...” (00:55)
- Evan’s Perspective as a Student: Shares personal experience about being the odd one out and why, in retrospect, missing out on a smartphone was actually beneficial.
- “There were a couple years definitely where, you know, oh, wow, you don't have a smartphone... But then, hey, this is actually really cool. Like, I'm gonna enjoy this heck of a lot more and get a lot more out of this than I ever would a smartphone.” (04:04)
- Social Myths Debunked: Having no smartphone didn’t hinder friendships or social skills.
- Developmental Changes: Peer pressure about phones peaks in middle school, but “in high school, it’s cool to be different… people start to respect that you don’t have one” (06:32)
- Notable Quote – Evan:
“Fear not, if everyone else is getting a smartphone for Christmas and you're not, because I've been there and I lived through it and it turned out just okay for me.” (03:43)
2. Phones and Video Games: NOT Great Gifts
- Phones as Tools, Not Toys: Melanie cautions, "Phones are not toys... We want to give things that we value, that line up with our family values." (08:18)
- The Problem with Gifting Video Games:
- They keep kids isolated, inactive, and can cause meltdowns when play is restricted.
- Rapidly become addictive, especially during breaks:
"Giving them the video games to kind of hole up and zone out, it's just not the best way to spend the holidays... just creates an opportunity where they're going to melt down." (10:15–13:06)
3. Twelve Categories of Non-Tech Gift Ideas (13:06 and onward)
The show’s core content is Melanie and Evan’s walk-through of 12 practical categories for non-tech gifting, each packed with ideas and life stories.
Category 1: Art (13:58)
- Emphasizes hands-on activities (clay, painting, origami, scrapbooking).
- “If someone's really good at art, they get respect. And it's really fulfilling seeing your work at the end... you're proud of your work.” – Evan (14:44)
- Suggestions: art lessons, supplies, light boards, sidewalk chalk.
Category 2: Music (19:29)
- Builds brains, confidence, patience, and offers endless growth.
- Encourage music lessons or learning an instrument—guitar and piano are highlighted for versatility.
- "Music is one of those things where it's endless... you’re never at the top of the mountain." – Evan (19:58)
- Digital pianos as practical alternatives; avoid ‘cheapy’ instruments.
Category 3: Sports & Recreation (25:49)
- Gifts that prompt movement and outdoor play: balls, hoops, bikes, trampolines, ping pong tables.
- Evan: "Sweating is good... it's fulfilling. You can see your gains. You can make good friends at the gym.” (27:49)
Category 4: Creativity & Imagination (28:46)
- Hobbies: baseball cards, fishing, cooking, Legos, photography, sewing, woodworking, subscription boxes.
- "A lot of parents don't understand that hobbies have to be introduced... we have to kind of stir the pot." – Melanie (28:46)
- Notable Quote – Evan: "Legos...I love Legos...we would just build Legos for hours...you never really get too old for Legos." (32:14)
Category 5: Strategy & Critical Thinking (33:47)
- Strategy board and puzzle games (ThinkFun, Rubik’s cube, chess, Catan, puzzles).
- "More brain pathways are used with 3D play and these strategy games...than with a digital game." – Melanie (35:08)
Category 6: Reading & Writing (35:41)
- Gifts: books, book lights, magazine subscriptions, audiobooks, library cards, journals.
- Evan on the joy of getting a magazine subscription: "It feels good to get something in the mail...It got me reading." (37:01)
- “Who Was” book series recommended for accessible biographies.
Category 7: Fashion & Accessories (40:35)
- Clothes, shoes, costumes, hats, bathrobes, personal care, “sneakerhead” culture for some teens.
- Evan: “It’s nice to smell good...it’s good to be clean.” (42:10)
Category 8: Pets (Companion Gifts) (42:28)
- Companionship, responsibility, empathy—fit your lifestyle (dogs, cats, horseback lessons, dog training).
- "A pet is one of the best antidotes to boredom and to filling downtime." – Melanie (44:36)
Category 9: Indoor Family Competition (44:32)
- Family board games, trivia, escape rooms, card games (e.g. Heads Up, Telestrations).
- "Telestrations…that can go for any age and it's really, really fun. It's a real bonding kind of thing." – Melanie (46:12)
Category 10: Outdoor Family Fun & Attachment (46:57)
- Gifts to promote togetherness: fire pits, camping gear, outdoor adventure trips, sleds, zip lines, concert tickets.
- Evan: "Biking as a family is really fun...camping is great because you have so many stories.” (47:59)
Category 11: Acts of Empathy (50:07)
- Experiences you create for the child: redecorating their room, writing annual letters, making favorite meals, helping with projects.
- "Gift your time to show them you love them. Empathy as one of the values in your home." – Melanie (50:58)
Category 12: The Gift of Time & Experiences (51:21)
- Uninterrupted time and shared experiences trump material gifts: trips, special outings, shared activities.
- "The most valuable gift...is the gift of your uninterrupted time...and it does not include technology." – Melanie (51:21)
- Evan: "You might not appreciate it at first, but then look back and like, man, that was an incredible gift.” (52:58)
Notable Quotes & Standout Moments
-
Evan’s perspective on being smartphone-free:
"Your life is not over. There will be good things that come out of being different. These alternative gifts will equip you with a better arsenal of skills that you'll realize are very respected and valued in your future." (55:18) -
On video games as gifts:
"They keep your kids from sweating. They keep you from enjoying your other gifts. The video games are just going to take away all your time, and...they're just not fulfilling." – Evan (10:15) -
On the importance of being proactive:
"Hobbies have to be introduced...we have to stir the pot and we have to put things in front of them." – Melanie (28:46) -
On gift-giving and parental confidence:
"You do not need to give your child any kind of phone. Even a talk-text phone. No phone needs to be a gift. That is not a gift. That is not a toy. That is a tool.” (54:47)
Important Segments & Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 01:11 | The pressure to give smartphones and Evan's take | | 03:43 | Evan’s reassurance to parents/kids about not having a phone | | 10:07 | Video games—why they make poor gifts | | 13:06 | Transition to practical gift categories | | 14:44 | The value of art lessons and making things | | 19:29 | Music as a lifelong skill and social connector | | 27:40 | Exercise, coordination, free outdoor play | | 28:46 | Hobbies and nurturing creativity | | 32:14 | Evan’s ongoing love for Legos | | 35:41 | Strategy and critical thinking games | | 37:01 | Reading and writing, magazine subscriptions | | 42:10 | Teen fashion, hygiene, and accessory ideas | | 44:32 | Pets as a gift of companionship | | 45:42 | Indoor family competition, fun board games | | 46:57 | Outdoor family fun and making memories | | 50:07 | Acts of empathy as gifts | | 51:21 | The gift of time and shared experiences | | 55:18 | Evan’s final encouragement for kids without tech gifts|
Tone & Takeaways
- The conversation is heartening, honest, and laced with gentle humor—Evan brings the authenticity of a recent teen who lived through the “no-phone” approach; Melanie supplies the authority and care of a parent and expert.
- Listeners are left empowered to resist cultural pressure and are given genuinely useful frameworks (categories) to spark their own creative non-tech gift ideas.
- Above all, the episode validates feelings, equips parents, and encourages both adults and kids to value experiences and life skills over digital distractions.
Final Encouragement:
“As a parent, just stick with what you gave them… They’ll realize that they actually enjoy doing things and having something to show for it rather than just sitting on Instagram for two hours.” – Evan (52:58)
Further Resources
- ScreenStrong Non-Tech Gift Guide – Downloadable eBook available via the ScreenStrong website for even more ideas.
- Contact & Community: Listeners are encouraged to join the ScreenStrong community for support and more practical resources.
Practical Takeaway:
Parents do not need to default to technology for meaningful, memorable, and skill-building gifts. There are dozens—if not hundreds—of alternatives that lead to deeper relationships, more well-rounded kids, and stronger families.