Screen time is a hotly contested time in our house. Well, let’s get real, it’s hotly contested pretty much everywhere. And while I am someone who sets limits on how much time my children spend with devices, they do have their time and place. When we are travelling and there are some serious wait times looming ahead of us, I will admit that this mama grabs the iPad and tells the girls to watch a show.

The trouble is, while we’re on the road, we don’t always have access to Wifi, or if we do, my children want to get sucked up into the vortex of YouTube. I love YouTube most days of the week – for myself – but the unpoliced roads of the internet are not where I want my children to spend their time.

On our recent trip to visit my family, we tried out the Shaw FreeRange app on our iPad. The girls had access to our television subscription and were able to watch the shows that they would watch at home.

When we were hooked up to Wifi (as we were while we sat and waited in a lineup for the ferry), the girls could watch shows that were airing live, or shows that were downloaded from the Shaw catalogue.

And then Mr. Suburble discovered something wonderful about this app….

… the sports lineup.

As we waited in the car, Mr. Suburble watched the football game. I’m pretty sure that there were some other sporting events that he watched, but I’m pretty good at blocking out sports-noises.

(and please ignore the chaos behind my children. Yes, I packed the car. Yes, I know it is deplorable.)

When we were out of Wifi range, the girls could access shows that we downloaded from the app onto the iPad. Again, I loved that I didn’t have to hover over the girls while they navigated the guide. And it made travel on a long weekend that much more enjoyable for all of us.

Especially for Mr. Suburble. He can have a nap nearly anywhere.

If you’re curious about taking your television guide with you wherever you go, try the Shaw FreeRange app. It’s free for Shaw subscribers!

Watch television live or download it onto your mobile device, and make your travel time that much smoother. With over 1500 children’s titles available for download, it’s quite the handy helper. 

When you try it out, let me know what you think! It’s become a go-to for so many of our travelling adventures. Both Mr. Suburble and I are thankful for that!