It can be challenging to prevent children from using screens in today’s digital age. However, too much screen time can have a negative impact on children’s behavior, development, and health. Therefore, it’s critical to find strategies for promoting screen-free activities for children.
Making sure that children engage in enough physical activity and social interaction is equally as important as limiting their screen time. 😌
We’ll talk about a few recommendations for screen-free activities for kids in this blog. 👇
I tried them out with my son and am eager to try them out with my daughter. You can combine and contrast the activities to find the ones that your child enjoys the most.
Screen-Free Activities For Toddlers
A child between the ages of 1 and 3 is considered a toddler. They are in the early childhood developmental stage, where they are typically learning to walk, talk, and explore their surroundings. 🌞
The activities I’ve listed below are appropriate for toddlers.
Take Them On A Long Ride
New things pique the curiosity of toddlers. Long car rides are something they would love. My son and daughter both enjoy traveling. 🚗
A chance to connect and forge enduring memories is provided by traveling together. To keep young children entertained during the ride, pack a variety of snacks and games.
Water Activities
Including young children in water activities can be fun and beneficial. While kiddie pools offer a refreshing experience, splash pads offer safe and exciting water play. Miniature water slides and water tables promote interactive play with toys.
My daughter enjoys making a splash in the baby pool.
Sensory Play Activities
Activities that involve sensory play are ideal for increasing a toddler’s curiosity. Rice, colored pasta, or kinetic sand are good materials to use to make a sensory bin. 😁
To encourage imaginative play, let them experiment with various textures and play with toys. It encourages intellectual development and engages them for hours.
Color Books
Children can avoid screen time by using coloring books. As kids hold crayons and color within the lines in these books, they develop their fine motor skills.
You can encourage your child’s learning while keeping them occupied and amused by selecting books with a variety of themes, such as animals, shapes, or alphabets.🎨🖍️
Hand Clapping Games
Toddlers can be entertained without screens by playing hand-clapping games.
The physical coordination, rhythm, and social interaction that are facilitated by games like “Pat-a-Cake,” “Miss Mary Mack,” and “A Sailor Went to Sea” are all beneficial.
Paint A Rock
Painting rocks is a fun activity for young children. Gather rounded rocks and supply non-toxic paints and brushes.
Allow them to express their creativity as they decorate the rocks with vibrant patterns, animals, or shapes.
My daughter enjoys painting the rocks, sometimes even including glitter.
Plant Seeds
Toddlers will have fun and learn from planting seeds. Seeds, pots, and gardening equipment suited for children should be given.
Allow them to enjoy the satisfaction of planting, caring for, and observing the development of their seeds into plants. 🌿🍀
Everyday watering of his seeds helped my son develop a sense of accountability.
Simon Says
Select one child to act as Simon.
Simon instructs the other kids by telling them to “touch your nose” or “jump up and down.”
Toddlers benefit from this activity by improving their fine motor abilities, cause-and-effect comprehension, and listening skills.
Flashlight Shadow Puppets
Simple cardboard or paper shapes should be cut out and held up to a torch or other light source.
To create various shadows, move the shapes around.
Encourage the kids to use shadow puppets to compose songs or stories.
Pro Tip😃
Due to the required strength and coordination, toddlers may find it difficult to cut the cardboard.
Show them the proper way to hold the scissors, then slowly lead them along the cutting line. To ensure safety, make sure the scissors are child-safe and have blunt tips.
Make Gingerbread Men
A fun holiday activity for toddlers is making gingerbread men. Give them pre-made gingerbread cookie dough and let them use cookie cutters to create the desired shapes.
Encourage their creativity and sensory exploration by letting them decorate with icing, candies, and raisins.
Camping
A memorable adventure can include camping with toddlers. Bring comfortable sleeping bags, set up a kid-friendly tent, and let the kids enjoy themselves. ⛺
I used to give my kids hot chocolate to add to the fun. They once performed songs and told stories.
Make Crafts
Toddler craft projects are both fun and educational. Provide kid-friendly tools like colored paper, safety scissors, and washable markers.
Encourage their imagination and creativity by getting them involved in easy crafts like painting with fingers, paper plate masks, and other similar activities.
Running
Toddler-friendly running activities encourage physical growth and active play while keeping them away from electronic devices. Make a safe area for them to run around in, like a playground or park. 🏃♀️🏃
Encourage them to compete in races, chase bubbles, play tag, or take part in obstacle courses to develop healthy movement patterns.
Play With Balloons
For toddlers, playing with balloons is an exciting activity. Blow up some balloons and let the kids chase, toss, and bounce them around.
I played a game called “Keep it up” with my kids, in which they had to keep the inflated balloons in the air as long as possible.
Pro Tip😃
When playing with balloons, keep an eye on young children at all times to avoid choking hazards.
Balloons should be inflated to the proper size, being careful not to over-inflate them to prevent them from easily popping.
Draw On The Sidewalks
For toddlers, drawing on the pavements is a fantastic way to spend time outdoors. Give them non-toxic chalk to express their creativity.
They can sketch hopscotch grids, animals, or other objects, developing their artistic abilities, their fine motor skills, and their appreciation for both outdoor play and artistic endeavors.
Play Jacks
Toddlers may find playing Jacks, also referred to as knucklebones, to be both interesting and challenging. Make use of a small rubber ball and soft, kid-friendly jacks. 😅
To prevent injury, toddlers should be watched while playing jacks.
Make Paper Crafts
For toddlers, paper crafts offer a world of creativity.
Give them some basic tools, such as paper, scissors, and glue.✂️
Allow young children to cut, fold, and glue paper to make easy crafts like paper collages, flowers, or animals.
I displayed my kids’ artwork to encourage them to create more.
Make Bubbles
You can make your bubble solution or buy one from the store. Give your little one a bubble wand and encourage them to blow bubbles.
Encourage them to play around with different bubble-blowing methods. When making bubbles with toddlers, adult supervision is recommended to prevent solution consumption.
Blow Art
Toddlers will find blow art to be a fascinating and mess-free activity. For fun and vibrant designs, dilute kid-safe paint and let them blow through straws. 🤩
Both my children love doing this. With this art-filled activity, your child will improve their coordination while having a tonne of fun.
Hands-On Games
Interactive gaming is ideal for the development of young children. Their senses and cognitive abilities are stimulated by tasks like matching cards, stacking blocks, puzzles, and sorting shapes.
My daughter enjoys playing with blocks a lot. To enhance the experience further, I purchased her a variety of colored blocks in various shapes.
Magic Cup Game
Place a tiny object under one of the three cups. Ask your child to identify the cup the object is under after you’ve moved the cups around. ✨
This will provide an engaging and enjoyable way for your child to work on her memory.
Handprint Projects
Toddlers enjoy creating charming keepsakes with their handprints. Make their handprints on paper or canvas using non-toxic paint. Turn them into floral arrangements, animals, or family artwork.
My daughter enjoys making impressions on paper with paint by dipping her hand into it.
Make Bird Feeder
Collect low-cost goods like peanut butter, birdseed, and pinecones.
Roll pinecones in birdseed and assist toddlers in spreading peanut butter on them.
In a tree or on a fence, hang the pinecone bird feeders.
My daughter enjoys watching the birds enjoy the food.🐦
Paper Plate Crafts
Toddlers love making crafts out of paper plates. Make masks, animals, or sun catchers out of plates using glue along with scissors.
These imaginative activities improve fine motor skills and creativity while giving parents and toddlers a wonderful chance to connect through play and art activities and avoid screen time.
Sensory Bottle Activities
Toddlers’ senses get hooked by sensory bottle activities. Clear bottles can be filled with water, glitter, beads, and small toys before being tightly closed.
Encourage visual tracking, auditory stimulation, and calmness while playing by rolling and shaking the bottle while letting the children observe its appealing contents.
Playdough Crafts
Toddlers can express their artistic side while participating in sensory play with playdough crafts.
They can mold and shape the dough into flowers, buildings, or animals when you provide them with kid-safe, colorful dough.
For limitless creative fun, improve the experience with cookie cutters, rolling pins, and plastic utensils.
Pro Tip😃
To prevent any potential health risks, always use playdough that is non-toxic and child-safe. Before using the playdough, check to see if your child has any allergies to the ingredients.
Teach kids that playdough is not edible, even though it may smell good.
Sand Art
Activities involving sand are great for toddlers’ exploratory play. Provide cups, spoons, and containers filled with colored sand.⌛
Let the toddlers pour, mix, and layer the sand encouraging their creativity, motor skills, and tactile learning of colors and textures.
Pro Tip😃
Make sure the sand you use for play is safe, clean, and free of any sharp objects or dangerous materials.
To prevent inhalation, teach children not to throw or blow the sand. Use sunblock and hats to avoid sunburn when playing outside.
Screen-Free Activities For Preschoolers
Compared to toddlers, preschoolers are older and develop more sophisticated social skills. They fall within the 3 to 4-year age range. 🤗
The activities I have mentioned here can be done with them.
Dance Party
Kids enjoy lively, joyful dance activities. Let them move around freely while you play music with catchy beats. Promote basic dance moves like hopping, twirling, and clapping.
My son had practiced a dance routine that he enjoyed performing.
Origami
Preschoolers learn the art of paper folding through origami activities. Teach basic origami designs like animals or flowers using vibrant, kid-safe paper.
My son had a great time creating paper fans and swans. He was able to focus more as a result of this.
Make A Fort
For young children, creating a fort is a thrilling activity. Make a snug hide using furniture, pillows, and blankets.
As they play inside, allow their fantasies to run wild, encouraging creativity, cooperation, and awareness of space. 😊
Building forts provides hours of amusement and imaginative play.
Jump Rope
Preschoolers benefit strongly from activities involving jump rope. You can get them to hop or jump using soft, kid-friendly ropes. This promotes physical wellness, synchronization, and balance.
Make it more entertaining by adding songs or tunes, which will promote happy exercise and rhythmic consciousness.
Pro Tip😃
Start with a light rope that is simple to swing because a heavier rope will be harder to control. Allow them to jump for brief periods at first, then as they improve, gradually extend their jumps.
Build Card House
For young children, building a card house is an interesting activity. Use thick playing cards to demonstrate how to balance and stack cards to build structures.
I’m excited to do the same with my daughter, as I would love to help my son in balancing the cards to build a house.
Make Sun Catcher
Making sun catchers was his favorite thing to do. ☀️🌞
Kids can create vibrant patterns with this activity by using contact paper, tissue squares, or transparent paper.
The finished sun catchers can be hung close to windows to create a delightful lighting effect.
This promotes creativity and an appreciation for natural beauty in kids.
Fly Kite
Preschoolers can learn about the various components of a kite and how they work by doing this. They can also use their imaginations to customize how their kites are decorated.🪁
Find a windy day, and go to the park or beach with the kids to fly kites.
Keynote😃
It’s a good idea to start with a small kite because it’s simpler to control than a big one. Being able to fly a kite requires practice, so be patient with your children and ask them not to give up if they do not understand it right away.
Practice Tongue Twisters
A fun language activity for preschoolers involves practicing tongue twisters. Share simple expressions like “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” Clarity of speech and pronunciation are improved.
For endless linguistic fun, my son would repeat and challenge his friends.
What Is Missing?
Items should be placed on a tray and covered with a cloth. Give your child some time to examine the items before covering them and asking them to identify the missing ones. 🤔
I do this activity with my daughter, and it helps with her memory retention.
Learn Rhymes
Introduce songs for kids with catchy melodies and nursery rhymes.
Promote language development, rhythm, and early literacy skills through movement and hand gestures to make learning fun and memorable.🤭
This is possibly one of the best methods for avoiding screens, and it can be used with toddlers as well.
Make Paper Fan
Preschoolers can learn about shapes, colors, and counting by doing this. Fold some papers and help them in making paper fans.
They are free to use their creativity and customize the decoration of their fans. On a warm day, preschoolers can use paper fans to cool off or play games like “Fan Races.”
Make Invisible Ink
Kids can use a mixture of lemon juice or baking soda and water to write messages on the paper.
Heat the paper with a lamp or iron to reveal the messages, creating a magical and insightful experience.
My daughter and son both enjoyed watching the messages as they appeared on the page.
Make A Bug Jar
An interesting outdoor activity for preschoolers is making a bug jar. Use a transparent container with a pierced lid.
Allow them to move around and collect flowers, leaves, or bugs. Before releasing the bugs, observe them to encourage curiosity, cognitive abilities, and a love of nature.🐞🦗
Make Recycled Crafts
Preschoolers can engage in eco-friendly and creative recycling crafts. Utilise items like paper rolls, egg cartons, and empty cardboard boxes.
Allow them to use their imaginations to create robots, animals, or vehicles out of these materials.☺️
My son had created some amazing crafts out of repurposed materials.
Memory Game
Kids of all ages can participate in this game. Make matching images or color pairs for your cards. Flip them over face down as you take turns looking for matches.🤔
This was such fun to play with my son.
Hopscotch
Preschoolers can enjoy the fun and energizing game of hopscotch. It helps in their coordination, balance, and motor skill development.
On the ground, mark a hopscotch grid, and teach your child to hop from square to square while following the numbers.
Pro Tip😃
Encourage the children to hop through the squares while balancing on one foot to improve their coordination. For better social skills and to enjoy friendly competition, promote playing with friends.
Rock Paper Scissors
Preschoolers can have fun playing the game Rock, Paper, Scissors. To represent rock, paper, and scissors, use gestures with your hands.
I can affirm that playing this game with the kids can result in a lot of giggles and laughter.
All ages of children can play this.
Go Swimming
It is best to begin teaching swimming to children as early as possible. Introduce fundamental water skills like floating, kicking, and blowing bubbles under adult supervision.
Toy recovery games improve motor skills while promoting water safety and a love of swimming.🏊🥽
Visit Local Landmarks
A fantastic way to introduce preschoolers to their community and teach them about history and culture is to take them to local landmarks.
For quite a while, it will keep them away from screens. Make the excursion instructive for young explorers by talking about history, nature, and culture to ignite their curiosity.
Yoga
Introduce easy poses such as “tree” or “cat-cow.” By including animal themes, you may encourage the imagination. Flexibility, balance, and concentration are encouraged by this.🧘🧘♀️🧘♂️
I enjoy practicing yoga with my kids.
Yoga creates an atmosphere of relaxation while promoting both physical and emotional well-being.
Pro Tip😃
Yoga poses come in a wide variety, but it is best to start with those that are easy enough for children to do.
Make sure to make yoga enjoyable for kids because it can be a lot of fun. While practicing yoga, you can engage in games, songs, or even storytelling.
Fashion Show From Old Clothes
Preschoolers can engage in an inventive and environmentally friendly activity by planning a fashion show using old clothes. Let them put on recycled clothing, walk the “runway,” and pose.
You can take pictures of them posing to make it a bit more enjoyable.
Make Slime
For preschoolers, making slime is a fun sensory activity. To make a gooey, stretchy texture, combine liquid starch and glue. For vivid hues, add food coloring.😅
Make sure to assist your kids in mixing the ingredients with the proper consistency.
Make Popsicles
A tasty and simple activity is making popsicles with preschoolers. Use fruit juice or yogurt and pour it into the molds. For more fun, add berries or fruit slices.
These are summertime treats that my son loved making. 🌞
Charades
Let children act out simple actions and animal gestures. Guessing the answers fosters creativity and conversation.
To play this game, my son and his friends would split up into teams. Additionally, they had points to keep it interesting.
Make S’mores
Use the microwave or a safe fire to roast marshmallows. Make a delicious treat by sandwiching them between graham crackers and chocolate.🤗
When children are roasting marshmallows, adult supervision is strongly advised. Children of all ages can participate in this activity.
Toilet Paper Roll Crafts
For preschoolers, recycling projects made from toilet paper rolls are ideal. Rolls can be changed into telescopes, creatures, or rocket ships. Always use glue and child-safe scissors. 🧻
My son used toilet paper rolls to create a variety of innovative crafts.
Create Science Projects
Doing science projects with young children can be an exciting experiment.
Curiosity about the natural world is sparked by easy experiments like growing plants, creating baking soda volcanoes, and mixing colors.
These experiments would excite my son greatly, and he would eagerly perform them.
Visit A Museum
It is educational and fun to take young children on a museum outing. Visit exhibits featuring nature, art, or history.
Children will remain engaged on guided tours. You can take kindergarten-age children to the museum as well.
The museum’s animal exhibit was one that my son particularly enjoyed.
Skateboarding
Introducing balance and coordination to young children through skateboarding can be supervised and safe.
Skateboards for kids are recommended, as well as safety gear. Pushing, turning, and stopping are good examples of fundamental movements.
The kids enjoy this activity, and it keeps them occupied for several hours.
Make Sock Puppets
Toddlers can also create sock puppets. It is that simple. Utilise glue, colorful felt, and used socks. Include yarn for the hair and goofy eyes.
These puppets can even be used by children to stage short plays.
Make A List
Making lists is a crucial activity that helps kids improve their focus. Give children a particular topic, such as “animal names,” and tell them to compile a list.😎
Allowing children to swap lists and discover what they missed will increase involvement.
Painting
Any child, regardless of age, can paint. Provide a variety of brushes and sponges along with non-toxic, washable paints.
Allowing for color and texture experimentation will encourage creativity and self-expression.🎨🖌️
To motivate them, you could also put on display their artwork.
Learn Magic Tricks
For young children, learning magic tricks is a fascinating activity. Use easy gimmicks like disappearing coins or card tricks. Encourage them to perform for family and friends while they are practicing.🔮
Kids going to kindergarten can also do this, and this enhances confidence in them.
Roasting Marshmallows
Use a campfire or a secure fire pit under adult supervision. Allow kids to roast marshmallows on skewers until they are golden brown.
To prevent burning, assist your child in holding the skewers away from the flames.
I’m positive kids are going to love this activity.
Make A Flick Book
On the bound edges of small paper sheets, make a series of drawings. The illustrations come to life as you turn the pages.
The activity was a favorite of my son’s. This is something that kindergarteners can also do.
Cycling
One of the most sought-after activities for children is cycling. Cycling enhances balance and coordination while strengthening muscles and improving cardiovascular fitness.
It lowers the risk of childhood obesity and aids in maintaining a healthy weight.🚴
My son was strongly encouraged by me to go cycling.
Gardening
Kids can learn about nature, exercise, and avoid screen time by working in the garden. It can be as easy as sowing a few seeds in a pot or as intricate as planning and planting an entire garden.
In either case, kids of all ages can engage in the enjoyable and rewarding activity of gardening.
Scavenger Hunt
You may organize a scavenger hunt for your kids to complete in the park, your backyard, or other nearby areas.
Just be sure to hide the clues in locations that will encourage your kids to explore and move around.
Pro Tip😃
Children shouldn’t be able to figure out the clues right away, but you also don’t want them to give up because they find them too challenging.
As a result, the scavenger hunt clues you select should be suitable for the age and aptitude of the children who will be taking part.
Wooden Block Activities
Children can have some creative fun with wooden blocks while refraining from screens. With wooden blocks, you can build anything from simple structures to elaborate designs.
This provides countless opportunities for fun and learning away from digital devices by improving problem-solving, creativity, and fine motor skills.
Solve Puzzles
Kids can engage in screen-free activities like solving puzzles. Offer a range of age-appropriate, challenging puzzles. Critical thinking and intellectual growth are encouraged by this activity.🧩🤔
I printed some puzzles I had downloaded from the internet for my son to solve.
Yarn Crafts
Kids can have some creative fun and avoid technological devices by making crafts out of yarn. Kids can make a wide variety of yarn crafts.
They can make pom-poms, woven art, or friendship bracelets out of yarn.
Keynote😃
Encourage children to create mixed-media crafts by combining yarn with other materials like paper or beads. For a quicker and simpler crafting experience, you can even offer pre-cut yarn in various lengths.
Board Games
Kids can have a lot of fun playing board games. Little ones can engage in educational games like Scrabble or games like Monopoly.
While providing hours of entertainment without the use of gadgets, this activity encourages social interaction, critical thinking, and healthy competition.
Tic Tac Toe
A traditional game like tic tac toe is great for keeping kids off screens. Kids can learn it quickly, have fun playing it, and it may help in the development of their capacity for strategic thought.
While my son enjoys it, my daughter is still too young to play.😅
Host A Tea Party
Children’s tea parties are a wonderful way to keep them occupied and away from screens. They can play games, dress up, and enjoy delectable treats.
Serve kid-friendly finger foods, such as sandwiches, cookies, and fruit.
Puppet Show
An enjoyable screen-free activity for kids is a puppet show. Encourage the kids to make up creative tales using puppets and set pieces. 🥰
Children can perform a puppet show for their friends and family using either homemade or store-bought puppets.
Sewing Crafts
Kids can have some creative fun and avoid screens by participating in sewing crafts. Children can learn to sew their clothes or make simple crafts like pillows and stuffed animals.
Screen-Free Activities For Kindergarteners
Between preschool and elementary school, kindergarten serves as a transitional year. Children here are learning the fundamentals of what they will need to succeed in elementary school.
These are the ideal activities for them to partake in without a screen.
Wash Windows Together
A satisfying screen-free activity for kids is washing windows together. Allow children to clean with water and soap bubbles while providing child-safe cleaning supplies.
Together with me, I had my son wash the windows. Sometimes my daughter also takes part.😍
Draw Family Tree
An engaging screen-free activity for kids is drawing a family tree. Create a family tree using paper and colored pens. You can also ask children to write or draw stories about their relatives.
Together, you can learn more about the family’s ancestry and have a lot of fun doing this activity.
Act Out A Book
A creative and fascinating way for kids to avoid screens is to act out a book. They can picture the characters and visualize them using their imaginations.
You can pick a book that your children are already familiar with. 😊
To make the performance even more entertaining, they can add props, costumes, and even music.
Write A Letter
An ideal screen-free activity for kids is writing letters. Encourage them to send letters to friends and family.
This promotes a personal and thoughtful form of interaction while improving linguistic skills, creativity, and emotional expression.💌
During his summer break, my son used to write letters to his relatives.
Go Bird Watching
Go bird-watching with your kids.
It’s a fantastic way to take in the outdoors while avoiding screens. You can either go to a park or nature reserve, or you can install bird feeders and birdhouses in your backyard.
Pro Tip😃
Bring a bird identification guidebook and a pair of binoculars. Discuss with your children the various birds you see. You can see a variety of amazing birds if you have a little patience.
Rubik’s Cube
A challenging puzzle like Rubik’s Cube can encourage kids to put down their electronic devices. It requires problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, and concentration.😅
My son found this activity to be amusing. He slowly began to solve other puzzles, including the mirror cube.
Martial Arts
Children can learn self-control, discipline, and focus through martial arts. It is a fantastic way to work out and boost confidence.
Kids can find a martial art that fits their interests and personality because there are plenty of options.
Pro Tip😃
Find a martial art that fits your children’s interests by talking to them about them. Find an accredited institution with experienced faculty and enroll them for better learning.
Teach your children to be persistent and patient.
LEGO
Kids will enjoy and learn from playing with LEGOs.
It encourages kids to create and build their imaginative worlds by igniting their imaginations and providing hours of fun.
My son enjoys using LEGO to construct structures.
Visit A Local Bookstore
For kids, going to the local bookstore is an enjoyable pastime. Encourage them to read books from a variety of authors and genres. ☺️😏
This opens up a world of imagination and knowledge away from screens and encourages a love of reading, builds curiosity, and boosts language skills.
Create Collages From Magazines
For kids, making collages out of magazines is a creative screen-free activity. Allow them to use cut-and-paste to create original works of art.
This provides a creative and tactile way to produce unique pieces of art. Preschoolers can carry out this as well.
Learn A New Language
For kids, learning a new language can be thrilling and enjoyable. Their memory, problem-solving abilities, and cultural awareness can all be boosted by it.
Kids can find a method that works for them by choosing from among the many different ways available for them to learn a new language.
Pro Tip😃
Start by using basic words and expressions. Make it enjoyable and engaging.
Give children practical examples that will help in language learning.
Try STEM Activities
Kids can learn about science, technology, engineering, and maths in a fun and interesting way through STEM activities. Kids may take part in a wide range of STEM activities, from coding games to building robots.
My son had constructed a bottle rocket.
Obstacle Course
Kids can have fun and stay active without the use of screens by setting up an obstacle course. Use everyday objects to make obstacles, such as balancing on a rope, jumping over pillows, and crawling under chairs.😎
Setting the difficulty level appropriately will allow this activity to be done with children of all ages.
Make Crayon Candles
A fun screen-free activity for kids is making crayon candles. Old crayons are melted and poured into candle molds. 🖍️
When performing this activity with the children, be sure to provide guidance. Children should handle melted crayons carefully to prevent hand burns.
Make A Science Journal
Kids can record their observations and experiments in a science journal. They can gain an understanding of the scientific approach and improve their critical thinking abilities.
Kids can use a science journal to document their discoveries, ask questions, and consider what they have learned.
Cooking
Kids can have a lot of fun and stay off screens by cooking with you. They can learn about nutrition and food and follow directions from it. Kids can assist with many easy recipes, such as those for pancakes or sandwiches.
Pro Tip😃
Allow children to experiment with various flavors and ingredients and encourage them to be creative in their cooking.
Together clean up after cooking to teach children responsibility and cooperation.
Star Gazing
Kids can learn about the night sky and spend time outside without using screens by stargazing. They could learn about planets, stars, and constellations from it.🌠💫🌌
My children enjoy doing this. We head outside to our terrace, where we lie down and gaze at the sky.
Melted Crayon Painting
Kids can have fun and be creative while steering clear of screens by painting with melted crayons. It is a wonderful way to use old crayons and produce lovely artwork.
Children can use their imagination to create a variety of designs, from realistic landscapes to abstract patterns.
Draw A Comic Book
An imaginative screen-free activity for kids is creating a comic book with drawings. They can develop dialogue, stories, and characters in panels.😌
Together, my son and his friends created one such comic book. They had a great time and enjoyed reading it together.
Learn Photography Skills
For kids, developing photography skills is an ideal way to discover the world.
They can learn about exposure, lighting, and composition from it. Children can learn photography in a variety of ways, such as through classes and books.📷📸
Doing A Room Makeover
A transformative and enjoyable activity for kids is redecorating a room. They can design patterns, select colors, and arrange furniture.
Apart from offering a welcome change and private space away from screens, this promotes imaginative thinking, decision-making, and a sense of responsibility.
Make Honeycomb
A fascinating science activity for kids is creating a honeycomb. Make use of hexagonal shapes, paper, and glue.
This provides them with a fun and educational experience while teaching them about the natural world, geometry, and teamwork.
Become An Activist
For kids, becoming an activist is a worthwhile and empowering endeavor. Encourage them to choose causes that are important to them, such as social justice, the environment, or animals.
Participate in peaceful protests, give your time, or use storytelling and art to spread awareness.
Make Lemonade
A fun screen-free activity for kids is making lemonade. Lemons can be squeezed by kids and mixed with sugar and water.
During their summer break, my son and his friends set up a lemonade booth in our backyard and had an enjoyable time.😏
Game Of Darts
Darts is a difficult yet entertaining game that can help kids stay away from electronic devices. It calls for accuracy, strategic thinking, and hand-eye coordination.
It can be played by children with friends or family, and there are a variety of game variations to keep things interesting.
Pro Tip😃
To ensure safety, especially for younger children, choose soft-tip darts. Teach them how to properly hold the dart with three fingers.
Explain to them to throw gently while aiming for accuracy. Add simple scoring guidelines to create an environment of competition.
Start A Collection
A fun and motivating way for kids to avoid screens is to begin a collection. Kids may start a variety of collections, including those of stamps, coins, rocks, or seashells.
My son had a collection of stamps.
Pen Pal
A great way for kids to keep off screens and meet new people from around the world is to find a pen pal. With the help of their pen pals, children can learn about other cultures and viewpoints while writing letters or even postcards.
Pro Tip😃
Consult your neighborhood school or library. Children can connect with children from other countries through pen pal programs offered by numerous libraries and schools.
Do your research before choosing a pen pal, and only share personal information with people you can trust.
Play Backyard Games
A fun and healthy way for kids to stay off devices is to play backyard games. Kids can play a variety of backyard games, including tag, hide-and-seek, and four square.
They can improve their social, problem-solving, and gross motor skills by playing outside games.
Learn Napkin Folding
Napkin folding can help them develop their fine motor skills, symmetry, and geometry. Kids can learn a variety of folding techniques that can be used to make lovely table decorations or centerpieces.
During our family dinner, my son demonstrated some of the ones he had learned.😌
Read Story Books
Reading aloud to children is a beneficial screen-free activity. Read together as a family using age-appropriate books.
This opens up doors to new worlds and limitless learning opportunities by encouraging linguistic skills, imagination, and a lifelong love of reading.
Make Potions
It’s entertaining and creative to make potions. They can learn about chemistry, science, and inventiveness from it. They can make use of safe household items, water, and food coloring.🤓
Kids can experiment with a variety of potion recipes and also use their imaginations to come up with their potions.
Make Pizza Dough
Making pizza is a tasty and entertaining activity for kids to do without using a screen. Combine water, yeast, and flour. Knead and allow it to rise. This develops patience, measurement, and culinary skills.🍕
My son and I would work together to make the dough. He would enjoy mixing it.
Sudoku
Simple Sudoku puzzles are a good place for kids to start before progressing to more difficult ones. The sudoku puzzles were thoroughly enjoyed by my son.
Sudoku should be enjoyable to do. Encourage kids to try new things and come up with new strategies for completing the puzzles.
Keynote😃
Encourage children to solve problems using a pencil and rubber so they can make any necessary changes. Sudoku can be difficult, but perseverance and patience will help them succeed.
Marble Maze Craft
A fun screen-free activity for kids is creating a marble maze. Use tape, straws, and cardboard.
Construct a maze, then lead marbles through it. Hours of interactive fun and learning are offered by this, which improves problem-solving, engineering, and creativity.
Family Band
For kids, starting a family band is an entertaining screen-free activity. Each member sings or plays an instrument. 🎻🥁
In our family get-togethers, my son and daughter used to perform some really lovely pieces. At times, we would take part alongside them.
Bake
Children of all ages can enjoy baking, which is an enjoyable and fulfilling activity. Learning science, maths, and cooking this way is very beneficial. Kids can bake a variety of dishes, from easy cookies to complex cakes.
Pro Tip😃
Start with easy recipes. Kids can advance to recipes that are more complicated once they have mastered the fundamentals.
Use ingredients that children will enjoy. Ingredients that are too intricate or spicy for children should be avoided.
Solving Printed Puzzles
Children can improve their hand-eye coordination, focus, and analytical skills by solving printed puzzles, which is a fun and challenging activity. 🧐
I gave my son some puzzles I downloaded from the internet to solve. Even simple maze puzzles are available for purchase.
Make Mudpies
Kids of all ages can have fun and get messy while making mud pies. It’s a fantastic way to get kids outside and encourage them to use their imaginations.
Simply gather some mud, water, and some toys, then start having fun.
Pro Tip😃
Look for a secure area to make mud pies. Do not make mud pies close to busy streets or other areas with high pedestrian traffic.
Use clean mud. Avoid using mud that is near garbage or near areas where there are animals.
Cardboard Box Activities
Kids can be entertained for hours on end with cardboard boxes. They can be used to construct playhouses, spaceships, forts, and other things as well.
Let your kids’ imaginations soar; there are countless things they can do with cardboard boxes.
Make DIY Toys
An interesting screen-free activity for kids is making their toys. Make creative playthings out of recycled materials.
This encourages innovation, problem-solving, and sustainability while providing countless opportunities for fun, distinctive, eco-friendly toys.🤓
Conclusion
Children who spend too much time in front of screens might not engage in enough physical activity, which is crucial for growth. They might also miss out on vital opportunities to interact socially with other children.😌
I have engaged my children in these activities to keep them off screens as much as possible.
Tell me which activity you liked best in the comments section.😎
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Next startup Cledemy.Com)