It is so tempting to hand over the iPad, or turn on the television when kids get a little stir crazy and start to whine about being bored. However, instead of turning to technology, try these brain-boosting, screen-free activities that will nourish your child's imagination, improve their problem solving skills and inspire their natural curiosity.
This list of easy screen-free activities includes options for every age–toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-aged kids and tweens. The activity choices are categorized by age and whether the idea is more appropriate for indoors or outdoors.
Most likely, your child will start an activity and then put their own special twist on it. Letting them take the lead encourages creative thinking and will convince them that screen-free time fun! And don't forget our giant list of indoor activities for kids where you can find even more ideas!
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If you want the two-page printable list of the activities fill out the form with your information and we'll send one over to you!
Screen-Free Activities for Toddlers
These ideas are great screen-free entertainment for 1-2 year olds, but be sure to check out the ideas for 2-4 year olds, as many of them will also work for toddlers.
Indoors
1. Poke craft sticks through a slot in a yogurt container
2. Put a line of painter's tape on the floor. Line up all your toy cars or animals (or other toys!) on the tape.
3. Dump out a basket full of socks and match them
4. Play with cups and spoons in a tub of bubbles and water
5. Play with a (closed!) plastic zip-top bag filled with paint
6. Place scraps of paper and fabric to a sheet of sticky paper
7. Paint on the windows with washable paint
8. Look at interactive board books
9. Toss ping-pong balls into a laundry basket
10. Bang on pots and pans with a wooden spoon
11. Dance with silk play scarves
12. Stack food storage containers
13. Crawl over a pillow obstacle course
14. Hammer or push golf tees into a foam block
15. Try drawing from a new perspective
MORE: Indoor activities for toddlers
Outside
16. Take a walk and point out all the colors
17. Go to the library
18. Paint on the sidewalk or driveway with water
19. Throw rocks into a pond
20. Scrub rocks with a scrubbing brush
21. Chase bubbles
22. Fill a bucket with water and drop in items from nature to see what sinks and floats
23. Dig in the dirt
24. Walk a balance beam (2x4 beam set on the ground)
25. Play follow the leader
26. Rake leaves or sweep the patio
27. Place a very long sheet of paper from a giant paper roll on the ground. Squirt it with a generous helping of paint and dance with bare feet all over the paper!
28. Wash the car (with a grown-up)
29. Give dolls a bubble bath
30. Set up a frozen ice play station
Screen-Free Activities for Preschoolers
Preschoolers will love all of the toddler activities as well as these ideas geared towards 2-4 year olds!
Indoors
1. Make sticker resist painting
2. Have a tea party with stuffed animals and dolls
3. Sit inside a cardboard box and draw on the inside with markers
4. Drop objects in a hole cut into a cardboard box
5. Make and deliver mail to every room in the house
6. Set up a science lab mixing station
7. Make an body outline and fill it in
8. Make your own no-cook play dough
9. Try these play dough add-ins
10. Put together a floor puzzle
11. Play with office supply stickers
12. Make stick puppets and put on a play
13. Cover the table in paper and create a huge work of art
14. Hang up the alphabet with clothespins, or try one of these clothespin activities
15. Make a collage, or a collage book
MORE: Low prep indoor activities for 2-4 year olds
Outside
16. Go to library story time
17. Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
18. Roll down a hill
19. Water plants with a watering can
20. Make mud pies
21. Set up a picnic for your toy animals and dolls using items from nature
22. Play in a shaving cream sensory bin
23. Make an exploding car wash
24. Tape a large paper roll to the fence and drop toy cars down it
25. Play Simon Says
26. Play Land Sea Air
27. Paint outside
28. Do animal walks
29. Play catch or kick a ball
30. Go on a walk and count the birds
MORE: Indoor ball games for kids
Screen-Free Activities ages 5-10
Elementary-aged kids will still enjoy many of the screen-free ideas for preschoolers, but are ready to move on to activities that involve more planning and complex execution.
Inside
1. Draw a self portrait
2. Try a new cookie recipe
3. Pick up and put away the clothes in your room and closet
4. Design and make your own paper dolls
5. Make a clone trooper paper doll chain
6. Draw mandalas in an art journal
7. Learn how to write in secret code
8. Make hand shadows
9. Design your own personal flag
10. Read a book
11. Listen to an audiobook
12. Make a "telephone" from string and paper cups
14. Learn a traditional board game from a different culture
15. Set up an epic domino run
MORE: Easy indoor activities for 5-10 year olds
Outdoor
16. Go to the library and look up how to say, "hello," in 10 different languages
17. Paint kindness messages on rocks
18. Set up an obstacle course and time yourself completing it
19. Close your eyes and count how many different bird songs you can hear
20. Play hopscotch
21. Jump rope
21. Make tin can stilts
23. Make s'mores in a solar oven
25. Play one of these 10 tag games
26. Try a new sport
27. Write poetry with sidewalk chalk
28. Run through the sprinkler
29. Play cornhole
30. Start an herb garden
MORE: Fun indoor games for kids
Screen-Free Ideas for Tweens, ages 10-12
Preteens enjoy working independently and some are even joining the Smart Phone Liberation Movement! Here are 20 ideas for tweens who want to limit their screen time.
1. Design your own business cards for your dream career
2. Make a meal for the family
3. Put on a puppet show for younger children
4. Volunteer at the library
5. Go through your closet and donate unwanted clothes and toys
6. Interview a grandparent about their childhood
7. Help a neighbor with yard work
8. Learn origami (from a book, not YouTube)
9. Make milk carton candles
10. Make ice cream in a bag
11. Tye dye a t-shirt
12. Go birding
14. Go to a thrift store and find something to repurpose into a craft
15. Create a Rube Goldberg machine
16. Solve Perplexors logic puzzles
17. Go for a hike with friends and no phones
18. Surprise your parents by doing your least favorite chore
19. Get a book on magic tricks from the library and dazzle your friends and family
20. Draw your family tree
MORE: Indoor activities for tweens
Pragmatic Mom says
Love your ideas for indoor fun. We need that right now because we are getting a lot of rain here in Boston! And I wanted to share our Mad Cup Stacking idea (a silly but easy one to do at home) http://www.pragmaticmom.com/2012/12/active-indoors/
Erica MomandKiddo says
I love that post, Mia!
jdaniel4smomj says
What great ideas!
Emma @ P is for Preschooler says
I love these - they're fun enough that kids won't even miss the TV. (Maybe? lol!)
Sarah says
i'd love to know where i could find out more about the worksheets you use in your younger son's DIY workbook. i saw the coloring pages but you mentioned other types of worksheets and i wonder where you find them.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Some of them came from books but most of them I found online. It's been years since I originally made the book for my older son so I don't have any web addresses for you. If you search online you should be able to find a selection.
Barbara Gruener says
Love your ideas ... tweeted and linked them on my blog here: http://corneroncharacter.blogspot.com/2014/05/plugging-in-to-screen-free-week.html
writersideup says
Let's hear it for SCREEN FREEEEEE!!!! Seriously---ANY time spent away from TVs, computers and all the other paraphernalia is a good thing 😀
Erica MomandKiddo says
I totally agree.