38 Screen Free Activities for Kids to Enjoy at Home

How do you say no to screen time when you're frazzled and trying to make it through the day? As tempting as it is to hand over your phone or turn on the TV, too much screen time isn't good.

What can you do instead? Inspire your child at every age with engaging, quality activities that don't involve watching the same Cocomelon song for the millionth time.

Screen Free Activities At Home

As a teacher and mom of three, I've learned that busy children are happy children. I'm not opposed to letting my kids work out what to do when they complain "I'm bored!" But, sometimes we get stuck in a play rut and need some inspiration. That's where a long list of fun, screen free play ideas comes in handy.

Here are some of my favorite activities to enjoy at every age.

Screen Free Activities for 2-year-olds

Two is such a fun age. Once your child finds a fun activity, they'll want to do it over and over again. Here are some fun screen free activities for toddlers.

1. "Painting" with Water

On a warm, sunny day, grab a paintbrush and a small bucket of water. Then, invite your little one to paint pictures on the sidewalk using water. A wooden fence or a large rock are other great options for painting with water.

2. Water Sensory Play

Playing in the kitchen sink or a basin full of water is great fun for toddlers. Add tools such as a funnel, spoons, a turkey baster, a sieve, a whisk, and other kitchen items.
You can switch things up by adding a drop of natural food coloring or some dish soap. Other options for fun include boats and other floating items like corks or ping pong balls.

3. Blowing Bubbles

Bubbles are classic fun to enjoy anywhere. You can even make your own bubble solution with dish soap, glycerin, and water.

For a large recipe, mix 4 cups of water with 1 cup of dish soap and 1/3 cup of glycerin. Be sure to mix ingredients gently so you don't get suds. Then, pour a small amount into a dish for your child to use with a bubble wand.

4. Dance Party

Turn up your toddler's favorite song and dance. To add to the fun, you can also grab some silk scarves or balloons to toss around as you dance.

5. Coloring a Cardboard Box

The cardboard box is a favorite among toddlers. Offer them some markers and a large box and let them go to town drawing pictures and designs.

6. Sidewalk Chalk

Coloring outdoors on the sidewalk is a great activity for fostering creativity and building your toddler's fine motor skills.

7. Hide and Seek: Objects Edition

My oldest loved finding Easter eggs so much we made it a year-round tradition. But, we'd just hide one toy or a few eggs for him to find.

To play, simply show your child the object you will hide. Ask them to cover their eyes as you hide it. Then, ask them to find the object. You can take turns hiding and seeking.

8. Make Play Dough

Homemade play dough is always a hit with toddlers. From salt dough to cooked play dough, there are so many recipes to try. For classic play dough, try this recipe:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup salt
• 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil 
  

Invite your child to measure and mix the dry ingredients in a pot. Then, add the water and oil and heat the play dough as you stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes a ball of dough. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

When cool, put some of the playdough into a plastic bag. Add food coloring if desired and have your toddler knead from outside the bag. That way, you protect your fingers from the food coloring until mixed in. Then, you're ready to play!

9. "Basketball"

Find some soft balls or use socks folded in balls. Then, make "baskets" by throwing them in the laundry basket. Add challenge by sitting on the floor and putting the basket on the couch.

10. Dig in the Garden

Playing in the dirt can provide hours of fun. If you don't have a yard, invite your toddler to help you water house plants.

Screen Free Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

As children grow, so do their abilities. For children age 3 to 6, you can explore and learn through many fun screen free activities.

Science Experiments for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

Explore concepts in science with these fun, age-appropriate experiments for preschoolers.

11. Sink vs. Float

Provide your child with a basin of water and various objects that sink or swim. For example: a ping pong ball, a plastic lid, a coin, a stick, a rock, a key, etc. Then, invite your child to drop each item into the water and notice whether it sinks or floats.

You can also create labels that say "sink" and "float." Then, put the labels on a towel. Your child can put each item under the correct label as they remove each item from the water.

12. Cornstarch Slime

Pour about a cup of cornstarch into a large bowl. Add water slowly as your child mixes it with a spoon. Invite your child to explore the slime at different stages of runniness. Notice how it gets firm and formed when you squeeze it and turns runny when you let go.

13. Volcanic Eruption

Make a baking soda and vinegar volcano. You can do this outdoors with real dirt, or inside on a large tray.

Use a small plastic bottle as the center of your volcano. Then, turn it into a volcano by packing dirt around it. If inside, you can use play dough or paper mache to create a volcano.

Then, add a tablespoon of baking soda to the bottle (use a funnel if needed). Invite your child to pour in some vinegar and watch the eruption!

Art Projects for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

Get creative with these fun art projects for preschoolers.

14. Make a Collage

Offer your child magazines, colored paper, yarn, and other art supplies. Invite them to use scissors to cut out images and glue to add items to their collage. You can create a themed collage based on the season, a holiday, or a favorite theme or sport.

15. Paint with Homemade Stamps

Grab some tempera paint and potatoes, it's time to make some stamps. Cut the potatoes in half and carve out shapes such as circles, triangles, flowers, etc. Then, invite your child to dip the shapes in a plate of paint and make a stamp on a piece of paper.

You can also make different stamps of fruit and vegetables simply by cutting them in half. Some fun options to try include apples, lemons, and bell pepper.

16. Make a Popsicle Stick Box

Grab a pack of popsicle sticks and glue to create a little box. Or, cut an empty plastic bottle in half and glue the popsicle sticks around the outside to create a pencil holder. After creating, give your child paint, markers, or stickers to decorate.

Traditional Play for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

Classic games and activities like board games are perfect for rainy days.

17. Scavenger Hunt

Children love the excitement of a scavenger hunt, especially if there's a small prize at the end. Send children on an adventure with pictures for young kids and written clues for older kids to practice reading. For example, "Look where you brush your teeth," or, "Find the coldest place in the house" (the freezer). After hiding the notes, add a small prize like some fruit or stickers at the end.

18. Board Games

From classics like Chutes and Ladders and Candyland to movie-themed games, board games can inspire hours of play.

19. Card Games

UNO and Go Fish are ideal card games for children at this age.

Screen Free Activities for 7-year-olds

As children grow, they like a bigger challenge. Try these novel ideas for elementary aged kids.

Science Experiments for 7-year-olds

Build your child's problem-solving skills with these engaging experiments.

20. Cabbage PH Indicator

Did you know that red cabbage is a PH indicator? Bring on the test tubes and droppers for a bona fide science experiment.

You'll need red cabbage, some small transparent jars or cups, and different household substances. First, chop up some red cabbage and cover it with water in a pot. Boil it for a few minutes. When cool, pour a small amount of the red cabbage juice into each of the test jars. You need one test jar for each substance.

Then, your child can add different substances to test for PH. Some good options include liquid dish soap, vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, Sprite, and powdered soap. Be sure to add each substance to a new test jar. Then, mix in the substance with a stir stick.

If the mixture turns pink or red, the substance is acidic. If the mixture turns blue or green, it's basic or alkaline.

21. Make a Boat

Challenge your child to make a boat that will float. You can use Legos, sticks, scrap wood, or even paper. Test your child's boat in a basin of water or the kitchen sink.

22. Egg Drop

Give your child an egg. Then, challenge your child to build a capsule that will keep the egg from breaking after you drop it from the highest window in your house. Your child might use materials like cardboard boxes, scraps of cloth, tape, etc. See what they come up with! Then, test the egg capsule by dropping it from your highest window. 

Creative Projects for 7-year-olds

Inspire creativity with art and storytelling.

23. Write a Story

If your child isn't sure what to write a story about, provide a story starter. You can make cards for three categories: Setting, Characters, and Problem.

For the "place" cards, get creative with places like the moon, outer space, the Amazon jungle, Medieval Europe, etc. For characters, you can use people, animals, superheroes, and more. For the problem, try options like "lost," "have no money," "is lonely," or "is seeking a treasure."

Have your child pick a card from each of the categories, setting, characters, and problem. Then, they write their story.

24. Wax Resist Art

Invite your child to draw with wax crayons on paper. Then, have them paint over the top of it with watercolor paints. This is especially fun for underwater scenes.

25. Aluminum Foil Art

Cover a piece of cardboard with aluminum foil, shiny side out. You can tape it into place. Then, have your child draw on the foil with permanent markers (a pack of colorful Sharpies will really amp up this project). The effect is beautiful.

Traditional Play for 7-year-olds

Enjoy the fun of traditional games and activities with your elementary aged child.

26. Design and Complete an Obstacle Course

7-year-olds can participate more in creating games. Challenge your child to create a fun obstacle course to go through. Then, they can time how quickly they can get through it.

Looking for inspiration? See some fun indoor obstacle course ideas here. 

27. Monopoly

Board games like Monopoly and Clue help your child practice their analytical and planning skills.

28. Charades

Kids love acting out animals, characters, and situations. Enjoy a family night of charades.

Bonus Screen Free Activities at Home

Still need more ideas? Try these extra 10 screen free activities for kids. 

29. Cook and Bake
30. Put on a Puppet Show
31. Invent a New Board Game
32. Make a Fort
33. Play with Dominoes (play the game or arrange them and watch them fall)
34. Play Store or Restaurant
35. Make Homemade Stickers with Blank Labels
36. Make Magnets
37. Plant Herbs or Flowers
38. Make necklaces or bracelets

Screen Free Activities for the Win

With creativity, you can keep busy without busting out tablets, phones, or the TV. Plus, you'll make more memories and have more fun than digital devices could ever provide. What's your child's go-to screen free activity? Let us know in the comments below.