I'm going to share some of the best screen free activities for kids that keep them busy and engaged. I am not an expert by any means but I am going off of my own experience with my kids. I like things where they can have fun but also learn new skills at the same time while being creative and playing.
In our house we try our best to limit screens. I do feel like it is okay to use them sometimes, but I don't want to rely on them all day long. I definitely notice a difference in their emotions and behavior when they get more screen time than normal. Most of these activities I have been using for 5+ years. I have several posts in the kids category at the top of my homepage. You can click the "kid stuff" category to find more kid related topics.
Arts and Crafts
- Coloring, painting, and stickers are awesome. This is so good for their brain and keeps them busy for a decent amount of time. You can get so many affordable options at almost any store. I get a lot of stickers and activity books at the Dollar Tree. Check often, they are always switching their inventory and they even have brand names. I have gotten so many Disney items here. Great for stocking stuffers or Easter Basket Stuffers, too.
- Acrylic paint markers are awesome for painting rocks outside. Our garden has river rocks which are the prefect size for tiny hands and creating pictures.
- During the summer, chalk is a great option.
- Some of the art stuff I get on amazon. We LOVE water paint. This one has been fantastic.
- Scratch art is messy but so fun and let's kids be so creative. Gem painting is a hit in our house. The scratch art is a little messy but entertains for a long time and it's fun, even for adults. The diamond art is great for starting around age 4. My son has and loves these.
- For less messy activities- Water wow by Melissa and Doug are so much fun. We have used them for about 5 years now. These hold up great. They dry out and they can re-do them all over again and again.
Puzzles
- Yes, they deserve their own section on here. We have collected so many, and our kids love them. You can get them pretty cheap when they are on sale. Consignment shops usually have them, too. They keep your child busy and focused for quite some time and they are so proud of what they accomplished when they complete them. This type of activity is so good for their brain. It basically makes a game out of working on problem solving skills. This is one of our favorites! This brand has been great for every puzzle we have gotten.
Books
- Books and search and finds are fantastic. We have so many, and we have been reading to our kids since they were babies. Naturally, they have become very used to looking at books and they pick some up everyday. Books are one of my favorite things to gift to other new parents and kids, too. You can find some of our favorites here. A Cozy Goodnight has become one of our favorites! We love The Goodnight Train books, too.
Water
- When my kids were super little (think baby/toddler), if they were having a particularly rough day I would let them play in water. It's relaxing to kids. Put them in the tub. Get some (easily washable) toys or bath crayons. They make so many different things that are great options for entertaining in water.
- Outside you could get a sprinkler, splash pad, or water table. Even mud puddles are good. A regular fun sprinkler like this one we have is great!
Bubbles
- My kids will spend hours a day just using bubble wands! My daughter loves it and it is cheap entertainment. Chasing bubbles is a fun activity for them, too. Our favorite bubble brand is the sun squad brand at target. Make sure you get the giant bubble wands, too. We spend hours in the spring and summer using them.
Pretend Play/ Imagination
- Let them get bored and see what they come up with. They will probably end up playing something you'd never expect. My kids play on a tree stump or mountain of dirt for hours.
Building and Creating
- We love blocks, magna-tiles, and anything that you can create and build with. My son is 5 and he will spend so much time creating things, and destroying them, and creating them again. He is starting to enter the lego phase now. It's good for them!
- The off brands like this have been just as good as the official magna-tiles and they are much less expensive.
Nice Weather Days
- The possibilities seem endless when the weather is nice. You can play on a swing set. If you don't have one, chances are there is a park somewhere nearby. Trampolines, sand boxes, bikes, scooters, puddles, sports. There really are so many things kids will do for big chunks of time. Our daughter has loved her pink swing for YEARS.
Playing inside
- Dress up! My kids have a whole collection of dress up stuff. My daughter is more interested in it than my son but these items are well loved. You can usually find all kinds of stuff at consignment shops and yard sales. Watch on Facebook Marketplace if there is something specific you are looking for. Right before and right after holidays people like to do clean outs.
- Let them help you. This could pertain to many different things. It might mean letting help you with housework. Things like switching laundry over to the dryer, putting away dishes, sweeping, vacuuming are all great and my kids usually like helping with this kind of stuff. My kids love helping in the kitchen.
- One year we got our kids little cars for Christmas. They spend a couple hours a day on them for the first year and still use them super often. We let them ride around the main parts of our house, but they would be great for a finished basement, too. Highly recommend them for a gift. Find them here. They have used them for over two years now and they are 3 and almost 7.
Tonies
- We are relatively new to Tonies. Our kids really like them. When we got them, they were about 2 and 5.5 years old. There are so many different characters with their own songs and stories. You can even get blank ones and add your own songs or stories. The downside to these is that they are expensive. Most characters are about $17 but they do have sales often. You can save money by buying a bundle. They do make a nice bigger gift. Our favorites have been: gabby's dollhouse, the national geographic dinosaur, blaze, and the halloween bat to name a few.
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