30 Screen-Free Activities Kids Will Love

Screens definitely have their place in our house.

Sometimes I need to make dinner.

Sometimes someone is sick.

Sometimes everyone just needs a quiet afternoon.

But I also like having a list of easy, low-prep activities I can suggest before reaching for the TV.

Here are 30 ideas we’ve enjoyed. Some take five minutes to set up, while others can keep kids busy for much longer.

Creative

1. Build a blanket fort.
2. Make greeting cards for grandparents.
3. Create a paper airplane contest.
4. Draw with sidewalk chalk.
5. Paint rocks to hide around the neighborhood.
6. Make homemade play dough.
7. Create a comic book together.
8. Decorate cardboard boxes and turn them into houses or spaceships.

Active

9. Have a dance party.
10. Build an indoor obstacle course.
11. Go on a nature walk.
12. Blow bubbles outside.
13. Play “The Floor Is Lava.”
14. Toss bean bags into laundry baskets.
15. Go on a scavenger hunt.
16. Play hide-and-seek.

Learning

17. Visit the library.
18. Read together for 20 minutes.
19. Build with blocks or magnetic tiles.
20. Practice a simple recipe together.
21. Start a small windowsill garden.
22. Sort coins and talk about money.
23. Do a simple science experiment.
24. Complete a puzzle together.

Imaginative

25. Put on a puppet show.
26. Open a pretend restaurant.
27. Play school.
28. Build a stuffed animal hospital.
29. Create a treasure hunt with handwritten clues.
30. Camp out in the living room.

A Little Reminder

Some of the best childhood memories don’t come from expensive outings or perfectly planned activities.

They’re built from ordinary afternoons filled with imagination.

A cardboard box becomes a castle.

A blanket becomes a fort.

A walk around the neighborhood becomes an adventure.

That’s one of my favorite things about kids—they remind us that fun doesn’t have to be complicated.

Want to Keep These Ideas Handy?

I put together a printable version of these activities that you can keep on the fridge, tuck into a jar for kids to choose from, or pack for rainy days.

You can find it in my Etsy shop, Big Kitty Design House: Big Kitty Design House.

My hope is that it makes those “I’m bored!” moments just a little easier—for both kids and parents.