Looking for screen-free activities for children? Check out this list for some great ideas to keep them entertained and engaged without screens.
When I first wrote this post about 10 years ago, we didn’t have iPads or video games in the house. So it was really just about keeping the tv off. But today I feel like we have a more challenging battle on our hands.
While watching TV in moderation isn’t inherently bad, watching it excessively can have its downfalls, for sure. And what about those times when we don’t have access to a television? Maybe the power is out, or you’re camping—oh wait, most people have TVs in their campers these days.
But wouldn’t it be nice to just shut it down for a while to allow our brains to breathe a bit? Sometimes, we are so overstimulated that we don’t know what to do with ourselves when the TV is not available. Believe me, I am completely guilty of this and experienced such a sensation many times.
While this list is far from exhaustive, it will point you in the right direction and get you started. Some of these require you to spend time with your children, while others are more independent.
14 Ways to Engage With Your Children
1. Bake
My children love to bake. I typically allow them to do so if they agree to clean up their own mess. Sometimes I’ll stand close by to supervise while other times an older child will assist. Baking is a great way to learn measurement and cooking skills!
2. Board/Card Games
How about a good, old-fashioned game of Clue (Clue Jr.), Connect Four, or Brain Quest? Or Go Fish, Skip-Bo, Uno? Games are fun, and many of them teach strategy skills.
3. Play-Doh
I love Play-Doh, and so did my children!! It’s inexpensive, and there are endless creative ways to use it! As long as I kept it stocked, my children would use it. You could also make your own by doing a quick search on Pinterest for some tried-and-true recipes!
4. Go to the Park or For a Walk
If the weather is favorable, you could pack a picnic, a frisbee, a jump rope or other outdoor toys and make a day of it! But even just an hour or two away will be enough for a dose of fresh air and worked muscles.
5. Write a letter
If the weather isn’t so favorable, perhaps your older children could write a letter to a friend or relative out of state. There are so many benefits to this simple act. They will practice their letter writing skills (something that’s a bit of a lost art today with email), while letting a loved one know they are thinking of them. A younger child could draw a picture and dictate a letter that you write out for them. What a wonderful way to show someone they care!
6. Draw/color/paint
I admit, I’m not quick to allow paint. It makes a HUGE mess and can feel too overwhelming most days. But drawing or coloring were often big hits around here. Especially if there are new {quality} colored pencils, markers, or crayons to do it with.
Unfortunately, cheap colored pencils or markers don’t make for pleasant drawing or coloring experiences. It can be frustrating to draw when the pencil lead constantly breaks. Crayola is a good way to go! If you have a budding artist and want to take it up a notch, go with Prismacolor.
7. Clean
You may not need to utilize this idea unless there’s a lot of whining and complaining going on. But I encourage you not to be afraid to have your children help you clean the house regularly. It doesn’t have to be the whole house, all the time. But maybe washing windows one day and cleaning out the bathroom sink another day. These little tasks go a long way–not only in keeping your house clean, but also in training your children how to clean. A trait they will need before they eventually move out. Trust me, you don’t want to wait until they are teenagers for this. By then, it’s nearly too late. Start them young.
8. Read Together
Grab a book and read aloud! These are some of our best times together! We’ve read missionary stories, literature books, historical fiction, sci-fi, and more! It’s a great opportunity for enjoying the unfolding of a story with our own imaginations. You can even allow your children to draw, color, or play with Legos while you read. As long as they are quiet.
9. Read the Bible
I suppose it should go without saying, but it’s always a good time to read the Bible! You can read to your younger children from a great children’s Bible
10. Build a Fort
Kids LOVE to build forts and then play or read inside of them. We have Fort Magic which allows for some pretty amazing creations. But sometimes, they are just as content to use their bunk beds or a couch!
11. Listen to an audiobook
Maybe you have a child who doesn’t love to read. You can borrow books on CD from the library or buy audio books for them to listen to. My children have enjoyed hours of listening to The Chronicles of Narnia, Adventures in Odyssey, The Bridge to Terabithia and more!
12. Have a dance party!
If you have Just Dance, you can utilize that and have a dance-off. If not, that’s okay, too!! Just put on some music and have some fun! This is especially great on a cold or rainy day! It helps to keep those weather blues away.
13. Remember all those toys they have?
I often reminded my children that they had a basement full of toys when they came to me, saying they were bored or had nothing to do. I think having too many toys can actually hinder children’s creative play.
14. Let them be bored.
OK, seriously, this isn’t as bad as it sounds. Boredom is actually good for children. It helps them develop their imagination and creativity.
