The repetitive, high-pitched video game music in the next room had me humming along—against my will! How long had they been playing that game? I stood, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door to the living room, where I found my kids with controllers in hand, eyes a bit glazed. “Time to go outside for an hour,” I said. Did they readily agree? No! But then I made it a challenge with the promise of a popsicle afterward. This strategy helped, and my kids reluctantly got off the couch.
Let’s get our kids back in the habit of screen-free fun. When kids give up tech, they use their brains in other ways. And once they get going, they might not want to quit. Here are 40 screen-free activities to challenge your kids for an hour today.
1-Hour Screen-Free Activities Kids Can Do on Their Own
Outside
1. Ride a scooter or do some roller blading in the driveway. (Make a ramp for more fun!)
2. Practice cartwheels, somersaults, and other gymnastics moves in the grass.
3. Read on a blanket, in a hammock, or on a play structure.
4. Create a “restaurant” out of natural materials, and use stuffed animals as your customers.
5. Be a nature photographer. Look for butterflies, birds, and flowers to create a reel of images to show your parents.
6. Build with blocks or construction toys outdoors.
7. Print out one of our free scavenger hunts like the Nature Scavenger Hunt or Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt.
8. Create chalk art on the driveway or sidewalk to brighten someone’s day.
9. Hunt for bugs and put them in a shoebox home.
10. Create texture rubbings. Use natural objects and place them under a sheet of paper. Use the side of a crayon to color the paper and watch the image appear! (Leaves might be the most fun!)
Inside
11. Cuddle up on the couch or in a play tent with a book or magazine.
12. Use art supplies to create cards for upcoming birthdays or holidays.
13. Fix something you haven’t gotten around to fixing.
14. Clean, reorganize, or redecorate your room.
15. Create a bird feeder from peanut butter, a toilet paper roll, and string.
16. Write a short story, or a set of poems. (A haiku is a great start and a good challenge for kids too!)
17. Write and illustrate a comic book. (There are lots of free printables online.)
18. Create a mini-golf course in the living room using pillows, books, and cups.
19. Cut up magazines to create a collage of words and images that represent who you are.
20. Dig into a bin of LEGOS, K’NEX, Lincoln Logs, or other building toys, and create something new.
1-Hour Screen-Free Activities Kids Can Do with Others
Outside
21. Set up a lemonade stand. Create a sign to advertise. Greet everyone you see!
22. Play old-school games like tag and hide-and-go-seek.
23. Play chalk games like tic-tac-toe and hangman on the driveway or sidewalk.
24. Shoot hoops or play wiffle ball
25. Swing and climb on a play structure or use the sand box or sprinkler.
26. Create an outdoor obstacle course. Use patio furniture, games from the garage, or items found in nature, like rocks and sticks.
27. Fill water balloons to play catch or have a water balloon fight.
28. Build paper airplanes and see whose plane flies farthest.
29. Use your imaginations and become explorers, bug wranglers, detectives, or cowboys.
30. Set up a tent in the back yard and pretend you’re camping somewhere wild.
Inside
31. Create an indoor obstacle course. Use pillows, chairs, shoes, stuffed animals, brooms, empty cardboard boxes, and more to create a fun indoor challenge.
32. Build a fort from couch cushions and blankets. Tell ghost stories inside.
33. Prepare an art show. Use paint or crayons to make pictures, then hang them up on a string or with tape for your parents to see. Bonus: Make tickets for the art show too.
34. Take turns telling a story with each person adding a few sentences. Try different genres like mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction.
35. Go on a treasure hunt. One person hides small toys around the house and then creates a treasure map for the other person to find them.
36. Create a dance routine. Work together to come up with a routine, and set it to music. Then perform for your parents.
37. Find some board games that haven’t been used for a while and play.
38. Unroll a long sheet of paper and take turns tracing each other’s bodies. Then personalize each outline by drawing your clothes, hair, and faces.
39. Follow a simple recipe for cookies or muffins. Take turns measuring ingredients.
40. Brainstorm and create a marketable craft like bracelets or bookmarks. Plan where your “company” can sell them.
Moms, we know how hard it can be to resist screens! Check out Episode 130 of the iMOM podcast: I Don’t Want to Put My Child in Front of A Screen, But…
What other screen-free activities can you suggest to readers?
