102 screen-free activities for kids
The ultimate list of easy ideas for kids and their (tired) parents
Welcome back to Techno Sapiens! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychology professor and mom of three young kids, whom I love very much, but whose presence in our home this winter also inspired me to create this list.
15 min read
Last year, I published a list of screen-free activities for kids. Creating that list involved extensive research: Googling and ChatGPT-ing, scouring Reddit threads, asking friends, testing out various art projects and games in my own house, etc. At the time, I thought to myself, Isn’t this a bit excessive? What kind of person puts this much effort into a simple list of children’s activities?
Well, over the past year, I have confirmed that this kind of person is me. My research has continued. I’ve taken the original list and expanded, revisited, and revised it. I’ve tested out new activities, polled all of you (thank you!),1 and spent far too many hours in the trenches of crafting blogs and playroom cabinets.
And now, I’m pleased to share the culmination of my research in this dissertation post. There is a lot here, so I recommend saving it to revisit as needed.
Please step into my office!
A few reminders
Screens are okay! Remember, there is nothing inherently wrong with screens. In fact, in my opinion, those dark, cold, winter hours can be a great time to use them. However, if you’re looking to cut back on TV or phone time, get out of a screen time rut, or simply find other activities to fill the time, this list is for you.
This list skews toward younger kids (under 6), but many activities would work for older kids, too.
In order to make the list, activities needed to be relatively simple. This includes a zero-tolerance policy on: (1) glitter and (2) other small items you’d dislike finding between your toes.
This list is not meant to suggest that you need to be constantly entertaining your children. It’s okay for them to be bored. It’s also great for them to play independently! Some ideas on this list are designed to facilitate that.2
Ultimate list of screen-free activities
Outdoor activities
Get the kids ready to go outside. This counts as an activity in itself. If cold, layer on warm clothes. Hand and foot warmers help, too. If dark, consider kid flashlights, color-changing kid headlamps, and/or reflective vests. If rainy, I’d recommend one-piece rain suits. Are they necessary? Probably not. But my God, they are adorable.
Go for a walk.3 Some ideas to spice it up:
A neighborhood scavenger hunt. Create a list of things for kids to find in the neighborhood, and let them check them off (with a pen, stamp, or sticker) as they go. The combination of ChatGPT and a home printer has really revolutionized this for me.
A bird-watching walk. We (I) love the Merlin Bird ID app, and we are not ashamed to admit it.
A “counting” walk. Grab one of these click counters and let the kids count every tree, squirrel, stop sign, etc.4
Bike, scooter, roller blades—whatever gets your kids moving. If you want to get moving while the kid(s) sit, consider a bike with a trailer or kid seat, or a jogging stroller.
Aim for a destination. Sometimes kids (and adults) like to have a goal in mind. Maybe a friend’s house for a surprise hello, a nearby park or coffee shop, or just the stop sign at the end of the road.
Play “I spy” as you go. This one rarely fails me.
Find space. Head to a local park, playground, open field, beach, empty parking lot, or other available space.
Repurpose the garage. If you have a garage, clear it out and turn it into an “open gym” with toys, hula hoops, bikes, etc.
Use the patio. If you have a patio or deck, make sure it is secure and put some toys out there.
Watch the ISS. Sign up for alerts to find out when the International Space Station is passing by, and go outside to see it!
National parks. If you live near one, check out the Junior Ranger program for kids. Local nature centers and state parks are great options, too.
Activities that double as chores
The key is letting go of any expectation that these activities will be useful to you. For kitchen activities, it can help to have a standing tower or stool of some kind (we have this one).
Cook together. Have your child “help” make a meal. Grab a cutting board and toddler knife, and give them something soft to chop. Anything that involves sorting or picking leaves off a stem (e.g., kale, basil) is great, too. We also have this fun little doohicky for cutting grapes and cherry tomatoes.
Vacuum the floor. If your children are anything like mine, they will vacuum until their arms fall off and/or they break the vacuum by ramming it into the couch. Dustbusters are a nice middle ground.
Clean the car. If it’s cold, stick with vacuuming the inside. If warm, there’s truly nothing better than a hose and bucket car wash.
Dishes. Have them “wash dishes.” Stay away from glass.
Pack lunch. Pack their school lunches together.
Laundry. Let them pair up socks, switch clothes from the washer to the dryer, or help put clothes in drawers.
Clean up toys. A quick tip to make this go more smoothly: after telling them to clean up, spend a couple minutes enthusiastically describing their cleaning behaviors (“You’re putting Georgette5 into the basket!” “You’re collecting your crayons!”) In the parenting research world, this is called “attending” and it does tend to work, though you will feel silly.
Tidy up scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunt around the house to pick up laundry to put it in the basket, or trash to put in a bag.
Wipe down surfaces. Give your child a spray bottle (maybe best to fill it with water and point away from the eyes) and a towel. Go to town on kitchen counters, sinks, etc.
At-home activities (higher energy)
When you want to stay inside, but you also need your children to burn off some energy.
Build a fort. Create a fort or play area with couch cushions, blankets, pillows, etc. If you have an extra crib mattress or exercise mat, get these involved, too. Recently, the team at Nugget kindly sent us a Nugget couch and, let me tell you, it has really upgraded our fort building (see above).
Play hide and seek. A classic! Walkie talkies can be fun here, too.
Climbing equipment. If you have the space (and money), the Internet is full of cryptically-named wooden structures like the “Pikler Triangle” and “Swedish Ladder.” A number of sapiens recommended various indoor play gyms, and now I’m tempted! Here’s a list of some good options.
Other play equipment. The Internet is also full of less cryptically-named plastic structures like mini slides (we have this one) and ball pits.
A stair slide! Exactly what it sounds like: a slide that goes over the stairs (like this one). Apparently, these go fast, so you’ll want some cushioning at the bottom. And supervision.
A mini trampoline. Tell them you’ll count how many times they can jump and then let them loose.
Bubble-wrap. Also a good surface for jumping.
A pop-up tent. Endless entertainment and pretend play options. Same with a cardboard playhouse like this one.
Have a dance party! Older kids might also like learning and/or teaching younger siblings dance routines. Or play Freeze Dance!
Create an obstacle course. Lots of at-home items will work for this: pillows or towels to jump over, tape on the floor as a “balance beam,” etc.
Hopscotch. Another great use of painters tape on the floor.
Dress up. Save those Halloween costumes! I came downstairs this morning to find Chase (from Paw Patrol) eating a bagel.
Basketball. Anything soft or round, combined with any vessel (laundry basket, trash bin, a corner of the room), works wonders.
Scavenger hunts. Go searching for items of a certain type in the house (e.g., anything red, things that start with the letter “c”). I’ve rebranded this as the “Treasure Hunt Game”: I sit on the couch, tell my kids to go hunt for a certain item and bring it back to me, and repeat.
PlasmaCars. My kids love these things for both indoor and outdoor use. Note: this was also the most-clicked item of last year’s list! Please weigh in if you’re now the proud owner of one.
Baths (with toys). If your children are anything like mine, this counts as a “higher energy” activity.
More baths. Recommendations from sapiens have convinced me that we’re underutilizing baths at my house! Suggested bath items include: cups, plastic test tubes, eye droppers, measuring cups, and various light-up toys.
Puppet shows. Repurpose those giant Amazon boxes! Cut a big hole in it to create a puppet theater. Socks, paper bags, and stuffed animals all make great puppets.
Balloon volleyball. Or, if your kids are Bluey fans, “keepy uppy.”
Rough-housing. I generally let my husband handle this one. Some of my kids’ favorites: “spins” (kids lie face-up on the ground, you spin them), “throws” (you throw them in the air), wrestling (I recently heard my son request a “single leg takedown”), tickling.
Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube. Yes, this is screen time, but it’s also fun and active! If your kids, like mine, simply sit down and watch instead of following along, a better option might be yoga cards like these.
Stopwatches. Endless uses for these things in our house. Time a quick lap around the house, how long it takes them to get dressed, how many jumping jacks they can do in a minute, etc.
Gymnastics bar. Our most-used Christmas gift this year. Just make sure to put a thick mat or cushion underneath.
Pretend play. Some current favorites: pretend restaurant and coffee shop,6 doctor’s office, and car racing.
Simon Says. Turn this into a high-energy game by assigning yourself “Simon” and telling the kids to do jumping jacks, pushups, fast feet, a lap around the house, etc.
At-home activities (lower energy)
There may be no such thing as a “lower energy” activity with little kids, but here are some more sedentary options.
Free art. Gather some supplies, and let them go wild. A few useful items: Paper, kid scissors, popsicle sticks, felt, pipe cleaners, pompoms, glue sticks, tape, washable paint, markers, crayons, colored pencils, and things to paint that are not paper (e.g., cardboard boxes, tubes, rocks, pinecones, etc.)
Giant coloring. Cover an entire table with a roll of paper or giant coloring sheet and let them get to work.
AI-generated coloring pages. Tell ChatGPT (or another AI program) to create personalized coloring pages depicting whatever you’d like. Print and go!
Easy crafts. A few doable craft ideas:
Paper planes (you can also make a target to throw them at)
Popsicle stick “bookmarks”
Postcards. Decorate them and send to family and friends!
DIY instruments (e.g., empty tissue boxes with rubber bands around them, jar with dried beans in it)
Origami (good for slightly older kids)
Friendship bracelets and beading (also good for older kids)
Thank you cards. Cover with stickers and drawings and deliver them in person. Would also work for “get well soon,”7 “congratulations,” or “thinking of you” cards.
Clay-like things. I cannot believe how much my children love these. Options include: Kinetic sand, Play-Doh, Monkey foam, Floof (I promise you, I am not making up these names), Silly Putty (or its rebranded cousins, slime and “thinking putty”). Throw some Play-Doh molds, cups, popsicle sticks, small trucks, and other accessories in, too.
Screen-free listening. If your kids love stories or music, there are many good options.
Yoto Player. Yoto sent my kids their screen-free listening device, which works by inserting cards, and they love it! My 4-year-old has never met a story card he didn’t like (Paw Patrol, Daniel Tiger, Mickey Mouse, etc.). My 2-year-old loves putting the cards in and out, and occasionally leaves Elmo in there long enough to sing along.
Toniebox. Another great screen-free audio player, which works by placing small characters on top. Slightly less portable than the Yoto, but may be easier to handle for younger kids [though my 2-year-old still spends most of the time happily putting the characters on and taking them off].
Kids podcasts. Some sapien-approved options (via this chat): Brains On podcasts, Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic, Circle Round, Girl Tales, Greeking Out, Forever Ago, The Arthur Podcast, and, more generally, KidsPod, a podcast app for kids (which parents can play from their phones). Here’s also good list of podcasts for kids from Common Sense Media.
Games. Some good options for younger kids: First Orchard, Don’t Break the Ice, Hungry Hungry Hippos (or, as my 4-year-old used to call it, “the one the baby can’t eat”), Kid charades, Card games like Go Fish, chess or checkers.
Building toys. Magna-Tiles, DUPLO (for younger kids) or LEGO (for older kids), gear toys (like these). My kids are also loving these magnetic building cubes.
Bubbles! We like these no-spill containers. If you want to go all out, consider a bubble machine. (Note: depending on how many bubbles you’re working with, you may want to bring this outside).
Baking. For young kids, I use this term generously. Aim for minimal ingredients and very little need for precision. I love any recipe that involves dipping and freezing (e.g., pretzels in chocolate, bananas in yogurt) or decorating. Sprinkles and candy eyeballs are always a hit.8
Stickers. Go for reusable sticker books to avoid sticker residue all over your tables and floors.
Rubber stamps. Also a residue risk here—make sure you get washable ink. I like this kit.
Puzzles. Flex the number and size of pieces depending on your child’s age and interest. A sapien also recommended Magic Puzzles, which looks incredible.
Playpen. Good for containing babies at the crawling/pre-walking stage while you get other stuff done and/or keep your other children away. We have this one.
Read. Currently trending in our house: Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie series, Dragons Love Tacos, Knight Owl, and, unfortunately, a 335-page book detailing various dog breeds.9 If you’re feeling brave and looking to start teaching your child to read, some options:
Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons walks you through it, though may be a bit boring
Bob Books are also a classic option
Other phonics-based teaching books, like the Step Into Reading sets. My kids love this Paw Patrol one.
If you’re looking for something more play-based, Lovevery recently sent us their Reading Skill Set, and it is packed with fun (and, of course, highly aesthetically pleasing) games that walk kids through early reading skills.
Shadow puppets. Grab a flashlight and get to it. For advanced hand shadow puppet technique, you’ll be unsurprised to learn that a YouTube rabbit hole awaits.
Indoor picnic. Grab your lunch, spread out a blanket, and eat on the floor. Invite stuffed animals to join.
Potion making. Vinegar and baking soda, or soap and water, depending on how ambitious you’re feeling.
Bird feeder viewing. Put a bird feeder near a window so kids can watch!
Cardboard building. My boys love ripping up cardboard boxes (who doesn’t?), so we got them these Makedo cardboard tools for Christmas.
Scissor skill practice. For kids learning to use scissors, these craft kits are an easy and fun option.
Places to go (paid)
These will depend greatly on what’s available near you. If these are not accessible to you, due to location, budget, or otherwise, no fear! There are plenty of other, free options, too (see below).
Indoor rock climbing. This was a recent surprise hit with my 4-year-old! My 2-year-old preferred to sit on the sidelines and eat a graham cracker.
Zoos and aquariums. Many offer special events and activities for kids.10
Ice skating rinks. My only concern with this one is that my children will learn that ice hockey exists and ask to sign up for it one day.
Gymnastics. Check local gymnastics and other “kid gyms” for classes or open gym time.
Swimming. YMCAs and other local recreation centers may offer lessons or open swim.
Museums. We, unsurprisingly, love a good science museum.
Arts and crafts studios, including pottery painting and other crafting.
Bowling. Remember bowling? I also recently learned that the Bass Pro Shop near me has an ocean-themed bowling alley. Intriguing!11
Trampoline parks. Note: the American Academy of Pediatrics says these are dangerous, so proceed with caution.
Indoor play places, i.e., those places with indoor play equipment and, usually, plastic balls covering the ground. My kids get sick every time we go, but sometimes I think it’s worth it? [2026 Update: It is not worth it.]
Ropes courses and ziplines. There are both indoor and outdoor versions of these, and a surprising number of them out there. Better for older kids.
Escape rooms. Also a surprising number of these out there!12
Indoor adventure centers. I’m not exactly sure what to call these, but many areas have spots like this, which include bumper cars, laser tag, arcades, ninja warrior equipment, etc. Overstimulation also included free of charge.
Train rides. If you live in a place where a train ride is a novelty, ride to a town a few stops over, grab a snack, and then turn around and come back.
Places to go (free)
One of my favorite activities is to throw the kids in the car and take them on an “adventure” (i.e., to walk around somewhere I want to go). This is slightly more challenging with a new baby in tow, but it can be done (desperate times!)
Libraries and book stores. Combine with a cozy reading session when you get home.
Pet stores or animal shelters. Just prepare them beforehand that they will not be bringing anything home, no matter how cuddly.
Hardware stores. This is your periodic reminder that Home Depot offers free kids’ workshops on the first Saturday of each month.
Grocery stores. Put them in charge of picking out a few items on the list. Stay away from eggs. My kids love Stop & Shop (i.e., “the robot grocery store”) because of Marty the robot.
Vintage stores. See also: thrift stores and other odds-and-ends stores.
Outdoor stores, like REI and Bass Pro Shops.
Malls (where they still exist).
Craft stores, like Michaels and JOANN.
Toy stores. Depending on your child and the day, these can either be great or an absolute disaster. Make sure to set ground rules beforehand.
And there we have it! Like any good research project, this one will benefit from peer review, so please: share your feedback, suggestions, and ideas in the comments.
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Thank you to everyone who shared their favorite screen-free activities in our Substack chat and via comments on last year’s post! Techno sapiens really are the best sapiens.
A fun new development for Techno Sapiens is that, over the past year, I’ve gotten a few things sent my way for free. I’m only including here items my kids (and I) actually like, and have explicitly noted if it was gifted to me. I am not getting paid to mention anything on this list, and none of the links are affiliates. In some cases, I own the items I linked to (I tried to also mention that explicitly). In other cases, I linked to something because I felt it needed more context (e.g., “monkey foam,” “Swedish ladder”), but I have not tested it directly, so please do not blame me if your kids dislike it. As always, you’re on your own with the monkey foam! (Has anyone actually used this? It looks fun!)
My boys also like to spice up our walks by stopping every dog owner and repeatedly shouting “WHAT KIND OF DOG IS THAT?”
Thank you to Caroline Chambers for the click counter idea!
What’s that? You don’t have a stuffed animal poodle that your children named Georgette?
My two-year-old loves a pretend coffee shop and fully commits to the bit. I recently asked if I could have milk in my (pretend) coffee and he told me they had run out, but offered me a matcha? Am I bringing my children to too many coffee shops? (Don’t answer that).
My husband was working late one evening last week, and inspired (I assume) by some recent “Get Well Soon” cards we’d made, my four-year-old asked to make him a “Come Back Soon” card. We left it on the kitchen counter for him to find when he got home.
I cannot believe the amount of use I’ve gotten out of these candy eyeballs. Having a food stare back at them seems to increase the chances my kids eat it by at least 50%.
We rediscovered our copy of the Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds—for the record, not a children’s book—while unpacking. My four-year-old will never be the same (see footnote #3). He has fully hacked our “thinking of an animal” games by choosing obscure dog breeds about which I know nothing (“Mom! It was a Finnish Spitz! I told you it was in the non-sporting group!”) Send help.
Our local Zoo, for example, offers a monthly “Frogwatch” training, in which “volunteers will make regular visits to wetlands in their neighborhoods and keep a frog log to record the frog and toad calls they hear.” (!!)
According to the Bass Pro Shop website: “Many full lanes of bowling offer a unique underwater ocean experience! Custom bowling balls that bear the likeness of octopus, mermaids, camouflage and more!…You have to see it to believe it!” Indeed.
I have done one escape room in my lifetime. It was my fifth and final year of grad school, and I was living with a very kind woman who I barely knew. She would always generously invite me to join her for various activities, and I, deep in the throes of nonstop dissertation writing lest I never graduate, had to decline. Eventually, I felt guilty and agreed to an outing to an escape room. Because shutting my laptop was such an anomaly for me, this had the unintended effect of making her believe I was really into escape rooms. When she enthusiastically suggested future escape room visits, I did not have the heart to correct her. Friend, if you’re out there, please know: I like escape rooms a normal amount.
So good!!
this is a terrific list