67 screen-free activities for kids

What to do with kids when it's dark and cold this winter

Welcome to Techno Sapiens! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist and professor at Brown University, co-founder of Tech Without Stress, and mom of two young kids. If you like Techno Sapiens, please consider sharing it with a friend today. Thanks for your support!

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Hi there, sapiens. I know it’s been about seven years since last week’s post, but you may remember I raised questions about the end of Daylight Saving Time and impending winter. Specifically: how to entertain young children. More specifically: how to do that between 4pm and bedtime, when it is dark and cold (at least where I live).

Well, I am happy to report that since that time, I’ve done what any reasonable person would do and approached this question with the rigor and intensity of an NIH-funded research project.

I solicited initial data from all of you (thank you!). I scoured the Internet, including Reddit threads like this one and this one.¹ I did some pilot testing in my own home.² And now, I’m ready to share the results with all of you.

My criteria for this list of activities were as follows:

• Appropriate for younger children. This list skews toward the toddler and preschool age range, but many activities would work with slightly older kids, too.

• Can be orchestrated by an average (tired) person. Many crafts were eliminated due to complexity, the need for advanced planning, or annoying-to-clean-up ingredients.³

• Do not involve screens. Let me be clear: there’s nothing inherently wrong with screens! In fact, those dark, cold, pre-bedtime hours, when we’re also trying to prep dinner, finish work, or just make it through the day, can be great for screen time. I, personally, spend most of my workdays staring at a laptop, so when I’m not working, I’m often looking to do something less screen-heavy with my kids. Hence this list.

Okay, let’s get to it!

Screen-free activities to get you through the winter

There is a lot here, so I recommend saving this post to revisit as needed. I’ve broken down the list into thematic categories because I couldn’t help myself.⁴

Activities to get outside

This was the primary suggestion I came across. No matter the weather, the darkness, the kids’ protests: just get outside. Some supplies to consider:

• Kid flashlights. I got these, and immediately implemented “no flashlights inside the house” and “no shining lights in people’s eyes” rules.

• Kid headlamps. Useful for scootering or biking. I got this one, which lights up in different colors. My kids lost their minds.

• Reflective or light-up gear. Learn from my experience, and avoid Amazon “reflective” vests that are actually just strips of gray fabric. Try these or these.

• Warm clothes. For yourself and your kids, as needed. If in a very cold location, consider hand and foot warmers.

Now, once you’ve got the gear, here are some outdoor activities to consider, obviously depending on the type of neighborhood or setting you live in: 

1. Go for a walk. You can make this more exciting by turning it into a scavenger hunt for things like holiday lights or certain trees or animals.

2. Bike or scooter. With his new flashlights in tow, my three-year-old also likes walking by himself and pushing his brother in the stroller.

3. Go to the park. Head to a local park, playground, open field, beach, empty parking lot, or other available space

4. Repurpose the garage. If you have a garage, clear it out and turn it into an “open gym” with toys, hula hoops, bikes, etc.

5. Use the patio. If you have a patio or deck, make sure it is secure and put some toys out there.⁵

Activities that double as chores

The key is letting go of any expectation that these activities will actually be useful to you. For kitchen activities, it can help to have a standing tower or stool of some kind (we have this one).  

1. Cook dinner. Have your child “help” make dinner. Grab a plastic cutting board and cheap toddler knife, and give them something soft to chop (my kids love “chopping” fruit and cheese, mostly because they love eating giant mouthfuls of fruit and cheese).  

2. Dishes. Have them “wash dishes.” Stay away from glass.

3. Pack lunch. Pack their school lunches together.

4. Clean up. Scavenger hunt around the house to pick up laundry to put it in the basket, or trash to put in a bag.

5. Other chores. Involve them in other chores: vacuuming the car,⁶ wiping down counters, dusting, sweeping. 

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). 

1. Zoos. Some may have evening holiday light shows!

2. 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.

3. Gymnastics. Check local gymnastics and other “kid gyms” for classes or open gym time. 

4. Swimming. YMCAs and other local recreation centers may offer lessons or open swim.

5. Museums and aquariums. We, unsurprisingly, love a good science museum.

6. Arts and crafts studios, including pottery painting and other crafting.

7. Bowling. Remember bowling?

8. Trampoline parks. Note: the American Academy of Pediatrics says these are dangerous—and based on injury rates, they’re probably right—so proceed with caution.

9. 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?

10. Ropes courses and ziplines. There are both indoor and outdoor versions of these, and a surprising number of them out there.⁷ Better for older kids.

11. Escape rooms. Also better for older kids.

Places to go (free)

One of my favorite winter or rainy day 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).

1. Libraries and book stores. Combine with a cozy reading session when you get home.

2. Pet stores. Just prepare them beforehand that they will not be bringing anything home, no matter how cuddly.

3. Hardware stores. This is your periodic reminder that Home Depot offers free kids’ workshops on the first Saturday of each month.

4. Grocery stores. Put them in charge of picking out a few items on the list. Stay away from eggs.

5. Vintage stores. See also: thrift stores and other odds-and-ends stores.

6. Outdoor stores, like REI and Bass Pro Shops.

7. Malls (where they still exist).

8. Craft stores, like Michaels and JOANN.⁸

At-home activities (higher energy)

When you want to stay inside, but you also need your children to burn off some energy.

1. 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. Optional: a kids’ modular couch like The Nugget. 

2. Play hide and seek. A classic! Walkie talkies can be fun here, too.

3. 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.”

4. Other play equipment. The Internet is also full of less cryptically-named plastic structures like mini slides (we have this one) and ball pits.⁹

5. A mini trampoline. Tell them you’ll count how many times they can jump and then let them loose. 

6. Bubble-wrap. Also a good surface for jumping.

7. A pop-up tent. Good for pretend campfires and sleepovers with stuffed animals.

8. Have a dance party! My toddler once saw a video of Irish step dancing and the rest is history. 

9. 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.

10. Dress up. Save those Halloween costumes! Lots of zombie pirates and, at the other end of the spectrum, pretend allergists at my house right now.

11. Basketball. Anything soft or round, combined with any vessel (laundry basket, trash bin, a corner of the room), works wonders.

12. Scavenger hunts. Go searching for items of a certain type in the house (e.g., anything red, things that start with the letter “c”)

13. PlasmaCars. My kids love these things. We do not have a lot of space, so my 3-year-old just does repeated fast laps around the house until he gets dizzy.

14. Baths (with toys). If your children are anything like mine, this counts as a “higher energy” activity.

15. 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.

16. Balloon volleyball. Or, if your kids are Bluey fans, “keepy uppy.”

17. 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.

18. Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube. Yes, this is screen time, but it’s also fun and active!

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.

1. Art supplies. Gather some supplies, and let them go wild. A few useful items: Paper (construction paper and giant rolls or coloring posters), 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.)

2. Easy crafts. A few craft ideas that feel doable:

   1. Paper planes (you can also make a target to throw them at)

   2. Popsicle stick “bookmarks”

   3. Postcards. Decorate them and send to family and friends!

   4. DIY Instruments (e.g., empty tissue boxes with rubber bands around them, jar with dried beans in it)

   5. Origami (good for slightly older kids)

   6. Friendship bracelets and beading (also good for older kids)

   7. Winter themed: pomander balls (i.e., oranges with cloves stuck in them), snow globes (jars filled with water and glitter/sequins)¹⁰

3. 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”)

4. Games. Some good options for younger kids (all kid-approved in my house): First Orchard, Don’t Break the Ice, Hungry Hungry Hippos (or, as my 3-year-old calls it, “the one the baby can’t eat”), Kid charades (with pictures instead of words on cards for those who can’t read yet), Card games like Go Fish

5. Building toys. Magna-Tiles, DUPLO (for younger kids) or LEGO (for older kids), gear toys (my kids love these).

6. Bubbles! “Buh-buh” was one my one-year-old’s first words. 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).

7. 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. 

9. Rubber stamps. Also a residue risk here—make sure you get washable ink. I like this kit.

10. Puzzles. Flex the number and size of pieces depending on your child’s age and interest.

11. Playpen. Good for containing babies at the crawling/pre-walking stage while you get other stuff done, though my three-year-old also likes crawling in and out. We have this one.

12. Listen to music or stories. A Toniebox or Yoto Player gives kids control over what they listen to. Some kids like audiobooks and kids’ podcasts, too. Here’s a good list of podcasts for kids from Common Sense Media. 

13. Read. I’ve been told kids love Techno Sapiens. Alternatively, currently trending in our house: Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie series (for the 3-year-old), anything Sandra Boynton (for the one-year-old).  

There we have it! Like any research project, this one has limitations, so please send along any good winter activities I may have missed. 

And I’ll leave you with a final idea for managing the dark winter days, which topped the list of suggestions I received: put the kids to bed earlier.  

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A quick survey

What did you think of this week’s Techno Sapiens? Your feedback helps me make this better. Thanks!

The Best | Great | Good | Meh | The Worst

1. I did search the academic literature on winter activities for kids because of course I did, but unsurprisingly, there’s not much there.

2. Some of the activities my kids did this week: walked with flashlights, threw moldy pumpkins into the marshland behind our house (a surprise hit!), spun in circles for 20 minutes straight, created a pile of every stuffed animal we own and immediately forgot about it, lots of Play-Doh. Some of the activities I did: panicked search for local toddler gym classes, made this list.

3. We’re not making homemade paper. We’re not putting paint on our kids’ feet. We’re not doing sensory bins filled with rice or sand or shaving cream. If that is your thing, that is wonderful and impressive. It is not mine.

4. To clarify, nothing linked on this list is sponsored or affiliate links. In some cases, I own the items I linked to (I tried to 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. You’re on your own with the monkey foam!!!

5. One unexpected outcome of my Reddit research is that I learned the word “catio.” A patio for cats! (But also, sometimes, kids!) Genius!

6. I have never seen my three-year-old so excited as the time he “helped” me clean out and vacuum the car. A close second is the time I got Instagram influenced to buy this couch cleaner and we took on a couch stain together.

7. In my research I discovered that I live near what claims to be the “world’s largest indoor ropes course.” I’ve driven by it many times, but did not realize since (1) Its actual name is “It,” and (2) it’s located inside a furniture store. Something is not checking out here, but I will definitely still be going.

8. After extensive Googling for this post, my Instagram feed is almost entirely crafts-related ads. And they’re working! I am one scroll away from buying an embroidery kit.

9. A quick note on ball pits: why is every single one I found in a muted gray or beige? Millennials, I get it, but ball pits? I’m sorry to say that if you’re putting a ball pit in your house, it is not going to blend in, no matter the color.

10. For purposes of scientific transparency: I calculated the 67 in the title by adding up all the activities, with each craft counting as its own. If you believe this calculation was an error, please notify me and I’ll issue a formal retraction.