The modern world seems to run on screens. If you look more deeply, though, you’ll find tons of different screen free activities for your child. From quiet and educational pursuits to active and outdoor activities, your youngster can definitely have a fun day without needing screen time.
Although it’s important to ensure they can use the latest technologies, it’s equally vital to limit their time spent with screens. After all, excessive screen time in kids has been linked to poor sleep, reduced attention span, and delayed language development. Fortunately, we’ve got plenty of screen free activities for kids! We’ll list some of the best options below.
1. Arts & Crafts
Is your child into arts & crafts projects? Focusing on creating something new will take their minds off of playing the latest video game! For instance, our Design Your Own Bracelet kit allows kids who are seven and up to put together eight unique pieces of jewelry. Alternatively, they can have a blast with scratch art like our A to Z Space Adventure. Not only can they make the universe come to live, but they’ll also learn from the 26 included space facts.
Other options include our building sets from Oddy. Help them embrace their imagination as they build objects such as a mini sea vehicle, mini penguin, and a mini caterpillar. Or, if you’re ready to take a hands-on approach, they’ll love the meditative benefits of creating yarn birds. This family project promotes independence and creativity!
2. Blocks & Building
Giving your child a LEGO set is like giving them the key to the universe! They can either follow the instructions to build things like Minecraft’s Pumpkin Farm or they can make whatever is in their head with freeform construction. We offer an extensive line of LEGO for different age groups and all interest levels. Just a few examples include:
- Creative Ocean Fun
- Monster Jam El Toro Loco
- Elsa’s Frozen Castle
- Picnic at Mario’s House Expansion Set
- The Mandalorian N-1 Starfighter
Another option is to offer themMagna-Tiles. These sets are put together by using the power of magnets! They come with anywhere from eight pieces to 110 pieces, so your kid can grow with them. Choices include everything from a castle and a house to fire rescue and dino world.
3. Outdoor Toys
Playing outside is a crucial part of your child’s mental and physical development. Even if it’s initially difficult to get them to put their screens down and head outside, they’ll soon be having the time of their life! You can even get them a game that’s playable outside such as The Lawn is Lava. This game takes the typical screen free games and turns them on their head. The entire lawn is lava, and they must remain on one of the included foam tiles at all times!
More traditional outdoors toys like our Beach Football are also a fantastic way to get your youngster to set their screens aside. You can teach them how to play several different sports, including lacrosse, disc golf, and soccer!
4. Puzzles and Games
What happens when you’re looking for screen free activities for 4 year olds, but it’s raining outside? Reach into your closet and grab a puzzle or a kid-friendly game! A good example is Superhero Animal Focus, which takes approximately 15 minutes to play. By making wild sounds and actions, along with making silly comparisons, your kids will build their impulse control, active working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attention skills.
If they prefer to put together a puzzle, you can teach them more about the importance of diversity with our Children of the World 100-piece puzzle. They’ll build a puzzle that shows them kids in 26 countries, including China, Liberia, and Rwanda. Exposing youngsters to different cultures is a good way to build empathy and understanding!
5. STEM & Science Kits
One of the best ways to help your kid get ahead is through frequent inclusion of STEM-related items. One of the first ways to introduce STEM is through reading books like 100 First Science Words. If they’re slightly older, the 96-page book entitled 101 Ways to Help the Earth with Dr. Suess’s Lorax is also a good option.
Is your child going through their dinosaur phase? Grab a sensory bin, fill it with sand, and hide our 10Ancient Fossils from Toob. They’ll be so excited when they uncover items such as dinosaur skin, a T-Rex tooth, and a raptor claw! Or, if they’re really into screen time, why not help them learn how to code? The best part about Botley 2.0 The Coding Robot is that they won’t have to look at any screens to use it!
6. Books
Speaking of reading, why not lean even more heavily on books? After all, reading fiction helps your child develop:
- Socio-emotional skills
- Language and literacy
- Intellectual growth
- Cognitive skills
Our book collection provides ideal screen free activities for toddlers and up! My Mouth is a Volcano, for instance, is made for kids between the ages of four and seven. In it, your youngster will meet Louis, who always interrupts other people. As the book goes on, though, he receives tips to help him control his need to blurt things out immediately.
Other suggested books include the classic story Everyone Poops, which can be followed with Almost Everybody Farts. You can also ensure they learn useful things by reading them board books like:
Embrace Screen Free Activities for Your Child
We understand that sometimes it seems easier to sit your youngster in front of the TV or give them access to your tablet. Using screen free activities for kids will help them develop various skills more quickly, though. Think about the level of confidence your kid displays after reading a book that was once too difficult, for example. That’s something that simply can’t be duplicated by watching TV. Instead, it’s critical to offer them some screen free time on a daily basis, so they can fill their heads with knowledge.
