120 Screen Free Activities
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In 2025, screens are everywhere. It feels like society is urging us to just hand our kids a device so they’ll sit still and leave us alone.
But that’s not how it should be — especially not for Christian moms raising kids with intention.
Our children aren’t just craving attention — they’re looking for purpose, belonging, and real connection.
Screen time might keep them quiet for a while, but it won’t nourish their hearts.
Instead of handing them a screen, why not try a simple, screen-free activity that builds faith and strengthens your bond?
Whether it’s a quick craft, a nature walk with the family, or baking — these small moments create lifelong memories rooted in love.
Here are 120 screen-free activities that are ideal.
Games & Challenges
1:Board Games
Play classic games like candy land, monopoly, trouble and more. Your young kids will love it. It is great for young kids and helps them learn counting and taking turns.
2: Card Games
Go Fish, War, Crazy Eights, Uno, Old Maid, there are tons of options. (Linked here are the bundle of games we use. You get 6 games! )
A huge win for card games, is they are portable. Take some cards where ever you are going. Take the fun with you.
3: Scavenger Hunt
Go on a themed scavenger hunt. This is a good one for indoors or outdoors.
4. Memory Game
Use a deck cards, a specific memory game, or even DIY picture tiles to sharpen recall skills and pass the time.
5. Charades
Act out animals, actions, movie characters, movies and more.
6. Simon Says
This game helps practice listening and quick thinking with this active and fun game.
7. Treasure Hunt
Hide something and have a treasure hunt. You can simple map and create clues.
8. Obstacle Course
Set up a challenging activity, you can use pillows, hula hoops, toys, or even furniture to create a fun and active game.
9. Dice Games
Play games with dice for practice of math, or make up a game based on numbers and addition.
10. Hot Potato
Pass an object around quickly with music on- when the music stops who has the “potato” is out.
Quiet and Stimulating Games
11. Puzzles
Puzzles are a great way to keep your kids entertained and engaged.
12. Sudoku or Logic Games
These will make you think and pass the time well. This will keep you sharp and exercise your mind.
13. Maze Books
Get some at the dollar store, or create handmade mazes.
14. Crossword puzzles
This is a great activity to work on vocabulary and spelling with simple or challenging crosswords
15. I Spy
Play in the living, outside, or in the car to pass time without a screen.
16. Mad Libs
Make good memories and a lot of laughs with mad libs, get a mad lib book or have a lot of fun making your own.
17. Matching Games
Make a homemade set of matching cards, and practice matching with the kids. Or use the cards to creat patterns.
18. Friendship Bracelets
With plenty of different patterns and colors to explore with. You can either just buy some string at Walmart and look up a pattern or get a kit offline.
19. Brain Teasers
Ask riddles or “what if” questions to spark some critical thought and curiosity.
20. Make up a new word
Have fun trying to make up a new word, or if you’re feeling ambitious a whole new language.
Active Play
21. Jump Rope
Skip to rhymes and songs or practice tricks. Great activity to gain endurance and stay healthy.
22. Hopscotch
Draw the classic grid, or make up your own. Helps practice balance and counting.
23. Play Tag
Choose from freeze tag, regular tag, hide and seek tag, flashlight tag, or more.
24. Red Light,Green Light
Practice having to listen, taking turns, and sprinting with this stop-and-go game.
25. Hide and Seek
Find clever hiding spots inside or outside to play. A good plus is that this is a quiet game.
26. Kickball
Organize a backyard game, with bases and teams.
27. Frisbee
Practice aim and coordination with this game.
28. Hula Hooping
Spin hoops on your waist, arms, or neck for a full body challenge.
29: Water Balloon Toss
Toss some water balloons back and forth. Try not to pop them!
These reusable water ballons were a game changer! WAY less clean up then the water balloon fights of my childhood. Linked here so you guys can enjoy them too.
30: Relay Races
Make up your own relay race with silly challenges. For example spoon and egg race, or bear crawling.
Crafts & Hands - On Creations
31: Tie-Dye
Have fun picking out some clothes to add fun colors and swirls to.
32: Build a Fairy Garden
Building a space in your yard for fairies to come and visit. Another fabulous way to involve their imagination to a screen free activity.
33: Kinetic Sand Play
Mold, squish, and shape the sand for a fun hands on activity.
34: Paper Towel Roll Binoculars:
Decorate 2 empty paper towel rolls, tape them together, add some yard to make the strap and bam binoculars! Perfect for backyard safaris.
35:Nature Collage:
Gather leaves, flowers, and sticks to glue into a beautiful piece of art.
36:Sewing Buttons or Felt:
Introduce basic hand stitching, this is a great fine motor skill and you can try different stitches.
37: Recycled Crafts:
Use boxes, toilet paper rolls, old Tupperware to build creative inventions.
38: Mosaic Art with Scrap Paper:
Tear, rip, and cut colorful paper into small pieces and glue them in patterns to form vibrant patterns and pictures.
39: Popsicles Stick Creations:
Build mini houses, picture frames, or become an architect with some craft sticks, glue, an imagination.
40: DIY Bird Feeders:
Use some pine ones, peanut butter and some birdseed to craft bird feeders. Hang them up outside to watch the birds enjoy the treat.
Imaginative and Pretend Play
41: Build a fort
Use blankets, chairs, and pillows to make a cozy hideaway. Lay in your fort and enjoy the fun new space.
42: Play House
Pretend to cook, clean, care for baby dolls, in a fun and timeless game.
43: Fashion show
Strut your stuff in fun new combinations of your clothes.
44: Play Restaurant
Take orders and serve orders to your family or stuffed animals.
45: Vet Clinic
Care for your stuffed animals and tend to their issues. Write up your check-up notes and make a big difference in the toy box.
46: Pirate Adventure
Make a treasure maps and hunt for treasure through the house and yard.
47: Space Mission
Launch off to a faraway planet and pretend to explore the unknown.
48: Superhero Headquarters
Invent your powers and act out a rescue mission for those in danger.
49: Kings and Queens:
Build a castles and rule the house as royalty.
50: Cops and Robbers:
Race through your home and yard with sneaky getaway, and heroic captures. Make this game an adventure.
Art & Creative Expression
51: Coloring Pages:
Use crayons, markers, or colored pencils on fun imaginative coloring pages.
52: Watercolors:
Blend bright paints to make dreamy pictures and fun patterns.
Having a watercolor set for the kids on hand is a need! It provides hours of fun, grab the one we use here!
53:Draw with Chalk
Create masterpieces on sidewalks or driveways!
54: Make a Mural:
Get a posterboard, or a large piece of paper, and make a beautiful mural.,
55: Stamps and Ink
Decorate paper or cards with store bought or homemade stamps.
56:Clay:
Mold figures and objects, let them dry and play or paint them.
57:Fingerpaint:
Make patterns, animals, flowers with just your fingers and paint.
58: Color-by-Number:
Match the colors to the numbers for a good time.
59: Make a Comic Book:
Draw a scene, add speech bubbles and action scenes. This book here gives your kids the layouts to make their own comic book.
60: Cut and Paste Collage
Clip and paste magazine pictures and glue them in a picture or vision board.
Reading & Storytelling
61: Read a book:
Curl up with some good books and read. I have a post about the best kid’s book, I will link it here.
62: Make your own book
Staple blank pages together, and enter into the world of a your own making.
63: Go to a Library:
Take a trip to your local library and pick new books to explore.
64: Read out Pig out:
We use this as a reward for something like keeping their rooms clean for a week. Then you go to the library and get as many books as you want, go to the store and get candy. Go home and read, while pigging out. (Kids LOVE it)
65: Read in a blanket fort/nest:
Combine reading with making a cozy hideout.
66: Tell a story around a fire:
Build a fire in a fire pit, or while camping and tell a story.
67: Picnic with books:
Read or write short stories outdoors with snacks and sunshine.
68: Create a reading nook:
Set up pillows and fairy lights for a sweet reading spot.
69: Alphabet Scavenger Hunt:
Find an item for each letter of the alphabet.
70: Read aloud with silly voices:
Use silly accents and voices for each new characters.
STEM & Sensory Exploration
71: Sensory Bins:
We got this sensory bin kit, the kids loved it. Now we just use the toys and bin over and over! Linked here so you can try it out too.
Or if you want to make one just fill a container with rice, beans, water beads, or anything you want, and let them explore.
72: Grow Micro-greens
Watching tiny seeds sprout into edible greens sparks curiosity and teaches patience in a fun, engaging way.
73: Build legos/duplos/blocks:
Create cars, castles, robots and more. The options are endless. Linked here are the best Melissa and Doug blocks!
74: Marble Run:
Use blocks, tubes, or cardboard to build a marble track.
75: Shadow Tracing:
Use the sun and toys to draw shadows on paper or sidewalk.
76: Ice Excavation:
Freeze some toys in an ice cube tray or Tupperware. The next day, let the kiddos paint the cubes with water, or chip away at the ice.
77: Balance Challenge:
Stack blocks, coins, cups, toys, rocks, or whatever you get your hands on .
78: Sink or Swim:
Fill up a basin, or bin. Put your toys, or objects around the house to see what sinks or swims.
79: Explore with Magnets:
Give them a magnet (large enough so it is not a choking hazard), then go around the home and experiment with what is magnetic or not.,
80: Make Playdoh:
Make your own playdoh to play with!
Chores As Play:
81: Wash Toys in Bin:
Give toys a bubble bath with sponges.
82:Fold Laundry Together:
Match socks, sort types of clothes, learn to fold and put away.
83: Clean windows with spray bottles:
Let them “help” clean the windows with a safe spray.
84: Water the garden/yard:
Use a hose, or watering can with supervision.
85: Sweep the Porch:
Let the little hands use a broom and dustpan.
86: Organize books by color:
Make a rainbow shelf for all your books.
87: Feed the pets:
Practice responsibility with food and water routines. Teach them about being responsible for something else.
88: Set the Table:
Play restaurant while cleaning into a dance party.
89: Wipe the baseboards:
Get a wipe and have fun seeing the difference the little things can make.
90: Wipe the doorways down:
A good time to wipe down high traffic touch zones and teach about cleaning/germs.
Nature & Outdoor Fun
91:Go on a Nature Walk
Collect sticks, rocks, and leaves to observe.
92: Cloud Watching:
Lay on your back and find shapes in the sky.
93:Catch Bugs (and Release):
Catch bugs and put them in a jar for a bit to observe.
94:Bird Watching:
Use binoculars and track the birds you spot.
95: Build a Stick Fort:
Use sticks and branches to for a mini projects.
96: Make Mud Pies:
Stir dirt, water and leaves into make potions, smoothies, or more.
97: Plant a Butterfly Garden.
Choose flowers that attract pollinators.
98: Blow Bubbles:
Use wands or make DIY bubble blowers.
99:Collect Leaves
Find different shapes, and colors to present on your wall.
100: Watch a Sunset:
Bring snacks and learn to be observant of the Lord created.
Connection and Kindness
101: Make a Card for Someone:
Send love to a friend, neighbor, or grandparent.
102: Thank you notes:
Practice gratitude by writing or drawing thank-yous.
103: Family Game Night:
Play a favorite board game with some fun snacks
104: Interview a Family Member:
Ask family questions and learn about their childhood.
105: Make a Time Capsule:
Fill a box with memories to open next year.
106: Chore Coupons:
Make handmade coupons to surprise parents or siblings,
107: Make a Joy Jar:
Write down good things that happen. Make one a day.
108: Random Act of Kindness:
Pick a small surprise to brighten someone’s day.
109: Teach Younger Siblings a game or task:
Practice leadership and patience. Encourage sibling bonding.
110: Family Dance Party:
Put on your favorite music and have a jam session,
Seasonal or Holiday Fun
111:Decorate Pumpkins (paint,carve,or add stickers)
Celebrate fall with carving, painting, or adding stickers to a pumpkin.
112: Make a Christmas Ornament:
Create a keepsake from salt dough or beads. Enjoy it for years to come.
113: Paper Snowflakes:
Fold and cut shapes into paper for winter window decorations.
114:Valentine’s Day Crafts:
Cut hearts and write nice notes to those you care about.
115: Spring Flower Crowns:
Weave fresh flowers into a crown or a necklace. (Clover is super easy to find at parks and easy to make into flower jewerly)
116: Firework Salt Painting:
Use glue to draw a firework shape on paper, sprinkle with salt and then add drops of watercolor paint! It spreads like a firework.
117: Summer Bucket List Poster:
Write down all the goals and fun things you want to do this summer!
118:Leaf Rubbings:
Place leaves under paper and color over to reveal the texture, veins, and fun.
119: Mini Easter Egg Hunt Inside:
Hide eggs around the house for Easter fun. Let the kids hide the eggs for their siblings.
120: Firefly Catching:
(If there are fireflies in your area) Use jars to put your fireflies in and watch them flicker and light up. Make sure to let them go at the end of the night.
Sweet little girl reading a book
No matter your child’s age or what they are interested in, screen-free activities listed here will help nuture creativity, connection, and give an outlet to their curiosity. These hands-on moments will allow you to explore, make memories, and unplug. Slow down and enjoy the joy of simply playing.