Are you trying to find activities for your kids so they don’t waste their days away watching TV?

Once the TV is on, it can be hard to get your kids to unplug from their favorite shows. A day can quickly go by with nothing being accomplished.

Although an occasional TV day is ok, spending the entire day this way isn’t good for your kids. I’m so worried about keeping my kids safe that I’m constantly reading articles like how to keep kids safe when gaming online. I don’t mind my kids playing online, but I’d prefer they go outside and have fun! So, I’ve come up with a list of screen-free activities for kids of all ages.

Screen-Free Activities for Kids

Screen-Free Activities for Artistic Kids

Instead of watching TV this summer, break out the markers and crayons. Your kids will enjoy drawing pictures of their favorite things. If you have older kids, you can even have them write a short story to go along with their pictures. You can even shake things up by writing down short story or picture ideas on paper and have them draw an idea out of a hat. Here are some other screen-free activities for artistic kids:

• Enjoy these inspirational coloring pages for kids.
• Try a new art medium – pastels, watercolors, clay, stamp pads, etc.
• Little ones can create easy fingerprint flowers.
• Break out the chalk pastels and create some amazing new artwork!
• Color in a coloring book.
• Use homemade puffy paint to create a new picture.
• Make your own comic book.
• Explore scrapbooking.
• Use air-dry clay to make a sculpture.
• Visit an art museum.
• Take an art or pottery class.

Screen-Free Activities for Crafty Kids

If art isn’t their thing, give your kids the opportunity to get crafty this summer. This could be anything that they’re interested in from tie-dying shirts to making rubber band bracelets. Here are some other screen-free activities for crafty kids:

• Kids who like to sew might enjoy this DIY tissue monster craft.
• Make homemade playdough.
• Those who don’t like to sew may enjoy easy no-sew bookmarks instead.
• Make oobleck or slime.
• Star Wars fans will enjoy making R2D2 out of perler beads.
• Make crayon shapes with broken crayons and metal cookie cutters.
• Make tin can stilts.
• Sew some clothes for a doll.
• Make a no-sew fleece blanket.
• Older kids may enjoy making a button bracelet.
• Make fingerprint heart ornaments.
• Make a salt dough hand print bowl.

Screen-Free Activities for Outdoorsy Kids

Turn the TV off and get some fresh air this summer. It’s not good for kids to be cooped up inside all summer long. The good weather won’t last. Take advantage of it while you can. Go on a walk in the woods or take a trip to the park. Even if your children do not think that they enjoy being outdoors, by the end of the day, I guarantee that they will have enjoyed it! One of my Nephew’s didn’t like going outside and would much rather play video games all day. Last Christmas I bought him an Electric Scooter and you couldn’t get him off of it for the 3 months following! You can even go outside at night and stargaze together. Here are some other screen-free activities for outdoorsy kids:

• • Have a friendly water balloon fight!
  • Have a fun photo shoot with sidewalk chalk.
  • Go bird-watching in your backyard.
  • Teach your kids to ride a bike .

Any sport will be great for your children’s health, and it’s super fun! My children go to Atlanta Tennis Lessons and love them! It’s great to see them active!

• Blow bubbles.
• Take your kids on a scavenger hunt.
• Go to a nearby park to play.
• Make bird feeders to hang in the yard.
• Catch fireflies.
• Look for animal tracks.
• Catch fireflies.
• Put up a tent and have a backyard campout.
• Go on a family hike.
• Play hide and seek!
• Explore the great outdoors!
• Run through a sprinkler.
• Go to an amusement park.
• Go swimming.
• Go splash in a creek.
• Climb a tree!

Screen-Free Activities for Imaginative Kids

If it’s a rainy day, use your extra sheets or couch cushions to build a fort. If you build it in the playroom or in an area you don’t use a lot, you can keep it there as a reading area. If the weather is nice, go outside and build the fort in your backyard! Your kids will love getting creative as they design their fort and search for materials to use.Here are some other screen-free activities for imaginative kids:

• Build with LEGO blocks.
• Explore stop motion animation.
• Play dress up.
• Make superhero stick puppets and use them to tell stories.
• Create a fairy garden.
• Make a small world zoo from things you have lying around the house.
• Build an obstacle course and have a race.
• What can you make with a cardboard box?
• Make sculptures with toothpicks and marshmallows.
• Build a DIY cardboard car wash.
• Make sock puppets.
• Have a tea party.
• Create a town with cars and action figures.

Screen-Free Activities for Brainy Kids

Summer time is prime time for kids to explore things that they are interested in. It’s a great time for them to dive into things they’ve always wondered about. Just this week, my nephew and I researched why there are big orange balls on some of the electric wires along the interstate. We also had a great discussion about bears and hibernation. Here are some fun screen-free activities for imaginative kids:

•  Use playdough as a teaching tool.
• Sign up for a summer reading program at your local library.
• Play a rousing game of I Spy.
• Write in a journal.
• Make a catapult out of popsicle sticks for a fun STEM activity.
• Write a letter to a grandparent.
• Have a backyard dinosaur dig.
• Play a board game.
• Plant grass seeds in a pot or cup and watch it grow.
• Play a card game.
• Have some fun sensory play like these ocean-themed activities.
• Make story stones, and then tell a story with them.
• Little ones can learn about bones with playdough and q-tips.
• Put together a puzzle.
• Explore owl pellets.
• Build a volcano.
• Explore insects with an ant farm or butterfly habitat.

Your turn: 

What activities do you have your kids do during the summer? How do you get them to unplug?

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