5 Screen Free Kids Activities
Being a parent in the modern age is not for the faint of heart. On one hand, you wonder how you could have survived always raising kids without cartoons in the palm of your hand, only clicks away. Throwing a show on the tablet is the quickest most efficient fix so you can have 7 seconds to get something done or just take a breath (thank you, Ms. Rachel)! But on the other hand, you can’t help but wonder how much screen time is too much? Keeping kiddos entertained has been a struggle since the dawn of time but fear not! We’ve put together five interactive screen-free activities you can try with your kids that you might even enjoy too!
1. mini piñata
Let’s get this party started with a piñata! Your kids will love making these fun and colorful little piñatas, you’ll love that almost all the supplies needed are household items! No trips to the craft store necessary! Let them show their creativity by picking their colors and adding extra decoration; glitter, stickers, whatever their imagination comes up with! After all it’s not a fiesta, without a piñata! Check out this DIY Piñata Craft
2. diy photo booth
Photo booths are fun for all ages! Make a DIY photo booth with a Mexican food theme and let their ideas run wild! All you need is a large piece of cardboard (preferably white, but any old box will do) with markers or paint and an Exacto knife. After your child carefully create their Mexican food photo booth masterpiece, cut out a hole with the Exacto knife where they can pose for their pictures with their piece of art. Then you can let the silly faces and giggles begin! Here’s a little inspiration to get you started.
3. at home taco stand
Scrap the lemonade stand and try out a taco stand! Kids have such strong imaginations and so much curiosity. Role play or dramatic play is a great way to let them put those ideas and imaginations to great use in a fun way! Kids can experience being their own taco stand owner by naming their taco stand, creating their menu, taking orders, preparing their dishes and serving (you) their lovely customer. Click here to get the complete guide to creating your own at home taco stand.
4. rainbow sensory play
Fun on a budget? We’ve got just the thing! Try out a colored pasta discovery bin for colorful (an edible) sensory play. Dye spaghetti noodles by preparing them as usual. Once cooled down, put your cooked pasta in a Ziploc bag and add a few drops of food coloring until you achieve your desired color. Once you have all of your different colors, put all the noodles in a plastic container and your noodles are ready for play! Add some of their plastic toys to create their own play world or get it in some cutting practice with kid-safe scissors. The slimy, sticky feeling of the noodles will have your kids fascinated and busy playing! Here’s a closer look at Rainbow Spaghetti Sensory Play.
5. chalk
An oldie, but goodie. As the weather starts to warm up, chalk is sure to become your best friend. As simple as it is, chalk can create hours of fun. Whether your kids choose to draw a driveway mural or battle it out in a tic tac toe tournament; they’re sure to be occupied until you call them inside for dinner! The best part about chalk is the stress free cleanup process. Dust your kids off before they come in and throw their clothes in the washer when you have time. The rain will take care of the outside cleanup for you!
Kids desire constant entertainment, which is a tall order for any single human. But with these fun and simple activities, the screens don’t have to be the only source of fun! We all love our screen time, but sometimes it’s nice to have a little time away from them. You can show your little ones that fun isn’t in one place, it’s wherever you make it!