The 5 Best Screen Free Activities For Kids
As a parent, you want your kid(s) to be active and creatively engaged in the world around them. But with busy schedules that tire us out and the ready presence of screens everywhere, it can sometimes feel like a struggle to reduce screen time for our kids.
Thankfully, there are some simple ways to start and encourage screen free activities for kids that don't require a ton of brain-power or set up time.
Because I'm a performance storyteller, this small but mighty list is full of storytelling activities- so that means your kid(s) are not only getting more off-screen creativity, but LOTS of literacy and social emotional skills growth as well!
Here's a round up the the 5 best screen free activities for kids t:
1) Listen to The Fairy Tale Art Cart: Draw Along Podcast For Kids
The Fairy Tale Art Cart is a podcast where kids get to become the illustrators of the stories they hear. Each episode is 30ish minutes of screen free listening and drawing creativity, with host Rachael Harrington (that's me!) telling a folktale from around the world that features music-filled drawing breaks.
There's no crazy art supply needs in order to do this screen free activity. You just need to subscribe to the show on either Apple or Spotify podcasts, play an episode, and have on hand some drawing paper and coloring supplies such as colored pencils or markers.
Check out this review from a listener:
"I enjoyed listening with my kids who are 6 and 4. I was surprised how into the draw breaks they got, and loved seeing how they rendered things from their imagination. My daughter in particular keeps asking for more of these to do in the afternoons, when we have quiet time. Can’t wait for the next season!"
2) Create A Loose Parts Drawer
Kids love inventing and engineering random odds and ends together! Encourage this creativity by making a loose parts drawer in your house. Find a dedicated space, shelf, or drawer that you can put interesting objects such as odd shaped cardboard packaging, extra ribbon or string pieces, bottle caps (check and be mindful of choking hazards), cardboard tubes, etc. Make sure there's some paper tape and glue/glue sticks available in the drawer, and then watch as your kids dive in to the supplies and follow their creative instincts to make all kinds of arrangements!
Once your kids are done with their creation, have them write a creative fiction story about their invention!
3) Put On A Puppet Show
This is one of my favorite screen free activities for kids! If you're kids are looking for something creative to do, and you are looking for a way for them to be deeply involved in an imaginative process for a while... have them create a puppet show production! Check out all the steps that go into whipping up a masterpiece!
The puppets
The puppet stage
The script
The sound effects
The rehearsal
Creating tickets and a playbill
4) Story Charades
One person is the narrator. Another person is the mime. The narrator has 2 minutes to tell a story that has a beginning, middle, and end. The mime has to silently act out the story that the narrator is telling. The narrator can start the story with a certain set of prompts such as characters or settings, or can have no prompts other than the timer. Once that story is told, a new narrator and mime start a new story. Giggles are sure to ensue!
5) Tell An Original Bedtime Story With Your Kids
Those moments right before bed can be a very rich time of connecting with your kids. And often, it's a story they ask for. If you want to tell a story, but feel too tired to think up a "Once Upon A Time..." I created a Snuggly Bedtime Stories Calendar that is undated, has 365 story prompts, and a place to jot and doodle the stories you tell with your kdis using the story prompts.
I hope these screen free activities for kids will launch you and your kids into many happy hours of making, inventing, and imagining- both in independent play and together!
Subscribe to my Imagine More Newsletter to get weekly storytelling ideas, inspirations, and to get access to my secret podcast called The End. : Story Starters So You Can Be The Hero Of Storytime. Head to my home page to sign up!
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