25 Screen-Free Activities and At Home Projects For Kids

We have gathered the best 25 screen free activities and at home projects for kids. From crafts, games, to learning activities and more, we have the most fun activities that will make kids want to put down the screen! Kids of all ages will love these screen free and at home crafts, activities, projects, and games. Perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, even older kids in elementary school! Check out all our at home projects and activities, you won’t be disappointed.

Screen Free Activities for Kids

Let’s get their minds off of all that stuff and pull them from their magnetic screens.  Here are some of our favorite Screen-Free Activities for Kids that will have kids learning, laughing and get a break from the stress.

Why Are Screen-Free Activities for Kids Important?

It is going to be easy to rely on screens for kids entertainment and schoolwork as time at home is increased.  But kids need time playing “in real life”!  Traditional play encourages interaction, creative thinking, problem solving and so much more.

Oh, and it is fun.

Finding ways to break up your daily schedule with play will pay off in the long-term since we have no idea how long this will continue.

Screen Free Activities for Kids and Families

Some of these activities do require a few supplies. You may have a few of them, and for those you don’t have we can help!

This post contains affiliate links.

1. Rainbow Sensory Play Activity

This food dye pasta discovery bin from Fun at Home with Kids is so easy and colorful! Plus, it’s even safe to taste! What a great idea! This is some frugal fun!

2. Make A Paper Rose Craft

Make a rose out of paper with these 2 crafts. Brighten a loved one’s day with a homemade bouquet of paper plate roses that won’t ever die. You can also make some pretty roses with a tie-dye effect from coffee filters! It is a fun way to practice fine motor skills too! I think these are the coolest art projects.

3. Balloon Powered Toy Car

On your mark, get set, go! Race cars using balloons (see this fun project from One Little Project) for a fun game that also doubles as a science experiment! These balloon powered toy cars are so cool. What a great way to get creative and competitive! What great projects for kids who love cars.

4. Fun Mop Socks Activity

Put on some music, and clean you floor while getting some exercise, sock mopping! Mop socks are the perfect way to get some energy out, and have fun, while cleaning. Because let’s be honest, mopping the floor usually isn’t that fun. Perfect to get your little kids and other family members cleaning.

5. Turn Old Toys Into Something Awesome With This Upcycle Activity

Get creative, and upcycle old toys into something new with items you already have around the house, like stickers and paint. This one of many fun free activities for kids that also teach them to recycle. I love easy crafts. Some simple DIY can turn old things into neat new things!

6. Hand Sewing Projects For Kids

Teach your kiddo sewing skills by sewing a pillow buddy for a friend (and then make one to keep!). These hand sewing projects for kids are definitely screen free as it requires your child’s full attention!

7. Puppets Activities For Kids

Make puppets out of toilet paper rolls and other household items, and then help your kiddos put on a puppet show for the whole family. These puppets for kids are a great screen free activities as it promotes pretend play.

Related: Make finger puppets together

8. Giant Wooden Blocks Project

Take family game night and summer play dates to the next level by making giant blocks to build a tower with in your backyard! These giant wooden blocks is one of my favorite non screen activities, because not only do you get to craft, but it gets the family outside.

9. Dough Toys Craft

Transform old outlet covers into play dough toys! Use large googly eyes, acrylic paint, and paint pens to create eyes, mouths, noses and more! What better way to spend screen free time with your kids than with crafting!?

10.

Use egg cartons to make airplanes! You can find this craft on page 121 of 101 Kids Activities That Are the Bestest, Funnest Ever! Over 100 screen free activities to do with your child!

To make a Glider from an Egg Carton

Supplies Needed: pencil or marker, styrofoam egg carton (18 count works best), scissors, colorful tape (optional), heavy-duty binder clip and a hula hoop for a target

1. Using a pencil or a marker, sketch your glider design on the top of a styrofoam egg carton creating the largest wing span possible (see above picture). The middle portion of the carton top that sticks down makes a great handle for your glider.
2. With scissors, cut along the line you drew.
3. Decorate the glider with colorful tape and markers.
4. Affix a binder clip to the front to add weight and stability to the glider.
5. Take turns flying the glider. Set up a target and see who can get closest!

11. Toilet Paper Roll Train

Gather cardboard rolls from toilet paper and paper towel, along with different sized bottle caps, yarn, and paint, and make the longest toilet paper roll train in the world! Watch little ones with the bottle caps!

12. Screen Free Activities For Road Trips 

The next time you go to a store that has paint chips (paint color cards), grab a handful of them and make monster puzzles! This is a free, easy, and fun craft that can be done almost anywhere! The finished puzzles are perfect screen free activities for summer road trips, too.

13. Melted Crayon Painting Art

The next time you sharpen your crayons, start saving the shavings so that you can paint with melted crayons! Or melt crayons OVER hot rocks! <–Both these melted crayon painting crafts definitely requires adult supervision.

14. Pretend Snot Craft

Prank a family member with a gross yet fun craft–whip up a batch of pretend snot! This snot is actually a really funny craft to save for those yucky summer sick days when your little one feels gross and cranky. 

15. Fort Building Activities

Some of my best childhood memories involved building a fort with my brother and parents! This is a fun, easy activity that you can do with things around the house. Check out these epic forts made out of cardboard boxes! There are so many fort ideas!

16. Cardboard Box Activities

I don’t know about you, but I always have a bunch of flattened cardboard boxes in my basement or garage. Pull them out, use your imagination, and play with cardboard boxes this summer. The possibilities are endless!

17. Movie Night Food Ideas

One of my kids’ favorite box activities is turning cardboard boxes into “cars” complete with cozy pillows and blankets. Then, we set them up in the living room with their friends or cousins, and play “drive-in” while a movie plays, and they enjoy yummy movie night snacks! You can also do this outside with an outdoor movie projector.

18. Dart Game For Kids

I love when we can combine science with a fun game, such as this dart game for kids. All you need are disposable cups, narrow straws, and Q-tips! Go red, white, and blue with the colors, like we did, and this is a perfect game for your 4th of July party! 

19. Marble Maze Craft

Use an old shoe box and some craft sticks to make a marble maze! It’s so cool to watch kids come up with a plan and create something like this…This marble maze is not only a fun craft, but also a STEM activity. This would also be a fun way to create a marble run competition! You could even use different colors for the marbles.

20. Dinosaur Sensory Bin Activity

Pretend that you are on an archaeological dig, and make this fun dinosaur dig sensory bin! This dinosaur sensory bin is so cool, because of the gritty texture of the sand, but also, it’s educational. Your little one will get to be an archeologist uncovering dinosaur bones. I love easy projects that are fun and educational.

21. Kinetic Sand Activity

Create kinetic sand and have fun with sand, even on rainy days. Kinetic sand is so cool, because unlike play dough, it’s textured. Plus, it’s kind of like playing in the sand at the beach. The sand at the beach is wet and stays together kind of like how kinetic sand does! What a cool craft project.

22. Ferrofluid Science Activity

One of my kids’ favorite summer science experiments is the magnetic mud science experiment. It’s mesmerizing! This project does require some adult supervision, but it is fun to learn how to make ferrofluid. Who knew science had so many fun things to try.

23. Paper Doll Activities

Paper dolls are wonderful imaginative play! Check out these free printables at the bottom, too! This is a classing screen free activity that has been around for years! It’s much more fun than just drawing on a piece of paper.

24. Sensory Bottle Activities

Looking for some sensory bottle ideas? Make a glowing sensory bottle for bedtime ,and add it to your family’s nighttime routine. This is one of the greatest non screen activities because it actually works to calm your child rather than stimulate them like a screen can. Reuse plastic bottles and add small toys, glitter, beads, and more!

25. DIY Kerplunk Game

Play Kerplunk, but DIY it using a pot and pom-poms! Kerplunk is a great screen free game the whole family can be a part of! Best part is, if you lose some “pieces” you can just add more pom poms. This is fun for the entire family.

26. DIY Yarn Maze Game

Make a yarn maze in a laundry basket! Your kiddos will love fishing items through the leveled web of yarn. What a fun project! It is fun to set up and even more fun game! What type of things will you add to the basket?

More Screen Free Activities for the Whole Family From Kids Activities Blog:

Keep the screen-free summer fun going with these fun ideas:

What are some of your family’s favorite screen-free activities? {Comment below!}