Screen-Free Things to Do With Kids
The coronavirus pandemic has closed schools worldwide. Many schools are offering online home learning so that children can continue with their education despite the necessary measures. However, if you do not have this option, you may be scrambling for ways to keep the kids busy and out of your hair while at home together.
Let’s take these difficult times as they come and try to focus on the positive rather than negative. Spending time at home allows you to spend some quality time with your children, which you may not have otherwise been able to do.
20 Free and Easy Activities that Can be Done at Home
- Paint rocks and have an art show
- Get baking. Bake some cakes, cookies, bread or biscuits. Have them help you in the kitchen! Who doesn’t need a great helper?
- Outside activities – give the kids some sidewalk chalk and let them create masterpieces on the sidewalk or driveway. Kids can ride their bikes, go for a hike, do a nature walk with a scavenger hunt
- Read. Start a family book club. Discuss your favorite characters and what part you liked best and why.
- Treasure hunt. If you are lucky enough to have a garden create an exciting treasure hunt with clues and home-made treasures for your kids to find.
- Puppets. Make finger puppets and help them create their own puppet show. Make a theatre out of a box and get creative.
- Have a family picnic indoors, on the balcony or in the garden.
- Adventure time. Go camping in the yard or the living room.
- Showtime. If your children like performing, find your costume bin with old Halloween and dress-up costumes and help them to put on a show for the family. They can even work on some literacy skills in a fun way by writing a play script and act it out.
- Organize/Deep Clean. Get your child to sort through their belongings and throw out what they don’t need or clothes that don’t fit. Ask them to organize their room.
- Origami. All you need is paper and instructions which can be found online, will keeps kids amused and they will learn a new skill.
- Sports. Play tag outside or help your kids make their own obstacle course in the living room.
- Build a pillow and blanket fort in the basement and let the kids fill it with books and toys to pass their time.
- Draw or create a family tree. You can even make an art gallery at home and show off your child’s artwork.
- Homemade gifts. Encourage your child to make a gift for someone or a greeting card. Many nursing homes are asking for cards for their seniors who can’t get out and about these days.
- Games – Pull out the board games, play card games – my kids love crazy 8’s and Twenty-One (Blackjack), come up with a fun “minute to win it” game, play a game of hide & seek
- Do fun science experiments that you loved as a child. Erupting volcano, disappearing eggshell, color-changing flower experiment, etc.
- Tea parties are a favorite around here. Add candles, a little poetry or any reading, something warm to drink and something to munch on. Very relaxing.
- Watch virtual tours of museums online. How cool is that?! You can find all twelve of them by clicking here.
- Beginning on March 16th, the Metropolitan Opera offers free streaming of it’s Live in HD series for the duration that it’s closed. The performances, originally captured as live broadcasts in movie theatres worldwide, will begin at 7:30 PM on the company’s website. The nightly series will be made available for free for 20 hours following the initial stream. You can find out more information here.
Easy Crafts, Activities That Can Be Done With Supplies You Have On Hand
Make Coffee Filter Butterflies
This is a great craft to do with toddlers, preschoolers, and younger elementary school-aged children. Older children can do this independently without any problems. Get the craft details here.
Have an Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Indoor scavenger hunts are a great boredom buster and indoor activity for kids on rainy days. It’s a great way to burn off energy while hunting around the house for items on the list. Use this free indoor scavenger hunt printable to get the kids moving, learning and having fun. Get e free printable indoor scavenger hunt list from About a Mom here.
Free Memory Games for Kids Printables
Memory games are one of those addictive games that kids love to play over and over. Memory games not only keep them busy but also helps with improved focus, concentration, and quick thinking skills. Get cute memory games with animal-theme, ocean sea creatures, numbers, fruit & veggies and more from mapleplanners.com.
Free Earth Day Printables
Teach your kids spelling and vocabulary and lessons about the earth and the importance of recycling through crossword puzzles and word searches with these free earth day printables from tree valley academy.
Teach Kids About Nutrition and Healthy Eating
My Plate printable nutrition activity sheet is a fun way to help kids get accustomed to what a healthy meal should look like. It is a simplified representation of the new My Plate guidelines, which switched the largest portions from starches to fruits and vegetables. Get the free printable activity from momfoodie.com.
Make Bath Bombs
These DIY Bath Bombs make great gifts and can fill up the time by teaching kids important skills like measuring and math. A great STEAM activity. Get the complete instructions from Red Ted Art.
2 Week Daily Activity Schedule Printable Worksheets
Looking for ideas to entertain your young kids? This at-home activity schedule for kids is packed full of over two weeks’ worth of learning, sensory, outdoor, and craft ideas for your young children! Sign up with your email to receive these free printable worksheets from Lovely Indeed.
Free Printable Word Search Worksheets
Local Colorado crafter and blogger and my friend, Laura Kelly has 50 free word search printables you can use to keep the kiddos busy while you try to get some work done. Download her free worksheets from Me and My Inklings here.
SuperSafeway is a blog devoted to helping you find the best deals at Safeway in the Denver division. Every week we slice and dice the ad and tell you the best deals at Safeway with and without coupons. For more low prices, check out Super Safeway’s weekly ad coupon matchup page. Would you like to stay updated on the best deals? If so, make sure to like Super Safeway on Facebook, join our Facebook group, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our Instagram, or head over to Pinterest. Also, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter.
* Please note – Savings information is based on Colorado pricing and the Safeway Coupon Policy for the Denver Division which includes Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming and South Dakota. Your market may vary. Prices may vary per location*
