101 Fun Things To Do at Home with Kids (that don't involve a screen)

If you're like many parents the quest to help your kids learn, stay engaged, and burn energy every day (Yes, every. Single. Day.) most often feels like an unattainable goal. And in an age when screens have taken over, it's easy to give in to the ultimate digital babysitter more often than you had hoped to. After all, you DO need two minutes to make a bathroom trip. While we can all agree there's a time and a place for screen time we also know that all good things must come to an end (ha-ha). Not to fear — we've compiled a list of 101 fun activities that will have your kids begging for "just five more minutes?!" You're welcome. 😉

While most of these ideas can be easily modified for any age, kids between 3–12 are likely to engage the best. And, if further direction is needed for any of these fun ideas, a quick online search will give you lots of instruction! 👍

1. Make a fort with blankets, pillows and furniture
2. Create an indoor scavenger hunt
3. Bake some cookies
4. Play hide and seek
5. Have a puzzle race (see who can build their puzzle the fastest)
6. Make fun jewelry
7. Paint with watercolors
8. Cut an old magazine into pieces and then use glue to make a collage
9. Make Play-Doh, Moon Sand or slime
10. Do manicures and pedicures with fun paint colors
11. Construct paper airplanes and then have a contest to see which ones can fly the farthest
12. Break out pipe cleaners and see what creations can be made
13. Learn sign language
14. Take turns telling stories
15. Play "I spy with my little eye"
16. Learn dance moves to a favorite song

17. Use painters tape to make a design on a window then go crazy with paint — remove the tape once complete for an awesome stained glass design
18. Hide an object and play the "hot or cold" game
19. Learn hand clap games
20. Make homemade popsicles
21. Create an indoor obstacle course
22. Write a note to a family member or friend (hand-drawn pictures highly encouraged!)
23. Sing karaoke
24. Learn yo-yo tricks
25. Play a card game
26. Tie-dye some clothing
27. Use old buttons and glue them to a canvas for a unique piece of art
28. Take an extreme bubble bath
29. Have a bubble gum blowing contest
30. Do an age-appropriate science experiment
31. Mold clay and then bake it
32. Do face painting (with the help of a parent, of course!)

33. Dress up in fun clothes and then have a photoshoot
34. Make up a story and write a book together (let the kids illustrate!)
35. Play an old school board game
36. Build a playhouse or spaceship out of a large box
37. Use string running from wall to wall (hallways work best) to make a "laser maze" and then play 007 as you work your way through doing your best to not touch the string
38. Make "ice cream in a bag"
39. Come up with an at-home "escape room" and then race the clock to see who wins
40. Put on a puppet show (make sock puppets if needed)
41. Complete a toy animal tape rescue (after taping toy animals to a surface like a cookie sheet)
42. Make an edible necklace using cereal, pretzels, candy, etc.
43. Draw a line or swirl on a large piece of paper (or cardboard) and then use stickers to completely cover it for a neat sticker design
44. Make color-themed sensory bins
45. Boil a ton of spaghetti noodles and once cooled use kid-safe scissor to cut them up
46. Make a homemade kaleidoscope out of a paper towel tube and beads
47. Use colored construction paper and wet cotton balls to do a water painting
48. Have a taste contest to see who can identify the most foods correctly while blindfolded
49. Learn some fun kids yoga poses
50. Have a good old fashion pillow fight
51. Make coffee can stilts
52. Play with chalk — hopscotch, trace shadow people, write positive messages or draw fun pictures for neighbors
53. Blow bubbles

54. Plan a nature color search scavenger hunt
55. Go on an adventure walk
56. Identify leaves and trees
57. Explore a creek
58. Dig for worms
59. Birdwatch and then look them up to identify the type of bird
60. Throw a Frisbee
61. Learn to hula hoop
62. Play jump rope games
63. Ride a bike
64. Roller skate
65. Build a stick fort
66. Have a picnic
67. Plant some flowers, herbs, veggies or fruits
68. Make a simple birdhouse and hang it
69. Make bird feeders out of toilet paper rolls
70. Create a fairy garden (think outdoor dollhouse) and get creative using things like buttons, marbles, rocks, small plants or flowers, moss, dollhouse furniture, miniature animals, etc.

71. Put on rain boots and jump in mud puddles
72. Hang a rope swing
73. Make an outdoor kitchen space using old mixing bowls, pots and utensils then get creative with outside ingredients
74. Blow-up water balloons and have a non-conventional baseball game
75. Make an obstacle course using outdoor objects (hula hoops, tree branches, jump rope)
76. Have an outdoor tea party
77. Lay on a blanket and cloud gaze (the first one to identify five clouds that look like an animal wins!)
78. Trace the shadow of a favorite toy onto a piece of paper
79. Make a huge maze using sticks
80. Set up a tent for playing, or if you're brave, an overnight camp out
81. Build a fire and make dinner (may we suggest hot dogs, followed by s'mores?)
82. Catch fireflies
83. Make mud pies (an old cake pan works great!)
84. Play flashlight tag
85. Lay on a blanket and search for constellations
86. Make a flower chain necklace
87. Build and plant a bean plant fort
88. Have a potato sack race
89. Collect items a bird would use to make a nest (sticks, moss, string, feathers, etc.) and try to build one using these items
90. Have a water gun war
91. Play red light, green light
92. Make a slip and slide (if you're brave, add a little dish soap)
93. Do an Easter egg hunt just of the fun of it
94. Have the most fun car wash ever

95. Find some rocks, paint them and then hide them for others to find
96. Freeze small toys in a large container and then remove ice block outdoors and go ice excavating
97. Collect nature items (flowers, sticks, acorns, pine cones, etc.) and use them to spell out your name
98. Make water balloon pinatas
99. Put tons of pillows and blankets inside a blow-up pool and lounge at night with a mug of cocoa and a good story
100. Do a seed investigation — draw a picture of the fruit/veggie then identify and draw the seed
101. Play a game of Simon Says

We hope this list of awesome, no screen actives will help you and your kids get some creative juices flowing while realizing there are SO many adventures to be had out from behind a screen. Well, what are you waiting for?! Let the fun begin!

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