Module 40

Screen-Free Activity Menu

100 alternatives to screens organized by age group and category

100 Screen-Free Activities

The most effective way to reduce screen time isn't willpower — it's having better alternatives readily available. This menu gives you 100 specific activities organized by age and category. Post it on the fridge. When your child says "I'm bored," point them here. Boredom is the birthplace of creativity — but sometimes they need a launchpad.

Babies & Toddlers (0-3 Years) — 25 Activities

Sensory & Motor Play

1. Water table or bath play with cups, funnels, and spoons

2. Sensory bins (dried rice, pasta, beans with scoops and containers)

3. Finger painting on paper or in a zip-lock bag (mess-free option)

4. Playdough — make your own (flour, salt, water, cream of tartar, food coloring)

5. Stacking and knocking down blocks (over and over — this IS learning)

6. Peeling stickers off a sheet and sticking them on paper

7. Tearing paper and crumpling it into balls (fine motor powerhouse)

8. Exploring textures — fur, sandpaper, silk, bumpy balls, smooth stones

Active / Gross Motor

9. Dance party (put on music and move)

10. Obstacle course with couch cushions, pillows, and tunnels

11. Ball rolling, throwing, chasing

12. Bubble chasing and popping

13. Climbing at a playground or on safe indoor furniture

14. Wagon or push-toy walks around the neighborhood

Quiet / Cognitive

15. Board books — reading together or "reading" independently

16. Shape sorters and nesting cups

17. Simple puzzles (3-12 pieces)

18. Singing songs with hand motions (Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus)

19. Hide-and-seek with toys ("Where did the bear go?")

20. Sorting objects by color, size, or type

Outdoor

21. Nature walk — stop and examine leaves, rocks, bugs, flowers

22. Sandbox or dirt digging

23. Puddle jumping after rain

24. Watching birds, squirrels, or ants (narrate what you see)

25. Garden watering with a small watering can

Preschoolers (3-5 Years) — 25 Activities

Creative

26. Drawing and coloring (with crayons, markers, or colored pencils)

27. Painting — watercolors, tempera, or finger paint

28. Cutting and gluing collages from magazines

29. Building with cardboard boxes (rocket ship, fort, car)

30. Dress-up and dramatic play (costumes, pretend restaurant, doctor's office)

31. Play kitchen cooking with real (uncooked) ingredients

32. Making necklaces or bracelets with large beads and string

Active

33. Freeze dance (dance when music plays, freeze when it stops)

34. Red Light Green Light / Simon Says / Follow the Leader

35. Tricycle or balance bike riding

36. Hopscotch (chalk on driveway)

37. Pillow fights (yes, really — gross motor + social regulation)

38. Yoga for kids (simple poses: tree, cat, dog, butterfly)

Learning Through Play

39. Matching and memory card games

40. Counting objects around the house ("How many red things can you find?")

41. Letter and number magnets on the fridge

42. Simple board games (Candy Land, Hi Ho Cherry-O, The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel)

43. Puzzles (24-48 pieces)

44. Measuring and pouring in the kitchen (baking together)

Outdoor

45. Catching bugs and examining them (magnifying glass if you have one)

46. Sidewalk chalk art

47. Sprinkler or hose play

48. Planting seeds and watching them grow

49. Going on a scavenger hunt ("Find something rough, smooth, round, red")

50. Flying a kite

School-Age (6-9 Years) — 25 Activities

Creative & Building

51. LEGO free-build or by instructions

52. Origami (start with simple animals — YouTube tutorials for learning, then do from memory)

53. Comic book or story creation (draw and write your own)

54. Friendship bracelet making

55. Building with recycled materials (marble run from paper towel tubes, robot from boxes)

56. Perler bead designs

57. Learning to knit or finger-knit

Active

58. Bike riding (neighborhood loops, trails)

59. Jump rope — learning tricks and rhymes

60. Backyard sports (soccer, catch, basketball, badminton)

61. Roller skating or rollerblading

62. Building a fort or treehouse (with supervision for tools)

63. Swimming

Cognitive & Social

64. Board games — Chess, Checkers, Blokus, Ticket to Ride Junior, Uno

65. Card games — Go Fish, War, Crazy Eights, Spot It

66. Jigsaw puzzles (100-300 pieces)

67. Science experiments (baking soda volcano, invisible ink, crystal growing)

68. Reading independently (graphic novels count — Captain Underpants, Dog Man, Amulet)

69. Writing letters to grandparents or pen pals

70. Learning a magic trick and performing it

Outdoor & Nature

71. Geocaching (treasure hunting with a GPS — parent's phone used as a tool, not entertainment)

72. Bird watching with a field guide

73. Creek exploring, rock collecting, or fossil hunting

74. Building a fire (supervised) and roasting marshmallows

75. Stargazing — learn constellations

Tweens & Teens (10-18 Years) — 25 Activities

Creative & Productive

76. Learning an instrument (guitar, ukulele, piano, drums)

77. Sketching, painting, or digital art (with a stylus and tablet — still creative, minimal passive screen)

78. Journaling or creative writing

79. Photography (use a real camera or phone in airplane mode)

80. Cooking or baking a full recipe independently

81. Sewing, embroidery, or crochet

82. Woodworking or model building

Active

83. Skateboarding or BMX

84. Rock climbing (gym or outdoor)

85. Martial arts practice

86. Running or jogging (Couch to 5K programs work well for beginners)

87. Yoga or stretching routine

88. Pick-up sports with friends (basketball, soccer, frisbee, volleyball)

Cognitive & Social

89. Complex board games (Settlers of Catan, Pandemic, Wingspan, Azul)

90. Escape room puzzle books

91. Reading (actual books — the physical kind)

92. Learning a new language (flashcards, conversation practice)

93. Volunteering (animal shelter, food bank, community garden)

94. Starting a small business (lawn care, pet sitting, craft sales)

Outdoor & Adventure

95. Hiking — increase distance and difficulty over time

96. Camping (backyard counts for beginners)

97. Fishing

98. Kayaking, canoeing, or paddleboarding

99. Gardening — plan, plant, tend, harvest

100. Simply being outside with nothing planned (this is where the magic happens)

Transition Tip

The transition off screens is hardest in the first 15-20 minutes. Expect resistance. Once children engage with a real-world activity, they almost always prefer it. The parenting move: tolerate their frustration during the transition. Say "I know it's hard to stop. What sounds fun from the activity list?" Don't give in. The boredom will pass.

How to Use This List

Post this list where everyone can see it. Let your child highlight their favorites. Add your own family-specific activities to the margins. The best screen-free activity is the one they'll actually choose.