Some kids are naturally creative and enjoy activities beyond the screens but other kids are more interested in screen time. Since every kid is different, and all families are different, I wanted to share a list of creative ideas to help keep kids busy without screen time.

This list of ideas will help you encourage your kids to shut down the electronics and start engaging in other activities alone, with family or siblings. The best way to maintain a balance of screen time and non-screen time is to implement a specific time during the day when screen time is allowed. This will help encourage your kids to partake in some of these activities for non-screen time fun.

How to Keep Kids Busy Without Screen Time

Make a Game Box

For younger kids, you can create a game box. This is similar to having a toy box, but it will be full of your kids’ favorite toys. Try to include a variety of items that your kids enjoy playing with so that when screen time isn’t allowed, your kids can use their imagination to play with this creative box of toys.  My kids have a bin with little figures and random trees…plenty of things to get their creative juices flowing.

Make a Bookshelf

Make or buy a kids’ bookshelf that’s full of a variety of books. Some kids struggle with the idea that reading is fun, so get to buying or borrowing a variety of kids’ books so that you can have a variety of reading books on hand in the home.  We have quite the home library going and my kids love books.  Spending time reading together, showing enthusiasm for books, and making books a priority in your home are all great ways to help make books a part of your family culture.

Create a Board Game Area

Gather up all of your family board games and create a small space in the home that encourages your kids to enjoy board games together. Having a board game area with games out in the open will help give your kids some ideas of what to do during non-screen time in the home.

(See our big list of Fun Games for the Family).

Have a Bake-a-Thon

Kids of all ages can enjoy baking in the kitchen. While the younger kids may need more adult supervision, the older kids are more than capable of baking up some delicious food. Let your kids have a bake-a-thon to help them learn the life skill of cooking instead of being in front of the screens 24/7.  There are many benefits of teaching kids to cook and baking is a fun place to get started.

(This Chocolate Silk Pie is a delicious easy recipe to help kids gain cooking confidence).

When it comes to keeping kids busy without screen time you’ll need to take into consideration your kids’ interests and how well they do with independent playtime. When you opt to use the ideas that I shared today, you’ll soon find that your kids navigate easily from screen time to other activities. These activities will encourage family unity and strengthen the bond between siblings and parents.