Tag Archives: things to do for kids

50 Screen-Free Ideas to Beat Boredom at Home

Summer is upon us! According to the school calendar, that is. *Insert happy dance.* The cold winter, fool’s spring, second winter, and mud season have most of us – Midwesterners, at least – ready for the long days of summer. But for those of us with children, we may be facing long hours at home with kids who inevitably come to us with the dreaded words: I’m bored.

Not to worry! Read on for a list of 50 screen-free ideas to beat your school-age child’s boredom this summer. If you’re a family like us who limits screen time, this list is for you. Most of these ideas can be adapted to suit a broad age range. And if you don’t have kids at home, you may just want to tuck this list away for the next time the kids in your life visit…or even try them yourself!

Since my suggestions of chores are always met with groans by my children (can’t say I blame them), we came up with this list of fun, simple things to do at home on those days when there’s just nothing to do. Most are free, depending on what you do or don’t have lying around the house. I’m not claiming all these ideas are unique or mind-blowing, but it is nice to have them all compiled in one spot. Funny how easy it can be to forget the simple things when you’re booored. 😉

Here we go:

50 SCREEN-FREE IDEAS TO BEAT BOREDOM AT HOME

  1. Paint
  2. Bake
  3. Read
  4. Play in the hose
  5. Frisbee
  6. Play catch
  7. Train the family pet to do a new trick
  8. Write a real letter to a relative, friend, or celebrity
  9. Exercise
  10. Make up a dance
  11. Play an instrument
  12. Build a small boat out of household items and see if it floats
  13. Play Doh
  14. Board games
  15. Solitare (with real cards)
  16. Experiment with new hairstyles
  17. Sidewalk chalk
  18. Write a story
  19. Write a song
  20. Make up a skit
  21. Make homemade puppets
  22. Put on a puppet show
  23. Have a family talent show
  24. Dehydrate something (apple slices, for instance)
  25. Search for toads or caterpillars
  26. Puzzles
  27. Balance a broom handle on your palm in the yard – try to beat your time
  28. Leave wildflowers on someone’s porch
  29. Design a family flag
  30. Make a smoothie
  31. Research safe, local edible plants and forage
  32. Make a fort
  33. Water balloon fight
  34. Press flowers and use clear packing tape to create bookmarks
  35. Leaf rubbings
  36. Wildlife sketches
  37. Dig a hole
  38. Have a tea party – pretend with youngers or go all out with charcuterie with olders
  39. Legos
  40. Cross stitch
  41. Knit or crochet
  42. Make up jokes
  43. Call a relative and ask them about their childhood
  44. Wash the car
  45. Play dress-up
  46. Origami
  47. Carve a bar of soap into a piece of art
  48. Whittle
  49. Practice starting a fire (in a designated fire pit with adult supervision)
  50. Make a card for someone “just because”

Occasionally my kids lose screen time for one reason or another, and I have to say – after moping a little, they come alive and get really creative. I’m even planning on designating one day per week this summer as screen-free. Join me, and watch your kids develop new interests and ideas!

And if you have tween/teen children who could use some inspiration in their Christian faith this summer, my book, Power Up, was written exactly for that purpose. The spiritual formation of tweens is easy to overlook in a busy family life, so I hope you find this book to be a helpful resource this summer!

As precious as our children are, parenting is no easy task, and we need each other’s support, so feel free to share this with anyone who might find it useful. Also, let me know in the comments if you’re joining us for a screen-free day each week this summer! Let’s unplug and bring some simplicity and serenity back to childhood. And last, this list is certainly not comprehensive, so let me know below what ideas I’m missing – I’d love to extend our list!

Thanks for reading, and God bless!