We do a screen-free summer at our house, and while my girls love to watch Netflix and movies, they are also pretty independent when it comes to finding fun without screens. Our homeschool schedule is screen-free all day and then some screen time after dinner. They are using laptops for school work, math games and typing practice, but just for 15-30 minutes a day. That leaves about 10 hours of daytime without netflix. Sometimes that is daunting, sometimes the day just flies by. Here are some of our favorite screen-free activities:
Audiobooks. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but we really do rely on audiobooks to provide background entertainment while drawing, painting, building train tracks, playing with Legos, roller blading, biking, laying in the hammock, folding laundry, making potions, cleaning and organizing. Here’s the list of our favorites. And another great list.
Have a dance party! We have a little disco ball and a microphone and sometimes just turning on some loud music and having a free-for-all dance party makes all the difference in the moods and the attitudes in the house. I have some wickedly embarrassing dance moves and my kids cringe, but deep down I think they really like it.
Lego Challenge: You can find these on pinterest or make up your own. I challenged my kids to make a floor plan of a house and they both spent a couple hours tinkering with legos they haven’t looked at for weeks. No Legos? Use what you have. Blocks, magnatiles, tinker toys, lincoln logs, pattern blocks. Let the kids make a list of challenge items or use one like this!
Family Puzzles: Get a 500 piece puzzle started in a place where you can work on it as you please. We have a 1000 piece Harry Potter puzzle on one end of our dining table that we work on here and there. Sometimes we are all working on it, sometimes I stay up way too late looking for one particular piece. My favorite puzzle company is Eeboo and you can find some beautiful ones on Amazon right now.
Cookbook Challenge: Choose a cookbook and open it to a random page until you “randomly” find a recipe that sounds fun. We have a big list of bread products we are going to try during this quarantine period. Bagels! Naan Bread! Challah! Rosemary Diamante! Focaccia! We’ve tried these pretzels before and loved them, so we’ll make them again for sure. We’re finding tons of inspiration from @blondieandrye on Instagram right now:
Start Some Seeds: Use egg cartons or toilet paper tubes to start some seeds. If you’re local, you can find free seeds at Plum Forest Farm from Wild Dreams Farm. They are saved, heirloom seeds and they are free right now to encourage people to grow more of their own food! How cool. Not local to Vashon? Order some seeds from Fedco, Pinetree or Territorial Seeds and get your garden growing!
Make a Walking Stick: Find a stick that is a good walking stick height. Wrap the handle-end with yarn or rope. Paint the rest of the stick with bright, fun colors and patterns. A good walking stick makes hikes and trail walks so much more fun!
Change of Scenery: Go for a drive, take the bikes to the elementary school and ride around, go to the beach and balance on logs, find a trail to put those walking sticks to the test!
Make a Journal: Make a simple blank book, decorate the cover, and use it to document these uncertain times. Older kids can write their thoughts and feelings in their own journal, younger kids might want you to transcribe their thoughts.
Other fun screen free activities? Feel free to link them below.
