Screen-Free Activities That Keep Children Entertained for Hours

Modern life involves a lot of screens, and while they can be useful, too much screen time, especially when young, can be detrimental to our health. If not monitored, it can disrupt sleep, cause eye strain, increase the risk of mental health issues, impact concentration negatively and increase the risk of obesity. That’s not to say there can’t be any screen time, and the use of screens for educational reasons or playing games that provide mental stimulation can also have many positive impacts, so finding balance is key.

Children tend to love videogames or film and tv, so encouraging children to have a of time away from screens, where they partake in physical activity or use their minds a little more can be tricky, but usually this is just a case of encouraging them to find other fun things to do. Here, we’ll look at some screen free activities that everyone is sure to love.

What are Some Screen-Free Activities?

There are so many fun things to do without a screen but it’s always the case that you can’t think of one when you need to. But if you look around, there’s a wealth of great options available to you.

Outdoor activities: If the weather is suitable, get outside and play in the fresh air. Doing physical activity, like going for a bicycle ride or playing football, is always fun and is a healthy way to play too. There’s also the option of having a blaster fight or putting pedal to the metal and racing around RC cars in the garden or park.

Arts and crafts: There are a bundle of ways to get crafty and unlock the creative spirit. From painting to sticker books, jewellery making to modelling dough, get your hands dirty and unleash some awesome ideas.

Colouring and activity sheets: Get the pens and pencils out and start scribbling stories or colouring in activity sheets. This is a great way to enjoy colour and play with perception without having a screen in front of you. If you don’t have any activity sheets laying around, The Entertainer often has some so why not find your local shop and make time for a trip there.

Construction Sets: Build brilliant models and come up with your own creations with exciting construction sets. Of course, there are the icons like LEGO, that have so many characters and collaborations to explore, but there’s also more STEM focussed builds from the iconic Meccano, who have a real engineering focus that encourages problem solving and scientific thinking.

Are there Fun Games that Don’t Require Screens?

Tonieplay: Tonieplay is the system where you can play audio games via a Toniebox 2. Buy different game boards and follow the audio prompts to play solo or with friends, as you deal with challenges, follow quizzes or play through step-by-step games all without a screen.

You can change games and get themed boards to play with so you can enjoy the fun of playing along with your favourite characters too.

Board games: Games and puzzles are perfect ways to play together and stimulate your mind whilst expelling boredom. Get the whole family involved or even try some card games to shake things up a little. Perfect for some quality time that keeps the screens at bay for a little while.

For more on fun activities for children, check out or blog on more things you can do here.

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