5 Screen-Free Activities for Toddlers

You may be amazed at how tech savvy your toddler already is at such a young age. Little ones learn quickly how to navigate apps on iPads and smartphones much to our surprise.

However, when you want to limit screen time and ramp up quality time with your toddler, consider these top five screen-free activities from Screen-Free Fun: 400 Activities for the Whole Family.

{ Guest Post by Shannon Philpott-Sanders. Post contains affiliate links. }

Offering four different categories of activities that eliminate the need for screens, Screen-Free Fun helps you to enjoy games, crafts and activities that range from old-fashioned outdoor activities to modern-day crafts using supplies you likely have on hand at home. Keep your toddlers busy and happy while at home, at the zoo, or even while on the road with these entertaining activities.

Excerpted from Screen-Free Fun: 400 Activities for the Whole Family
By Shannon Philpott-Sanders
Copyright © 2018 Adams Media, a division of Simon and Schuster. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

1. CREATE MUSIC SHAKERS

Do your kids love those egg-shaped music shakers? Help them make their own with items you have lying around the house.

All you need is a toilet paper roll, a tiny cardboard box, or a paper towel roll to get started. Simply staple, tape, or glue one end closed and fill with uncooked rice, nuts, or corn kernels. Secure the other end of the cardboard and get shaking.

Encourage your kids to personalize their new music shakers by decorating the outside of the cardboard tube. Add swatches of tissue paper or colored construction paper with glue or break out the crayons and markers so your children can write their names on the outside of the shaker.

Once all the shakers are complete, let the musical performance begin.

From Chapter 1: Embrace Your Creativity

2. GO ON A SOUND HUNT

If the only sounds you hear are sighs and groans of boredom and frustration, it’s time to change the soundtrack of your day. Just like a scavenger hunt, make a list of common sounds you might hear outside and give each child a copy of the list.

As a group, head out into the neighborhood or stroll around the park to find the sounds on the list. Common sounds may include birds or crickets chirping, dogs barking, lawn mowers chopping up grass, swings creaking, or doors slamming shut.

If you live in a busy city, listen for sounds such as cars honking, motors revving, music playing, or church bells ringing.

Add a competitive touch to this activity by awarding points for the first child to notify you when he or she hears a sound on the list.

From Chapter 2: Enjoy the Great Outdoors

3. DECORATE PLACEMATS TO DONATE

Urge your little ones to think outside of the box to provide others in need with something special.

With just a few art supplies you probably have on hand, your children can make paper placemats that offer a burst of color and an encouraging message for diners. Break out stacks of white paper, construction paper, or cardstock to get started. Search for art supplies that will add even more creativity to this project, such as stickers, glitter glue, decals, and dry pasta.

Have your toddlers think about a design or theme and let them start decorating the pieces of paper. One child may choose to glue dry pasta along the edges of the paper to outline the placemat, while another may write encouraging messages such as “Have a great day” and “Enjoy your meal.”

Using markers or crayons, your kids can sign their first name to the placemat before delivering the stack to a local community center, nursing home, or soup kitchen.

From Chapter 3: Support Your Community

4. PLAY I SPY AT THE ZOO

Even though the zoo is usually entertainment enough, sometimes you have to walk awhile from one spot to another or wait for a show to start. If so, entertain your toddlers with a classic game of I Spy.

Have one child find a “thing,” say something like “I spy something blue” or “I spy something round” and then encourage the rest of your troop of kids to begin guessing the object.

Make the game competitive with older children by tallying up points for each correct guess or promise a sweet treat for the one who guesses in the least amount of time. Especially in outdoor areas, the sky is literally the limit when choosing objects to “spy.”

From Chapter 4: Put a Fun Twist on Local Travel

5. PLAY A ROAD TRIP GUESSING GAME

Entertain kids of all ages during car rides with a road trip guessing game. With a little preparation and a few odd objects gathered before you leave, you can keep them guessing for hours while playing this game.

All you need is a few paper bags and some interesting objects to pack up before hitting the road. Give your children paper bags and have them search your home for small items such as toys, cotton balls, straws, pens, and plastic utensils.

Be sure they don’t show each other what’s inside their bags!

Roll up the bags and pack them in the car to pull out when cries of “Are we there yet?” start to surface. Then, your children can swap bags and reach into them one at a time with their eyes closed to see if they can guess the objects.

From Chapter 4: Put a Fun Twist on Local Travel

Get Screen-Free Fun: 400 Activities for the Whole Family on Amazon for more family activities!

What are your favorite screen-free activities for toddlers?

Let me know in the comments below!

You can also check out some more technology-free activities for toddlers. And how to be present with your kids in a digital world.

About the Author

Shannon Philpott-Sanders has written extensively about the joys of parenting for local and national newspapers and magazines throughtout her fifteen-year career as a freelance journalist. A mother of two, she has dedicated herself to becoming a lifelong learner when it comes to parenting her son and daughter who are now in their late teens.

A graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Philpott-Sanders holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in English. When she is not writing and offering tips for fun-filled experiences with children, she serves as an associate professor of English at St. Louis Community College – Meramec and advises the student-run newspaper. She also writes on her website, ShannonPhilpott.com.

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