Jump Off Screen And Into The Real World
With so much stimulation at our fingertips, it’s easy for kids to get glued to their iPads. Transporting them from their virtual world to planet Earth may take some persuasion, but we’ve made a list of fun, imaginative, and skill-enhancing activities that will entice youngsters to turn their gaze away.
1. Pretend Play
With or without costumes, pretend play is an essential part of childhood. Imaginations take off when kids take on role-playing as magical wizards, unstoppable superheroes, or life-saving doctors. From detective kits to pretend kitchens, transform your living room into any world they wish!
2. Fort Building
If you’ve never built a blanket fort, you may want to reconsider. Fort building is not only super fun but it involves teamwork and strategic planning, too. That blanket fort in your basement may just be the perfect hideaway for the kids and some quiet time for mom.
3. Treasure Hunt
Reward your little pirates with a DIY treasure hunt. With a hand-drawn map and some clues, you can turn your house or yard into a deserted island with the promise of long-lost treasure. The hidden prize could be anything from their favorite treat to precious gems made from the rocks in your garden.
4. Coloring & Drawing
Coloring books are fun for all ages. Little artists can use wax crayons, washable markers, or pencil crayons to scribble on their favorite images. Coloring enhances creativity and visual development as well as your refrigerator door.
5. Puppet Shows
“Break a leg, it’s showtime”! Puppet shows sprung from ancient forms of storytelling and are still a favorite activity for playtime. Encourage kiddos to use hand or finger puppets to perform for their audience! You can also upstage the show with hand-made puppets made from kits or materials at home.
6. Dolls & Action Figures
Kids play with dolls and action figures to imagine lives outside of their own. Whether they're having a pool party at the Malibu dream house or rescuing patrons from the evil villain, kids ignite imagination and creativity. From Barbies to Marvel figurines, there are various characters to play with.
7. Craft Making
Arts and crafts is an all-time favorite with kids. Tiny hands can make all kinds of creations out of simple materials like construction paper, pipe cleaners, and some glue. With craft projects spanning from friendship bracelets to paper plate masks, there’s a craft for any young artist.
8. Play-Doh Sculpting
Play-Doh comes in a rainbow of colors and can be sculpted into pretend food, flowers, or anything you desire. After the “I-put-everything-in-my-mouth” stage, Play-Doh is a safe and mess-free activity for most little ones. It entertains the kids long enough for you to have a coffee, and that’s saying something.
9. Cardboard Box Creations
Sometimes kids care more about the packaging than the expensive toy inside; grownups underestimate the potential of a cardboard box. Who knows, maybe it’ll transform into a rocket ship, a castle, or a robot costume for Halloween.
10. Board Games & Puzzles
Kids can never be bored with board games and puzzles galore. Make it a family games night with classics like Candy Land and Mouse Trap or put their minds to work with skill-building puzzles. They’ll soon discover that these games are just as fun as the ones on their devices.
11. Playing In Nature
Playing outside provides endless opportunities for imaginations to grow as wild as the forest. Children can breathe in the fresh air as they explore the wilderness (or your backyard), and when combined with pretend play, sticks become wizard wands or ladles for mud soup. They can learn so much just from immersing themselves in nature.
12. Building with Lego
Lego is a timeless construction-building toy that has become so famous there are movies about it. It’s hours of fun for all ages, even the older cool kids want to get involved. You can build empires out of Lego sets in exciting themes from Harry Potter to Transformers.
13. Reading
Reading books can educate and inspire little ones in many ways. It helps develop imagination, language and grammar skills, and personal interests. As part of many families’ bedtime regime, reading is a good hobby for kids of all ages to enjoy during downtime.
14. Learning An Instrument
It’s more beneficial for little fingers to tickle the ivories instead of tapping “likes” on screens. Even if your child’s trumpet sounds like a birthing elephant, it’ll all be worthwhile in time. Reading music and playing an instrument at a young age is good for their noggin and (eventually) their ears.
15. Dancing
Dancing does wonders for the body and mind. Taking lessons is great, but your tiny dancers can have just as much fun freestyling at home. They can turn the lights off and have a glow-in-the-dark disco party, or be their own choreographer and make up a routine—costumes optional.
16. Playing Sports
Are your kids about to burst from all their cooped-up energy? A game of tag is good for their health and your sanity. Playing sports is not only good exercise, it teaches teamwork and social skills, too. They’re also a ton of fun!
17. Science Experiments
Volcanic eruptions, green slime, and balloon rockets at home?Yes, please! Learning can be so much fun as a child scientist. There’s a galaxy of experiments to try with household items, all of which will blow your kid’s mind.
18. Word & Observation Games
These games are perfect for winding kids down when sitting around a campfire, or keeping children entertained in the car. The only props required are their thinking caps! Popular examples include “I Spy”, “I’m Going on a Picnic,” and, “Simon Says”.
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19. Obstacle Courses
Kids can build obstacle courses for an exhilarating activity that develops problem-solving and coordination skills. Like sneaking green peas into their mac and cheese, obstacle courses are a clever way to sneak exercise into their playtime.
20. Sensory Bins
Fuel their fine motor skills and sharpen their senses with the most stimulating toy around. Sensory bins are designed for youngsters to develop cognitive abilities and creatively explore the senses. They’re filled with textural materials like sand or pom-poms and include objects related to a theme like a fairy garden or a dinosaur dig. Creating one for your kids is half the fun!
