52 Fun & Easy Play Ideas for Screen-Free Week or Any Week

If you’re concerned about your child’s screen time, consider going on a digital retreat with your kids during Screen-Free Week (May 6-10). Screen-Free Week is a non-profit advocacy program that promotes the idea that families should find time to dream, connect, and play together without our ever-present smart devices getting in the way.

Here is a list of 52 easy family play ideas you can put into practice for Screen-Free Week or any time throughout the year! We included a mix of activities and ideas that can work whether you have a 2-year-old, 3-year-old, 4-year-old, 5-year-old, or older child! Think of these ideas as “sparks”—try one and see if it inspires even more ways to play!

52 Screen-Free Play Activities for Family Fun!

1. Enjoy open-ended sticker play sessions with our Sticker WOW! collection, a whole new way for kids to play with stickers!

2. Host an indoor campout

3. Go on a family bike ride

4. Host a family dance party

5. Blow bubbles and chase them

6. Have a "kickoff," by kicking balls of different shapes and sizes

7. Make up a nonsense language and enjoy silly conversations; come up with fun names for objects around your house!

8. Put together a jigsaw puzzle; here are some suggested top sellers:

9. Create an indoor obstacle course

10. Make paper crafts: snowflakes, airplanes, origami, paper flowers, holiday decorations—whatever their imaginations inspire them to create!

11. Show kids how to play your favorite childhood game

12. Embark on a character-themed pretend play adventure

13. Create a gallery of kid art

14. Fly a kite

15. Look for a 4-leaf clover

16. Make paper boats and race them in a kiddie pool; use a straw to blow them across the water

17. Enjoy a fancy day: talk fancy, wear fancy clothes, eat fancy foods, and show off fancy manners

18. Create a sidewalk chalk mural

19. Explore the night sky: look for stars, constellations, meteors, and more

20. Cook a family meal together

21. Set up a pretend store, stock it, and shop it

22. Teach your kids about our National Parks with our collection of National Park Collection toys…they can even pretend to go wild as a Yellowstone bear!

23. Build a tiny town in the dirt or sandbox

24. Play flashlight tag

25. Give kids assorted ingredients and challenge them to come up with a concoction

26. Go on an A to Z scavenger hunt, looking for items that start with each letter

27. Go on a nature walk and collect treasures to make a collage

28. Create, color, and mail a greeting card

29. Do a blindfold smell test of different ingredients and spices

30. Create a time capsule and bury it in the backyard

31. Take the kids on a road trip. If you’ve got little ones, make sure to bring baby toys to keep them engaged during travel; for older kids, our Play to Go Ice Cream and Play to Go Cookies play sets make for great on-the-go fun

32. Collect and paint rocks

33. Make handprint art to give to grandparents (e.g. Turn a handprint into a flower and write "Grandparents help us grow!")

34. Transform a cardboard box: make it a castle, a diorama, a secret headquarters—there’s no limits on kids’ imaginations

35. Start a collection (seashells, pretty pebbles, bottle caps)

36. Put on a puppet show

37. Fly high on a kid-powered, open-ended pretend jet pilot adventure

38. Make art outside

39. Set up an outdoor obstacle course with things to climb over, under, and around

40. Create your own restaurant (complete with name, menu and decor)

41. Set up a temporary outdoor playroom with a tent filled with toys, books, and stuffed animal friends

42. Visit a fire station or other local landmark and learn about its history

43. Host an indoor family picnic on a blanket

44. Stock a dress-up bin, then see how many characters you can come up with

45. Make a blanket fort

46. Make personalized placemats for each family member

47. Create a family handshake

48. Stage your own Fun at the Fair with toys like our exciting Stunt Car jump!

49. For parents & caregivers with babies, make sure they’re hitting key developmental milestones; when age appropriate, encourage them to do “tummy time” every day with baby toys like our Ocean Tummy Time Triangle

50. Host a pretend pizza party for friends and family with our Wooden Pizza Food Truck

51. Practice pretend self-care: visit the Barber Shop or Beauty Salon for pretend glow-up fun!

52. Perform random acts of kindness for friends and family

Have fun!

For more screen-free activities, follow the blog links below:

Shop All Melissa & Doug Arts & Crafts

Shop Melissa & Doug

Create a Child’s Art Studio in 6 Easy Steps

Unplug with Melissa & Doug: Fun Play Ideas for Global Day of Unplugging

30 Best Childhood Games to Share with Kids Today

35 Ways to Bring More Screen-Free Fun to Your Child's Life