Screen-Free Activities for School Vacation

School vacations can mean hours of unscheduled screen time—kids ages 8–12 now spend 4–6 hours daily on screens, and tweens and teens average nine hours. To avoid excessive TV, tablets, and video games, try these proactive ideas for elementary-age children (and many appeal to older kids, too).

  1. Go Outside
    If you have a yard, play hide-and-seek or build a fort from snow or sticks. No yard? Head to a local park or take a neighborhood walk. A scavenger hunt or a game of I Spy can make exploration fun.
  2. Visit the Library
    Stock up early in vacation on books, puzzles, and games. Ask about a “Library of Things”—many branches lend crafts, tools, musical instruments, birding kits, telescopes, and even metal detectors.
  3. Build a Living-Room Fort
    Drape blankets or sheets over chairs, bring in pillows, sleeping bags, and flashlights—and let the fort stay up all vacation. Kids can even sleep in it at night.
  4. Create a Living-Room City
    Use blocks, Legos, boxes, and toy cars to design roads, buildings, and parks. Expand the city each day and keep it up for the entire break.
  5. Get Creative with Crafts
    Stock up on poster board, large paper, paints, and markers. Make murals, comic books, posters, or simple sewing or knitting projects. Play music to inspire creativity.
  6. Read Aloud
    Choose engaging books—Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, or works by E.B. White and Roald Dahl—and act out the voices together.
  7. Put on a Puppet Show
    Make sock puppets or use dolls and action figures. Create a stage from a cardboard box and a draped cloth, then write and perform short plays.
  8. Play Board and Card Games
    Rediscover classics like checkers, chess, Uno, Connect 4, Twister, Clue, Scrabble, or Monopoly—fun for all ages and perfect for family time.
  9. Bake Together
    Use mixes or pre-made cookie dough for an easy start. Decorate with frosting and sprinkles, then turn on music and dance while treats bake.

While some activities require adult involvement (like baking or reading aloud), many can continue independently once set up. Children need time to use their imagination and play—so start an activity today, and you might find yourself having fun alongside them.