Unique Screen-Free Toys and Activities for Preschoolers (Ages 3-5)

Last Updated on October 20, 2024 by Erin

In this post, I’m going to share with you the unique screen-free toys and activities I have used in my home and in my work as a pediatric speech-language pathologist. These are activities that encourage creativity, imagination, and problem-solving. They also keep kids occupied for more than a few minutes, which is a huge win for busy moms.

Is there a time and place for screens? Absolutely! We try to keep it to 30-minutes daily during the week and a few hours on the weekends for Saturday morning cartoons and evening movies. I think that’s realistic for most families.

Sometimes, you might need to use screens a bit more. Those times might be when mom is sick, you’re all on a long road trip, or you’re trying to care for a newborn while your preschooler is also at home. Don’t feel bad about it!

Why do we even need to moderate screen time?

The key is moderation. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes that media can enhance lives when used “thoughtfully and appropriately.” Once you go beyond the recommended max of one hour a day, you can run into some developmental risks. Those risks include:

• decreased physical activity, which leads to other health problems such as childhood obesity
• interrupted sleep patterns and insomnia
• diminished social-emotional skills
• lack of imaginative play
• decreased creativity
• difficulty problem solving and engaging in critical thinking
• exposure to inappropriate content and harmful advertisements
• increased impulsivity
• decreased time reading and developing literacy skills

This is why it’s great to have some screen-free toys and activities in your parenting toolbox. Not only does it help your child develop important skills while limiting screen time, but it also keeps them entertained and engaged for hours on end. No batteries or added input required – just imagination!

Characteristics of a great activity

I try to look for toys and activities that provide endless opportunities for creative playtime, encouraging my kids to use their problem-solving skills and push the boundaries of their creativity. Anything that has noise and flashing lights I avoid like the plague.

As long as you’re giving your children these opportunities for screen-free play, you can take advantage of all the benefits screen time offers without having to worry about screen addiction.

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If you’re looking for a way to keep the little ones busy without screens, gives these ideas a try:

Art and Crafts

• invest in window markers and let them doodle on your sliding glass door
• let them play with washable watercolors and watercolor paper
• make paper airplanes
• make jewelry with pipe cleaners and beads
• face painting – if you’re not going out in public later 🙂
• draw hands and nails on piece of paper and let them design nail art
• have them draw a picture and then cut it up for a homemade puzzle
• playdough or modeling clay
• make or put together paper chains for upcoming events and holidays
• make a bird feeder with pinecones, peanut butter, and bird seed
• paint and color rocks
• edible art with whipped cream, sprinkles, and fruit

Outdoor Activities

• eat a picnic in the backyard
• see how many different bugs can be found outside (hint: lift up rocks or downspouts)
• go on a scavenger hunt
• throw every single ball you own into the backyard and see what they come up with
• invent a new sport
• set up an obstacle course
• hang up your bird feeder
• look for 4-leaf clovers
• make a leprechaun trap
• water play with everyday items in your kitchen (add food coloring for extra fun)
• clean the house or deck with spray bottles
• make mud pies
• get binoculars and look for different birds
• set up an herb or fairy garden

Reading/Literacy

• play with magnetic letters on the fridge or dishwasher
• turn on Super Simple Songs or Little Baby Bums playlist for rhyming song and nursery rhymes
• make rebus stories with stickers
• encourage them to draw pictures to tell a story
• practice writing letters in kinetic sand or shaving cream on a tray
• audiobooks
• read books checked out from the library
• read poems just for kids while having a tea party
• have a special basket of seasonal books to look through

Cooking

• let them pretend to cook with dry pasta and different utensils and containers
• let them help you bake something simple like banana bread
• have them cut up fruit and veggies with kid-safe knives
• make a fruit smoothie together
• let them spread ingredients on a pre-made pizza crust
• practice measuring solids and liquids with measuring cups
• use a cookie decorating kit
• taste test different cooking spices or condiments
• have them prepare baggies of snacks for the week
• organize coffee pods into a drawer organizer
• sort silverware from the dishwasher

Music and Dance

• play music and have a dance party (we keep a jar with different musical artists written on a piece of paper…the kids take turns picking the artist of the day)
• sing familiar songs and have them join in
• let them play with rhythm instruments
• read books with a musical theme (Peter and the Wolf) and introduce them to the music
• play Freeze! with music to encourage listening skills
• go on a sound scavenger hunt to listen for environmental noises (sirens, birds, motorcycles, etc)
• set up karaoke
• create instruments with household materials

Building and Construction

• LEGO blocks
• magnetic building materials (ex: Magnatiles or PicassoTiles)
• marble run towers
• turn cardboard boxes into a vehicle or tower
• use wrapping paper tubes as a fun ramp for cars
• give them your recyclable materials and some tape and see what happens
• make a structure with dry spaghetti or toothpicks and marshmallows
• popsicle sticks and playdough
• build a classic fort with furniture and blankets
• use painters tape or special road tape and let them create a city for their cars
• pattern blocks and shapes
• wooden train sets

Board Games and Puzzles

• Cooperative board games (Peaceable Kingdom brand)
• Seek and find games (Spot It Jr or Eye Found It)
• floor puzzles
• Memory games
• Bingo or Zingo
• Jenga
• Dominoes
• Connect Four
• Simple card games like SNAP or Go Fish (tip: invest in card holders for little hands)

Imaginary Play

• pretend kitchen with materials you provide
• dress up sets
• create and wear animal masks
• dolls and action figures
• decorate a doll house
• pretend store using empty boxes and pretend food
• puppet show
• firefighters (use the water hose or squirt bottles and water guns)
• vet clinic for stuffed animals
• pirate adventure using carboard boxes and paper towel tubes
• design an imaginary creature and describe it so mom and dad can draw it
• shadow play with flashlights

There you have it! Screen-free toys and activities are important for preschoolers as they help to enhance their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. They also promote creativity, imagination, and social skills. Make sure to balance these activities with their screen time, so you don’t have to worry about a screen addiction down the road.

I hope found a few ideas that you can easily implement in your household or some ideas to add to their gift wish lists down the road. Is there anything not on the list that has helped keep your own children engaged for hours of screen-free fun? Let me know in the comments!

Save or share this post if you found it helpful or if you want to refer back to it later. I will keep adding as I discover new screen-free toys and activities that are perfect for preschoolers.

Sincerely,

Erin