How often do we have days where we are just not feeling homeschool? The days when you want your kids to learn something you just don't wanna go through all the effort of clearing off a space, printing everything, getting all the supplies, making the list of what needs to be done, and getting everything prepared. I'm talking about those days. And on those days, we usually turn to screen time to cover for us. Well, that's why I am making this list. I want to give you a list of things you can do on those days, that are screen-free, AND that's open and go!
1. Nature Gathering
For this, you just need some sort of bowl/bucket/container. Now send your kids outside or everyone can go out and just walk around. Honestly, so much learning comes from not just being out in nature, but also while searching for things to pick up. It forces your kids to really notice the things around them and appreciate what the Earth provides. Even when you just want to lay on the couch all day, if you have a safe yard, then send just the kids outside to gather things. Just because they are You'd be surprised how even a plain grassy yard can hold many wonders.
2. Open up a subscription box
I know you might be thinking, on a day when I don't feel like homeschooling, it's not like I can get a box mailed to me in an hour. Well, this is where some light thinking ahead comes in. Sign up for a subscription box like Bookroo or Ivy Kids, then hide it in your closet or amongst your homeschool things. So the next time one of those days rolls around, you can just bring out the box and BOOM! Screen-free and educated. Btw, if you haven't read it, this is one of the things I said I would do in my homeschool, if I had a million dollars.
Bookroo's mission is to enable and empower parents to build their children's book collections in an affordable and exciting way through curated monthly book deliveries. We send beautiful collection editions of our favorite books from publishers, that not only will families want to read again and again, but also look stunning on your shelf. Book boxes are geared for ages 0-12.
Ivy Kids Kits is an award winning and well-established subscription box company for children ages 3-8. Ivy Kids creates monthly book-inspired, activity packed educational kits. Each Ivy Kids kit includes a carefully selected, highly rated children's book and over 12 fun, creative, and unique hands-on activities that promote the development of math, science, literacy, engineering, and art skills through play and exploration. Inside an Ivy Kids kit there are board games, arts and crafts, science experiments, projects, math manipulatives, story characters and so much more. Everything you need to read, play, create and learn is included in the kit and conveniently delivered monthly!
3. Country/City Finder
If you got a map or globe handy, then play a fun screen-free game of find that city or country. This can be played amongst kids or between you and the kids. The rules are simple, someone says a place, and the other has to find it on the map or globe. That's it! Most of us adults can think of place names off the top of our heads to this game is perfect for those who want to scroll their phones while their kids have all the fun. You could go more in depth with this by providing a blank map and a list of places for them to find. Then when found, they mark it on their own maps.
4. Makeshift Band
The kids will probably love this! Send them into the kitchen to scour your cabinets for things that could be used to make music. They will have so much fun figuring out what noises different objects make and then how to make a beat with them. This is such a simple screen-free activity, but for those who struggle with loud noises and being overstimulated, you might want to find a quieter place to hideout or just skip this activity all together.
5. Impromptu Gardening
If you happen to have a packet of seeds and something to dig with, then send your kids into the yard to plant you a beautiful garden patch. They will have so much fun digging in the dirt, scattering seeds, covering them and watering them. Their joy will brighten your day when a week later they see little sprouts pop up.
And while they are out getting dirty and being screen-free, you can sit back and relax. Perhaps try some aroma therapy. There are some great relaxation products at Laguna Herbals like their Stress Free CBD Oil.
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6. Build a Fort
You might be thinking “how is this educational?”, but this screen-free activity does help not only with creativity development, but also shapes and spatial awareness. All you have to do is say, “hey, why don't you grab all the pillows and couch cushions, along with some sheets and throw blankets, and see what kind of building you can make. If you've seen the latest episodes of Bluey, then you can refer to the episode “Cubby” where Bluey and Bingo build a very large pillow fort in their living room. You'll have to accept the mess the living room might look like after though. However, if your kids could put it together themselves, they can definitely take it down themselves.
7. Make Letters or Cards
This is especially fun if there is a holiday or birthday coming up soon. For example Valentine's day is a beloved one. Have the kids create valentines for each of their friends and family members. You can show them the common symbols of Valentines day such as hearts and arrows. Perhaps even open up that heavily guarded sticker drawer and let them go at it. For the older kids, they can also write a little letter in the cards to express their friendship or love.
I have a Valentines Day Unit Available in my Shop. I contains lots of great Valentine's Day Activities including making Valentines day cards.
Valentine's Day Coloring Pack
This Valentine's Day, delight your little ones with our charming and interactive Printable Valentine's Day Coloring Pack! Designed with love and creativity, this digital coloring book is the perfect way to engage children in the spirit of Valentine's Day, right from the comfort of your home.
8. Character Dress Up
This is really fun for those kids that have a favorite character. In this fun screen-free activity, you assign a character to each kid and tell them they have to go and dress up to look like the character. They have to try and look like the character from head to toe. So if the character where Bluey, then they would need to dress in various shades of blue. They would need to figure out a way to make their nose black, and their mouth yellowish. If you assigned the character Marshall from Paw Patrol, then they would need to find red, black, and yellow clothes and hat. But also look for black and white clothes for their legs and arms. You can make it even more fun by allow them to not only use their own clothes, but to look through the grown-ups clothes too. The results will be a hilarious and cute kid dressed in various clothes that don't really fit.
9. Play Puzzle Mix-up
This is exactly as it sounds. You just get some puzzles, preferably the toddler ones that are wooden, or at most some 50 piece puzzles, and you dump them out in a pile. I know it really hurts your OCD to do this. Even as I type this, it is hurting my brain thinking about mixing up puzzles. But that's where the kids come in, their job is to separate them back out. That might not sound as fun in our minds, but this screen-free idea is a big hit with kids. They love looking at each piece and figuring out the colors and if they match or not. You can even take it another step and make it a race to see who can find all the pieces to their puzzle the fastest. Don't worry, they don't have to actually build the puzzle themselves, just sort them. Meanwhile, you can sit back and relax. I listed the puzzles we use for this below.
10. Use a Magnifying Glass
So simple, yet so fun. Magnifying glasses open up a whole new world. The Micro-world. So if you have one, give your kid a magnifying glass and maybe even an old toothbrush. Then send them to the hidden corners of the house to find gross dirt and leftover crumbs. Maybe they will get lucky and find a hiding spider. You can expand their world even more by sending them outside where the magnifying glass will discover much more life.
Conclusion
I hope this list is good enough for you to come back to each time you wake up and just KNOW that homeschool is just not happening today. These activities invite learning while also being screen-free and very low prep. Let me know in the comments or by email if you have any other activities to add the list! I'd love to know!
