Screen-free activities for kids
Games, building projects, and little adventures that captivate kids so much they completely forget about their tablets and phones.
Do you know that feeling? The tablet shuts off, and suddenly the mood drops. Not because kids don’t know what to do without a screen, but because the transition is tough. That's exactly when you need an idea that sparks quickly.
We've put together some screen-free activities that will truly engage kids: games that can be played right away, building and crafting projects for little inventors, role-playing adventures right outside the door, and calming ideas for the evening when you'd usually be watching another episode.
With just one click, you can find the complete step-by-step guide for each idea. Most of it can be done with things you already have at home, and a lot of it doesn’t even require any materials.
Get started right away, no preparation needed
The hardest moment is often right after turning off the screen. These ideas require little to no materials and are ready to go in just a minute.
Lava Run Game
The floor is lava! Use cushions, blankets, and chairs to create safe islands and jump from one to the next without touching the ground.
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Animal Fitness on a Big Safari
First, you stomp around like an elephant, and then it's on to the crocodile: on this safari through the living room, you mimic the movements of African animals, and I'm sure everyone will think of another animal too.
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Dancing with a Balloon
Music on, balloon up: While dancing, the balloon must not touch the ground, whether you keep it in the air with your head, your knee, or by blowing it.
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Sock Hunt
The pile of single socks turns into a fun competition: Two teams race against the clock to find matching pairs, and in the process, the laundry gets sorted.
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Guess the Number
One person thinks of a number between 0 and 100, and the others guess it, receiving only the hints "higher" or "lower". It works anywhere, even in the waiting room.
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Boredom Navigator
The answer to "I'm bored": Each child takes turns coming up with an adventure they would love to experience and shares it with the others.
View instructions →Building, molding, tinkering
When hands are busy, screens are quickly forgotten. Here, stacking, shaping, and building happens, sometimes in just ten minutes, other times as a project for an entire afternoon.
Tower on a Stone. The Secret of Balance
A tower made from ordinary building blocks ends up standing on just one single block. The moment you pull out the crucial block from the bottom is always exciting.
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Building Dominoes
Brick by brick, a whole domino city comes to life. It takes steady hands and a bit of patience, and that's what makes it so enjoyable.
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Making Salt Dough
Flour, salt, water, and a splash of oil are all you need to make a dough that can turn into figures, pendants, and little works of art.
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Create Wooden Stick Creations
Using wooden sticks and glue, you can build just like on a real construction site: a house, a bridge, or even a whole castle, whatever comes to your mind.
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Build a Magnet Fishing Rod
A branch, a string, and a strong magnet make a fishing rod that lets you reel in bottle caps and other metal treasures. Who can catch the most in one minute?
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Cardboard Drink Machine. Your Mini Kiosk Adventure
The big project for a long afternoon: a cardboard box turns into a vending machine with a dispensing flap and a coin compartment, ready for some kiosk fun afterwards.
View instructions →Role-playing and creating your own stories
In role play, children become veterinarians, chefs, or jungle explorers, and they create the story themselves. Many of these ideas can fill an entire afternoon.
Become the Best Stuffed Animal Doctors in Town!
The stuffed animals are sick and need help! With a waiting room, a doctor's bag, and printable patient cases, the kids' room turns into a veterinary practice.
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Sofa Safari
With a flashlight and maybe a magnifying glass, the sofa turns into a jungle. Cushions and blankets become tunnels and hiding spots, and who knows what treasures you might find between the cushions.
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Put on a Puppet Show
A cloth between two chairs is all you need for a stage. Then just come up with a story, maybe a mystery about Grandma's missing cake, and the show can begin.
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Create a Shadow Theater
With a shoebox, some parchment paper, and a flashlight, you can create a little shadow theater. An adult can cut out the opening, while the kids can come up with the characters and stories.
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Create a Story with Words
Everyone writes down five words on slips of paper, which all go into a bowl. Whoever draws one has to tell a story that includes that word, and it often turns out to be wonderfully crazy.
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Playing Chef Assistant
With a real recipe and an adult by their side, kids become little cooking assistants: measuring, chopping, mixing, until something delicious is ready on the table.
View instructions →Get outside
There's so much to discover outside that the screen quickly fades from memory. You don't need a big trip for that; often, just the yard, the park, or the garden is enough.
Jumping in Puddles
Put on your rubber boots and head outside: After a rain shower, the best puddles are waiting right at your doorstep. It costs nothing and will definitely bring out those bright smiles.
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Collecting Colors
On an old piece of cardboard, paint colorful squares and take it outside. Can you find a natural object that matches each color?
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Nature Bingo
A simple egg carton turns into a portable bingo game. The search begins outside, and whoever is the fastest wins, whether alone, in a duel, or as a whole group.
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Collecting Moments of Joy
Instead of gold and diamonds, you’re looking for little moments of happiness: a special stone, an animal by the roadside, a leaf dancing in the wind.
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Forty Hopping
All you need is a piece of chalk: draw 40 colorful number boxes on the pavement and then hop through them in order. A classic for the yard or the street in front of your house.
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Camping in the Garden
The big adventure, without going far: a night in a tent in your own garden, with stories and songs in the evening and birds chirping in the morning.
View instructions →Finding calm without a screen
After a busy day, winding down with a show is tempting. These calming ideas are perfect for relaxing and can easily become part of a little evening ritual.
Queen and King of Silence
Who can manage to be completely silent? In the kingdom of silence, you listen together to the sounds that suddenly become audible, and afterwards, you can share what you noticed.
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Fantasy Journey: The Dolphin Cove
Close your eyes, and off we go on a journey to a warm beach with friendly dolphins. You read the short fantasy journey aloud, and the kids just listen and relax.
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Create Your Own Drawing Roll
Several DIN A4 sheets are glued together to create a long paper strip where a painted story can keep growing. It can be stored in a self-decorated box.
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Building a Stone Tower
Stone by stone, slowly and with focus: Building a tower from collected stones is wonderfully calming. It's best done in the garden or right in front of your own door.
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Tea Break
Boil some water, pick your favorite tea, and grab a few cookies: a shared tea break with a book or a chat quickly becomes a little ritual that everyone looks forward to.
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Doing Nothing
Put away the phones, turn off the TV, and just do nothing: look out the window, daydream, and enjoy the silence. It may sound unremarkable, but it’s good for the whole family.
View instructions →Noch mehr Inspiration?
Die Grubenfuchs-App!
- Über 1.000 Ideen & Partyspiele für Kinder
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And yes, the free Grubenfuchs app works on a screen. But it's designed for that moment when you're looking for an idea: take a quick look, pick something, put your phone away, and get started. Have fun during your screen-free time!