25 Screen-Free Ways to Create: Free Printable for Kids

There are plenty of times when screens make our lives easier, but there are also plenty of things kids can create when the screens get put away. Give them some paper, cardboard, paint, building materials, or even a pile of recyclables and see what happens!

To encourage a little more screen-free creativity around your home, I’ve put together 25 Screen-Free Ways to Create. Even better? There’s a free printable checklist to go along with it!

Why Encourage Screen-Free Creativity?

One of my favorite things about creative activities that there there doesn’t always have to be a “right” way to do them. Kids can experiment. They can problem solve. They can change their minds halfway through. They can make something completely different from what they originally planned…and it still turns into their own version of something beautiful!

Yes, sometimes they can also make an enormous mess. We’ll call that part of the creative process…and an opportunity to hone those cleaning skills!

Screen-free creative activities can also sneak plenty of learning into the day. Writing stories builds creative language arts skills. Designing and building encourages problem-solving. Art gives kids opportunities to experiment with colors, shapes, textures, and different materials.

If your kids enjoy activities like these make sure you also check out my Printable Playground, where you’ll find my ever-growing collection of free homeschool printables!

25 Screen-Free Ways to Create

Ready to get those creative wheels turning? Here’s 25 ideas for the kids to try:

1. Draw a picture
2. Paint a masterpiece
3. Make a collage
4. Create a comic strip
5. Write a short story
6. Write a poem
7. Make a friendship bracelet
8. Try origami
9. Design your own bookmark
10. Make something with modeling clay
11. Create something from recycled materials
12. Build a cardboard creation
13. Design your own board game
14. Invent something new
15. Make a mini book
16. Create a scrapbook page
17. Make a seasonal decoration (like these adorable Valentine’s Day canvases!)
18. Design a family flag
19. Make homemade instruments
20. Create a maze for someone to solve
21. Make a crossword or word search
22. Write and illustrate a picture book
23. Design a restaurant menu
24. Build something using only paper and tape
25. Create a time capsule

The best part? You don’t have to turn these into complicated projects.

If the kids want to spend ten minutes drawing a picture, great. If designing a board game suddenly turns into a two-hour project complete with rules, game pieces, and an extremely competitive first round…also great!

Let them create!

If art is their thing, you might also enjoy my free Art Museum Activity packet. It includes activities like a scavenger hunt, writing prompts, vocabulary, and more that can help turn a trip to an art museum into another creative learning experience.

Grab the Free 25 Screen-Free Ways to Create Printable

Of course I turned these ideas into a printable!

The 25 Screen-Free Ways to Create printable gives kids a checklist they can work through whenever they’re looking for something creative to do without reaching for a screen. Print it out, hang it somewhere easy to see, and let the kids choose whichever activity sounds good that day. There’s no required order and certainly no deadline.

How many of the 25 can they complete?

Keep the Screen-Free Fun Going

This printable is part of my 100 Screen-Free Things to Do collection!

Be sure to check out:

• 25 Screen-Free Ways to Play
• 25 Screen-Free Ways to Explore
• 25 Screen-Free Ways to Connect

Complete all four and your family will have 100 screen-free ideas to choose from whenever someone announces those two magical words:

“I’m bored!”

And, when you’re looking for something everyone can enjoy together, check out our Family Learning Adventures for even more screen-free opportunities to play, create, explore, learn, and make memories together!

Until next time, stay safe, & enjoy quality time together,