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

One of the best ways to get kids away from screens? Give them something worth looking at in the real world!

Whether you’re heading out on a full-day family adventure or simply walking around the neighborhood, there are so many opportunities for kids to explore, observe, and discover without a single screen in sight.

To give your family a little inspiration, I’ve put together 25 Screen-Free Ways to Explore – plus a free printable checklist so the kids can keep track of their adventures!

Why Encourage Screen-Free Exploration?

Exploring certainly doesn’t have to mean packing the car and driving hours away from home. Kids can explore their own backyard. They can look for birds around the neighborhood, study the clouds, collect leaves, visit the library, or check out a park they’ve never visited before.

And, as a homeschool mom, I especially love how easily exploring can turn into learning. A nature walk can become a science lesson. A museum visit can spark an entirely new interest. A trip to a state park can lead to conversations about wildlife, geography, history, and conservation.

Sometimes the best learning happens simply because kids were given the opportunity to get out there and experience something for themselves! Pretty cool, right?

If you’d like to make exploration a bigger part of your homeschool days, check out my 25 Budget-Friendly Homeschool Field Trips for even more ideas!

25 Screen-Free Ways to Explore

Ready for an adventure? Here are 25 screen-free ways to get the kids exploring:

1. Go on a nature walk
2. Go on a scavenger hunt
3. Visit the library
4. Observe the clouds
5. Go birdwatching
6. Look for shapes in the clouds
7. Explore tide pools
8. Visit a local museum
9. Go on a bug hunt
10. Explore a new park or trail
11. Go on a geocaching adventure
12. Study plants in your yard or neighborhood
13. Go stargazing
14. Visit a farmers market
15. Explore a new playground
16. Go on a bike ride
17. Visit the zoo or aquarium
18. Talk a walk at the beach
19. Look for animal tracks
20. Explore a cave
21. Visit a botanical garden or arboretum
22. Collect leaves and identify trees
23. Take a neighborhood walking tour
24. Explore a state or national park
25. Discover somewhere new you’ve never been

The kids definitely don’t need to complete all 25 in a week – or even a month! Keep the list somewhere handy and use whenever your family is ready to get out of the house, try something different, or turn an ordinary day into a little adventure.

If a museum is on your list, I’ve also created a free Science Museum Activity Packet that kids can use before during, and after a museum visit.

Don’t forget about the journey itself! My Road Trip Scavenger Hunt Printables can encourage the kids to actually look out the window and explore their surroundings while you’re traveling! I suggest printing them out and then laminating so they can be used again and again.

Grab the Free 25 Screen-Free Ways to Explore Printable

You know I turned this into a printable, right?! Of course!

The 25 Screen-Free Ways to Explore printable is an easy way to encourage kids to get outside, visit new places, notice what’s around them, and discover something new. Hang it on the refrigerator, add it to your homeschool space, or keep it with your family’s adventure supplies. Whenever you’re looking for something to do, choose an idea and start exploring!

How many of the 25 can your family 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 Create
• 25 Screen-Free Ways to Connect

Complete all four and you’ll have 100 screen-free activities ready whenever your family needs a break from technology.

And, if exploring new places and trying new things sounds like your family’s idea of fun, you’ll definitely want to check out our Family Learning Adventures! They’re all about giving families simple opportunities to learn together, try something different, and make some pretty awesome memories along the way.

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