As you can probably tell from the name of my site, my goal in life at the moment is to keep toddlers busy, healthy, and happy. And it’s not an easy thing to do. Like at all. But it’s sooo important. The funny thing is that it doesn’t just stop there. We live in an age where we are given so many options of entertainment via screens and other gadgets (and they work) but then we are told too much of it can be detrimental for our children. It’s like showing us candy and then saying we can’t have any LOL. Nonetheless we are here and I decided to take some time today to talk about 50 Screen Free ways to keep toddlers busy! So here are the facts first. – – I’ve read that up to 70% of parent would like to see less screen time. The main idea behind this list is to give our kids something to get lost in other than the screens.  So it must be fun and engaging, and often times we have to show extra interest and participation to get the ball rolling. I personally love to see my toddlers being creative and imaginative.  I love to see them with books, experimenting, playing , or just running around. – What Are the Screen Time Recommendations? Most of us know that there is a lot of information and research out there about screen time. If a child has unlimited access to interactive media in particular (cellphones, Ipads, video games), there are certain aspects of their well-being that can be affected.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming. For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. For children ages 6 and older, place consistent limits on the time spent using media.” – The funny thing is I often spend time trying to prevent my kids from becoming bored. But sometimes, it’s actually Good to be bored for a little bit..  I have witnessed some of my kid’s most creative moments when they were a little bored. It’s amazing. Then we go on to do some great activities. I really truly believe that our kids have more fun doing things that don’t involve screens, but it is easy to get sucked into the screen life and forget. Especially when we as parents have things that we need to get done. The kiddos just need a reminder. So take a look at the awesome activities below and let me know what you think! – Keep Toddlers Busy with These Great Ideas! 2 Outdoor Activities – Go to a local high school football game Just recently my family and I bought a house and moved to a new city and state. It just so happened that the local high school and middle school are around thee corner from us, so we decided to catch a game with the kids one Friday night. Let me tell you. They. Had. A. Ball. Games, snacks, cheering, mascots, chaos. They loved it and it was a great family moment for my 2 and 4 year old. Family bike ride A simple bike ride with the family is always a great idea if the weather permits. It’s free, easy to get going, and takes up a significant portion of time. Let’s be honest, sometimes we just need some time to pass 🙂 (and make memories of course) – Make a mess Well, they are kids. Mess is kind of their MO. Dump all the toys out in the playroom and let them have it it. Worry about the clean up later! – Ice cube games This activity is great for warmer weather. If you stick some pom poms and water in an ice cube rack and freeze it, you will literally have an almost no prep activity that your kids can play with over and over again. Its great for sensory play and pairs well with sidewalk chalk to extend the play time. To learn more check out my post on Frozen pom poms! – Encourage outdoor play and play dates Back yard swing sets, play dates at the playground, sprinklers, hide and go seek, rolling down the hill, eating dirt, whatever. As long as it’s outside! According to a Faculty Editor at Harvard Health Publishing, outside play not only gives them Vitamin D and exercise, but improves executive function, taking calculated risks, socialization, and nature appreciation. – Trip to the Dollar Tree to get crafts So this is seriously on of my go to activities. If my son has a great week, I allow them to pick out One item at the store. They always pick out a few and then I help them to narrow it down. It’s amazing what you can find to craft with at this store. – Bubbles Good old fashioned bubbles, you can’t beat it. If you are like me, you are not about to be blowing bubbles on a stick for an hour, so make sure you are prepared with an automatic bubble machine like this one. Absolute life savor. – Indoor Play Areas I’m honestly not sure how I would functions without these! I use them VERY frequently. I’m talking Burger King, Chik-fila, the mall, you name it! It’s free and you don’t have to buy anything. – Sidewalk chalk Another favorite that is sure to please the kiddos. These days there are so many creative products to enjoy this simple activity, but good old regular chalk works just fine as well. – Community events and library events This is another one of my favorites. If you know where to look, there are so many free events taking place all over. Hop online and search for your local library. You will more than likely find a schedule for all of the libraries in your county or city. – Picnic at the park Self explanatory and so much fun! It doesn’t get much better that slides, swings, and snacks. Just make sure you get a sturdy mat like this one in the picture. I use it for everything, including the beach. – Walk the neighborhood There is nothing like a stroll with the kiddies. Easy and a great way to get some exercise for everyone. – Wash the car Isn’t it so funny how the little ones love to help with some of the fun chores, but we know it wont last? Your kids will enjoy this more than you, but at least you get a clean car out of the deal! – Pitch a tent and camp out in the backyard I’ve always wanted to do this! At some point I will get a kids tent (one that keeps out bugs and feels really sturdy ) and have a great time out back with the family. One day.. But if it’s your thing, don’t wait! It doesn’t have to be at night. – Jump rope Have a contest and make it fun! Sometimes old school is the best school. – A trip to the beach or a volley ball court Sand is sand! My kids have had a ball with beach toys at the volley ball sand court. Creativity is the key 🙂 Just make sure that no one is using it! – – Indoor No Screen Activities – Dance to some music This one right here ALLOWS ME TO STAY SANE! Music is the universal gateway to my kids emotions. I always play soft, slow (but happy) music during dinner, (I have a dinner play list) and I have also pepped my bored kids up on sooo many occasions with Kid’s Bop and Disney Soundtracks. It’s definitely my number one activity. – Painting with Dot Markers Dot markers are another staple in my house. I have literally been using them once a couple of weeks for about two years now, and I haven’t had to buy any more. Check out this awesome activity here! – Build a fort I absolutely LOVED to build forts when I was a Kid. I think we probbaly built hundreds of forts during my childhood. The ones where we used pillows, blankets, and chairs were absolutely the best. But you can also get forts to build that are more sturdy lie this one. – Do board games For younger kids like mine, my favorite board games that can actually keep their attention is Candyland, Shoots and Ladders, Connect Four (although they don’t actually play it right, and Hungry Hundry Hippo! – Cooking lessons Your kiddos will feel like grownups if you get them cooking in the kitchen. It may take a lot of patience and extra time on our part, but the reward is an adorable little kid having a great time. Start with something simple like making cookies and you will have a blast! – Put on a play This is an awesome idea, I must say. Toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids love the attention, and we get to sit down for a while as we watch. If you are really serious about it, try one of these awesome portable stages! – Toy bath So you mean to tell me that we can have fun And get clean? At the same time? This idea is so cute. Who said we can’t have fun in the bath sometimes. You can throw some toys in or we could create some 2 ingredient shaving cream paint. Find out how here! – Create a busy box Busy boxes are the holy grail. they provide entertainment for longer periods of time and the preparation is so worth it. Here is a great idea from theleangreenbean.com to get you started: – Play doh My kid is serious about his play-doh. I was go so far as to say it’s our most used toy of all time lol. He loves planets, and it easy to make planets with play-doh, as well ad everything else. Every parent should have a play-doh stash with play-doh toys like these. – Paint Pumpkin We have been painting pumkins for 6 months now in my house. We started in October for Halloween, we painted turkeys, we painted Christmas trees, and now we are painting hearts in February. It’s actually a pretty decent canvas because it can be wiped clean and used over and over again. – Include them in your day This one is a complete necessity and will make your child feel like a million bucks. Things may go a little slower, but let them help you clean, run errands, cook, even get dressed or do your hair. The rewards are tremendous. – Magnets on fridge No need to explain. If you need a quick 10 minutes to do something have the kids sort by color, spell names, but the alphabet in order, or even make shapes on the fridge – Rice Bin This is a great sensory activity for the kids and you can be super creative with it. Here are some ideas from BusyToddler.com ! – Edible sensory activities Yogurt painting is the best when the kids are at the table and you don’t want them to move! Check out my 2 ingredient art post here. – Pom Pom Play There are literally too many ways to do crafts with pom poms. we did a name craft below but I’ve done, frozen pom poms, Christmas trees, and snowmen in the past. Be creative! – Indoor stuffed animal picnic This is just the cutest thing ever. I’ll just leave it at that. Try it 🙂 ffffff Holiday Crafts The kids are home and this is the time to break out the crafts. These easiest crafts for me include play-doh and printables. Check out my Christmas crafts post and bookmark it for the holidays! – Help...