10 Unplugged Activities for Kids

Your child spends way too much time on his tab. If it were up to him, he’d spend every spare time he has online, either playing games or watching videos. It’s up to you to entice him to the wonderful world offline. On lazy weekends or on days when classes get called off on account of the weather, present to him unplugged activities which will pique both his interest and curiosity.
We’ve rounded up some unplugged activities that will get your kids’ hands working and their minds churning. Plus, they won’t cost you all that much!

1. Consequence or consequence?

   Here’s a cute twist on the Truth or Consequence parlor game. Take 20 pieces of paper, and ask your kids to think of interesting tasks they’d like you or their siblings to do like singing in a squeaky voice or hopping around like a rabbit. Now put those “consequences” in a bowl, sit around in a circle, and take turns picking out a consequence for the person opposite you.

2. Play piko!

   Does your child know how to play “piko”? It’s a simple but enjoyable game which unfortunately not a lot of kids these days know of. If it’s sunny outside, teach your kids to play this on your driveway. Form the hopscotch pattern with a chalk. If you don’t have chalk, grab a crumbly, clay-like rock which can “write.” If it’s raining, use masking tape to form the hopscotch pattern on the floor.

3. Make your own board game.

   Your kids tell you all the time how good they are in their online games. How about challenging them to make their own game offline? Ask them to make their own board game. Just provide them with their art supplies, and the rest their imagination can take care of. But of course you’d have to play the board game with them afterwards.

4. Stamp it out.

   If you’ve got a yard of any size, then you must have a bunch of leaves on the ground. Ask your kids to pick some. Now take a paint brush, paint, and paper. Ask your kids to brush paint onto the leaves and stamp them onto the paper. Remind them that different leaves make different patterns.  Thus, the more varied the leaves they get, the more interesting their artworks will be. If it’s raining outside, then you can raid your refrigerator for interestingly shaped fruits and veggies. The ampalaya, for example, makes for a unique stamp. You just need two to three slices.

5. Make your own zoo.

   Kids love the zoo, and would usually get excited at the thought of visiting it. Here’s an idea: Why not ask your kids to build their own zoo? Just give them a bunch of colored paper, scissors, markers, and glue. Ask them to cut out animal shapes from out of the paper and then write in the details of their chosen animal.

6. Go camping!

   Whether it’s in the living room with a makeshift tent made out of bed sheets or outside the yard, the idea of camping elicits a warm response among children. So what if they make a bit of a mess? They can all help clean up later.

7. Have a treasure hunt!

   Your kids don’t need to wait for Easter to go on a wild egg hunt. They can do that anytime of the year. Boil a dozen eggs and let them cool. Now here’s the other fun part of the hunt: Have them paint the eggs before you go off and hide them. Have a prize for the child who finds the most number of eggs. If you’re out of eggs, you can use other items like your child’s action figure collection. Hide them in out of the way places, and make like the kids are “rescuing” them.

8. Make your own fairy tale.

   Here’s a great way for the whole family to make a cool fairy tale together. Ask each one to contribute just one sentence at a time. It would be interesting to see where the story takes you!

9. Dress up.

   Kids love to play pretend, and you should allow them to dress up in their favorite costumes even if there’s no special occasion. Make it more fun by asking them to act the way they are dressed. If a child is dressed like a lion, ask him to roar. If he’s The Flash, then he can run around all day.

10. Have fun with paper bags.

    If you have a stock of paper bags, you can use those for more than just makeshift trash bins. The big ones, your kids can craft into paper shirts. Your fashionista child will love this idea as it gives him the opportunity to “design” his clothes with crayon and art supplies. The small ones, your kids can make into paper puppets. The possibilities are endless!

Have fun!