15 Screen-Free STEAM Activities for Kids

Photo of a young boy holding a small planter with a growing seedling.

How many times have you heard “I’m bored” from your kids? Probably too many to count. A lot of times when kids are bored, they’ll turn to screens–television, video games, tablets. And when you’re busy or exhausted, it may be difficult to figure out some new activities for them. 

Check out these 15 screen-free activities to keep your kids learning, using their imagination and creativity, and having fun. 

  1. Build a rocket ship using cardboard
  2. Build a small raft that can float in water and hold weight (pennies, marbles, etc.) without sinking
  3. Turn an old toy into something new
  4. Design your own puzzle
  5. Construct a marble roller coaster
  6. Create puppets and put on a puppet show
  7. Build a tower from paper and paper clips that is as tall as possible and that can hold as much weight as possible
  8. Make a collage using only items found in nature
  9. Create your own board game
  10. Engineer a marshmallow catapult
  11. Build a Rube Goldberg Machine
  12. Create your own scavenger hunt
  13. Build an obstacle course
  14. Learn a new skill (e.g., cooking a meal, using power tools)
  15. Grow a fruit or vegetable

For more STEAM activities, check out the Destination Imagination blog