My Favorite Screen-Free Toys to Encourage Imagination
You don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to be screen-free. A lot of us have ended up with many lousy toys; toys that have batteries and provide most of the entertainment for the child. Kids end up barely using their imaginations and get bored easily because of a short attention span. We had quite the collection of battery powered toys in our house to no fault of our own. All it takes is a couple of birthdays and holidays, and they seem to multiply at the hands of well-meaning family and friends!
If you have found yourself surrounded by these kinds of toys, your first step is to get them out of your house. You can sell them and use the money to buy some basic toys which will encourage imagination! If you don’t have the money right now, these make great gift ideas.
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Sidenote: If you want to strengthen your resolve about technology, you need to check out this book.
Favorite screen-free toys to encourage imagination
Basic Building Toys
From the time kids are little they hold blocks and chew on them. Then they build them and knock them over. As they grow they do more and more things with building toys. Here are the building toys we have had for years and play with non-stop
I prefer Legos that have no instructions to block a kid’s thought process, but to have a million possibilities. Once the choking hazards stage is over, Legos come out in full force around here. Tinker Toys are fun with endless possibilities to create. I remember playing with them for hours as a kid at my grandparent’s house.
Board Games
I am all about preserving the family board game tradition. Kids learn SO much from board games. It teaches them how to lose gracefully and be happy for the winner. It teaches about strategy and counting. But beyond all those wonderful things, board games bring families together. We have spent hours playing these games. We have many more games, but right now (kids ages 8-3) these are my top games for keeping kids interested and involved.
Camp is awesome because it challenges everyone, as there are different levels of questions. Even the three year old has a ball, and I get questions wrong. If your kids love The Wild Kratts or anything outdoors, they will LOVE this game. Spy Alley is a game that my 8 year old plays with her cousins or friends. Kids play it over and over for hours and always have great fun with it. Finally, slap jack is played several times a day, everyday. As they get older we will play Speed, Hearts, and the likes.
Outdoor Play
Is it just my kids or are all kids compulsively digging in the dirt? My kids have a dig spot and they go crazy. They will be out there digging for an hour. I like to put all those digging skills to good use, so they have garden tools to help me garden. They also have their own garden spots that they take great pride in caring for. Bubbles and sidewalk chalk are obviously favorites among kids, even my 8 year old still enjoys them. And if I’m being honest, I get great satisfaction playing with bubbles and chalk myself!
My Two Favorite Indoor Toys
These are some of my absolute favorite indoor toys because my kids never grow tired of them. I love, love, love this Ikea kitchen. We have had this set of Play-Doh tools for years. I love that the tools are the right size for their little hands and sturdy. You might be able to find them cheaper at the store, but I have never seen the classic Play-Doh set anywhere else.
Kids don’t need much to have fun
I highly recommend these toys. My kids have all of them and they play for hours with them. They show me things they have created and I am blow away by their imaginations. In addition to these toys, they also have pencil, paper, crayons, and a small, self-managed craft area.
If a simpler childhood sounds like something you want for your home, but don’t know where to start, check out the post below.
Related Post: How to Detox Your Kids from Screens
If you have any questions or need some support getting screens out of your home, drop a comment below. I want you to be able to experience the peace that a screen-free home can bring to your family.
