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Screen free play ideas
Real, hands on things to do with what you already have in the house. Every idea is screen free, tied to one of our weekly themes, and written for children aged 4 to 11. Pick an age and the weather outside your window.
18 ideas for age 4 to 6, outdoor
Build a bug hotel
Stack sticks, bark and old plant pots into a cosy hotel and see who checks in over the week.
4 to 67 to 9Outdoor
Symmetry leaf hunt
Collect leaves, fold them down the middle and sort them into the almost symmetrical and the wonderfully wonky.
4 to 67 to 9OutdoorSunny day
Pond dipping with a washing up bowl
Scoop a little pond life into a shallow bowl, watch it closely, then put every creature back exactly where it came from.
4 to 67 to 910 to 11OutdoorSunny day
Shadow drawing three times a day
Draw round a shadow in the morning, at noon and in the afternoon, then work out what moved.
4 to 67 to 9OutdoorSunny day
Pine cone bird cafe
Roll a pine cone in lard and seed, hang it up and keep a tally of every visitor.
4 to 67 to 9OutdoorRainy day
Seed bomb wildflower balls
Squash compost, clay and wildflower seed into balls and plant a patch that feeds the bees.
4 to 67 to 9OutdoorSunny day
Garden sound map
Sit still for five minutes, mark every sound on a map and discover how loud quiet really is.
4 to 67 to 910 to 11OutdoorSunny day
Mud kitchen potions
Mix mud, petals, water and grass into potions, then name each one and describe what it does.
4 to 6OutdoorRainy day
Measure a tree with a hug
Use arms, string and steps to work out which tree in your street is the oldest.
4 to 67 to 910 to 11Outdoor
Conker ramp races
Build ramps from books and baking trays and find out what makes a conker roll furthest.
4 to 67 to 9IndoorOutdoor
Bird cake for winter birds
Mix seed into softened fat, press it into a cup and hang it out for the hungriest month.
4 to 67 to 9Outdoor
Ice suncatchers on the line
Freeze petals, berries and leaves into ice discs and hang them out on a frosty morning.
4 to 67 to 9Outdoor
Frozen bubble hunt
On a freezing morning, blow bubbles outside and watch crystals grow across them before they pop.
4 to 67 to 910 to 11Outdoor
Frogspawn watch and life cycle wheel
Look for spawn in a local pond, then make a spinning wheel that shows each stage in order.
4 to 67 to 9Outdoor
Bee cafe and pollinator count
Plant or place a few flowering pots, then sit still for ten minutes and count every visitor.
4 to 67 to 910 to 11OutdoorSunny day
Stick race and river map
Race sticks under a bridge, then draw a map of the stream showing where the water runs fastest.
4 to 67 to 910 to 11Outdoor
Tide line survey
Walk the strand line with two bags and sort what the sea brought in from what people left behind.
4 to 67 to 910 to 11OutdoorSunny day
Rock pool two minute watch
Choose one rock pool, watch it without touching for two minutes, and list everything that moves.
4 to 67 to 9OutdoorSunny day
Want the whole week planned?
Homeschool Club builds your weekly plan around ideas like these, keeps your records for you, and leaves room every day for the Wonder Hour.
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