Pulling little ones away from screens can be tough, but screen-free activities for kids don’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, the simplest activities are the ones that spark the most creativity, boost social skills, and encourage healthy, active play. If you’re looking for engaging ways to keep kids entertained, here are some suggestions the whole family can enjoy, even baby dolls.
Outdoor Adventures with Baby Dolls
Fresh air and sunshine make every day better. Whether in the backyard, at a nearby park, or on a family walk, kids and their baby dolls will love getting out and making memories in nature.
- Backyard Play: Set up a blanket and some of your LullaBaby Feeding Accessories, and have a baby doll picnic with snacks and drinks for your kiddos. When snack time is over, enjoy the sun as your child takes their baby doll on a “nature adventure,” collecting leaves, flowers, or pebbles for baby doll.
- Outdoor Walks & Routine: Establishing an outdoor routine helps kids develop a love for fresh air while making lifelong family memories. Whether it’s an after-dinner walk with the LullaBaby Doll & Carrier Set or an afternoon of running and playing at daycare, regular outdoor time fosters healthy habits for kids. Not to mention, the caregivers get to enjoy “green time” while watching their kids exercise and explore outdoors.
Reading & Storytelling with Baby Dolls
Kids love screen time because it transports them to an exciting imaginary world. You can do the same in a more interactive way by spending more time reading and storytelling.
- Storytime Snuggles: Bedtime stories are fun for parents, kids, and the stuffed animals and dolls that listen. Carving out reliable moments for reading, like before bed or after school, will improve language skills and vocabulary, memory and comprehension, and, most importantly, create a strong bond between reader and listener.
- Make-Believe Stories: Once your kids develop a love for reading, their minds will start whirling as stories grow in their imaginations. The more books you read, the more likely it is that your child will start inventing stories and characters of their own. Why not encourage them with a few stories of your own? Grab one of their favorite baby dolls, give them a name if they don’t already have one, and then describe all the incredible adventures they had while your little one was at school or sleeping. Build on that story night after night, and soon enough, your little ones will take over and finish the story themselves.
Coloring & Drawing Fun
Never underestimate the power of a few markers and a blank piece of paper. Not only can coloring and drawing occupy kids for hours, you get to keep their adorable artwork to remember these fleeting childhood moments.
- Tandem Artwork: If your little one is unengaged or bored with classic coloring sheets, a fun way to make memories and create art they love is to draw something for them and get them to color it in. Start with easy shapes and characters they love, like the LullaBaby bath dolls, and you’ll see your art skills improve along with theirs, making tandem coloring one of your new favorite family activities.
- Paper Dolls: When your little one learns to stay in the lines and their scribbles become a real talent, it might be time to find a more challenging coloring project. Get out the scissors and those baby doll drawing skills you’ve honed and just out paper dolls for them to dress up with crayons and markers. You can even cut out different outfits for them to color too.
Active Play & Physical Games
Dolls aren’t just for quiet play—they can be part of active, movement-filled screen free activities too. While baby dolls are cuddly and sweet, they’re also great dance partners and love to be tossed up in the air, as long as your little one is there to catch them.
- Toss & Catch: Kids aren’t the most coordinated, but practice makes perfect. Set your little one up for sports team success by practicing key athletic skills like catch. But why use balls when there’s more motivation and incentive to catch a baby doll? Let your little one know their friend is safe, even if she tumbles. Keep practicing and watch as your child becomes more coordinated, all in the name of protecting their beloved baby doll.
- Dance Party: If your child has lots of extra energy, put on their favorite song or movie soundtrack and get them moving. See if their doll can wiggle and shake as well. Once they’re huffing and puffing you know they’ve had a good time.
Screen free activities for kids don’t have to be hard work for parents. If you still want to relax and watch your kid-focused and happy, these four activities not only grab and hold their attention but work on key skills they need to grow up. The more engaged they are now, the more you’ll thank yourself for it later. You never know which memories will stick in your child’s mind long term, but wouldn’t it be nice if it were one of these.