10 Screen-Free Activities to Do With Your Young Kids This December
December can feel like a blur of to-do lists, sugar highs, and “just let them watch one more show so I can finish this.” I get it. But there’s also something really special about slowing down this month and leaning into simple, screen-free moments with our kids — the kind they actually remember. You don’t need elaborate plans or Pinterest-perfect crafts. Here are 10 realistic, cozy, screen-free activities for young kids this December that fit into real life.
12/1/2025
1. Make a Daily December Craft Drawer
Fill a small basket with paper, stickers, pompoms, glue, and crayons. Let the kids create freely each day. No rules. No end goal. Just hands busy and imaginations working.
2. Bake One Simple Recipe Together Each Week
Choose one cookie, muffin, or no-bake treat per week. Let them pour, stir, and taste. The mess is part of the memory.
3. Go on a “Lights Walk” After Dinner
Bundle up and walk your neighborhood to look at holiday lights. No destination. Just noticing and talking. Don't want to walk? No worries, hop in the car.
4. Create a Holiday Book Nook
Gather all your seasonal books in one cozy corner with blankets and pillows. Read a few pages every night before bed.
5. Do a Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt
Pinecones, crunchy leaves, bird tracks in the snow, evergreen branches — winter still has so much to explore.
6. Wrap and Deliver a “Kindness Gift”
Bake something simple or make a card and quietly leave it on a neighbor's porch. Kids love the “secret mission” feeling.
7. Time Stamp Outside Time
Get bundled up, set the timer, give the kids a few tools (shovel, frozen blueberries, sticks) and see what they come up with. I guarantee your 10 minute timer will turn into an hour before you know it!
8. Let Them Help With Real Life
Kids love feeling useful. Have them:
Match socks
Wipe low shelves
Sort ornaments
It may take longer, but it builds confidence and connection.
9. Make a Family Memory Journal Page
Have your kids draw what December feels like to them — snow, lights, hot chocolate, trees. Add their words underneath.
10. Do “Yes” Time
Set a 15–20 minute timer and let one child choose the activity. You follow their lead — no distractions, no phones.
You don’t need to remove screens completely to create meaningful moments. Just a few intentional, unplugged pockets of time can change the entire rhythm of your month — for your kids and for you.
December doesn’t have to be loud to be magical.