My two boys (ages 4 and 5) are definitely showing all of the hallmark signs of having a mom who is a kids activities blogger.
They know what Pinterest is and they know how to use it, they often freeze and pose in the middle of doing a craft to ask me if I want to take a picture for the blog, and when it comes to kids activities, it takes a lot to impress them because they’ve seen it all.
It’s a tough crowd around here to say the least.
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But when I first flipped through 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids, I saw plenty of options that I knew would impress my little kids activities experts.
This beautiful book by the talented Asia Citro from Fun at Home With Kids is packed full of colorful photos along with:
-Creative recipes for sensory slimes, doughs and paints
-Ideas for small world play
-Great hands-on sensory activities
-Tutorials for DIY toys
My first look at Asia’s book had the occupational therapist in me jumping for joy at all of the great fine motor and sensory ideas – there are TONS of them and I knew that I would be able to put many of them to good use with my preschoolers and kindergarteners at work!
The book made it easy to peruse my options – each section highlights one activity and lists out:
-How long the activity takes
-What ingredients/supplies you need
-How to make it
-Creative variations on the activity
-Notifications regarding allergies/food sensitivities (e.g. dye free, corn free, gluten free, dairy free, etc.)
I found awesome options that I could make ahead of time and then leave with the classroom teachers to use in their sensory tables when I’m not there.
The book had some ideas for DIY fidget toys that are perfect for my students who have a hard time sitting still during circle time without something to do with their hands. And there were lots of other awesome DIY ideas for working on fine motor skills like grasping and strengthening.
And oh, the tactile sensory activities! Too many to count and perfect for my students who struggle with sensory processing.
But the true test was finding something to impress my two little kids activities experts at home. It didn’t take long. When my boys got their hands on 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids, they were mesmerized and began a chorus of begging and pleading:
“MOM! Can we pleeeeeeease do this one?”
“No, wait. This one…this one for sure.”
“And this one, and this one too, and also this one?”
You get the idea.
So, instead of choosing one activity to highlight the awesomeness of this book. We chose three! :)
First up? Ice Excavation! This was SUPER easy to set up and kept my two little guys busy for well over an hour.
I knew it would be an awesome fine motor and sensory activity, but I didn’t bargain for how this simple idea also targeted social skills and problem solving skills as my boys worked together and tried a million different ideas as a team! They loved trying different tools and ideas together and playing with their toys in a different way.
Next, we moved on to make our own Colored Rice and Colored Pasta! I couldn’t believe how easy these recipes were and I came out with the brightest, most colorful sensory materials a gal could ask for! The kids loved paying with this stuff and the possibilities were endless! This was probably my favorite thing we tried because I got tons of mileage out of the rice and pasta both at home and at school.
Last, but certainly not least, it was time for some small world play. Don’t know what this means? Well, basically, you set up a tray or bin with small objects, toys, and manipulatives to create a miniature “world” that sparks all kinds of great imaginative play.
My boys opted for the Frog World activity. Again, nearly an hour of quiet, imaginative play unfolded right before my eyes as my little guys dove into this small world (sometimes literally :).
So, did we like 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids? Nope.
WE FELL IN LOOOOOOVE! Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and be sure to check out Fun At Home With Kids too!
Looking for an amazing Christmas gift idea? Check out how Asia put together the world’s best kids activities kit, including the book! Brilliant!
So what do you think? Will 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids be on your Christmas shopping list? I just bought two copies myself – the picture above is exactly what all of my nieces and nephews will be getting for Christmas!
*We were provided a free copy of this book for review as part of the official book launch. All opinions and praises shared in this post are genuine.
