38 Screen-Free Activities to Engage Your Child Offline
In today’s digital age, your child might often gravitate towards screen-based entertainment, sometimes to the point of overlooking the value of quality time spent with others (in real life). We believe that by exposing them to a diverse variety of activities which appeal to their interests and intelligences, they would be encouraged to spend less time on their devices.
In this article, we will explore alternative activities designed to promote social interactions with friends and family, inspire creativity, build strengths and overall provide memorable experiences without the heavy reliance on electronic devices.
We’ve categorized each activity according to its cost, ensuring options for every budget.
| Legend | $ | $$ | $$$ |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | In between $21-50 | Above $50 |
(1) Visual-Spatial
Photo from Canva
If your child has high visual-spatial intelligence, they will enjoy activities that allow them to indulge in their ability to imagine and visualise stories, scenarios and images.
Hands-On Activities
| Activity | Cost | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Rubix Cube | $ |
|
| Activity Books (e.g. Maze, Spot the Difference, Colouring Books) | $ |
|
| Puzzles | $-$$ |
|
| Clay Modelling | $ |
|
| Scrapbooking | $$ |
|
| Paint by Numbers | $ |
|
Outdoor Activities
| Activity | Cost | Events/Locations/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Visit Botanic Gardens | Free | To view what ongoing exhibitions are held, check out their website to see if anything is to your child’s fancy! |
| Explore Street Arts | Free |
|
| Visit Museums | Free- $$ |
|
Additionally, you can also follow @pluralatmag on Instagram to be updated on free activities to do every week!
(2) Verbal-Linguistic
Photo by Canva
If your child has high verbal-linguistic intelligence, they will enjoy activities that are based on language reasoning, rather than visual imagery.
| Activity | Cost | Events/Locations/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Crossword Puzzles | $ | Can be purchased at Popular bookstores |
| Word Games (e.g., Boggle) | $ | Can be purchased at Popular bookstores |
| Visit the Library | Free |
|
| Attend Drama Courses (e.g., Boggle) | $-$$ | Visit your neighbourhood’s community centres for available courses |
| Join Model United Nations (Model UN) | $-$$ |
For students who want to challenge themselves, they can sign up for Model UN programmes that will allow them to enter a debate on a particular topic. For more information about the Model UN, read this article by Stanford University. There are many Model UN opportunities in Singapore, but here are some notable beginner friendly ones that your child can begin with: |
(3) Body-Kinesthetic
Photo by The Rock School
If your child has high body-kinesthetic intelligence, they will enjoy activities with lots of movements, are active and engage the whole body.
Activities with Friends and Family
| Activity | Cost | Events/Locations/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Explore Singapore’s Park Connects | Free-$ | Challenge yourself to do a coast to coast cycling route and explore Singapore!
Check out which park connector is located closest to you. |
| Rock Climbing | $$-$$$ |
Find out which climbing gym is suitable for your child’s level. Additionally, rock walls are located in SAFRA Yishun ($), where your child can challenge the tallest rock wall (15m) in Singapore! Alternatively, you and your child can head over to HomeTeamsNS Khatib ($$$) for their indoor playground, which includes a variety of rock walls, man-caving and a high elements course. |
| Join the Community Sports Clubs | $ |
Check out the sports clubs that your local Community Centre has to offer! |
| Pilates/ Martial Arts Classes | $$ |
You can explore fitness subscriptions such as Classpass, where new users will have a 30-day free trial, after which you can purchase credits and continue trying out different classes and workshops! |
Individual Activities
| Activity | Cost | Events/Locations/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chapteh | $ |
|
| Follow YouTube Workout Videos | Free |
For young children: |
| Follow YouTube Dance Tutorials | Free | Here’s a curated playlist for your child to follow. You can even join them as a family bonding activity! |
(4) Interpersonal
Photo by Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth
Children with high interpersonal intelligence will enjoy activities that allow them to interact with others.
Weekends/Holidays Activities
| Activity | Cost | Events/Locations/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hawker Centre Hopping | $ | For affordable yet delicious food for foodies, you and your child can explore the different local eats across the nation. Here's a curated list of hawker centres across Singapore that you can visit with your child.
Happy eating! |
| Visit Famous Parks across the Island! | Free |
|
After School Activities
| Activity | Cost | Events/Locations/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Play Sports With Friends | Free | Team sports ideas
|
| Play Board/Card Games with Friends | $-$$ | Can be purchased at Popular bookstores or Toys”R”Us:
|
(5) Logical-Mathematical
Photo by Canva
If your child has high logical-mathematical intelligence, they will enjoy activities that allow them to think logically.
| Activity | Cost | Events/Locations/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chess | $ |
|
| Sudoku | $ |
|
| Rubix Cube | $ |
|
| Detective Novels | $ |
|
| Visit the Science Centre | $ | Spend half a day exploring the scientific theories behind common phenomena such as lightning, magnetism, stars and planets!
Visit their website for more events and ticketing information. |
(6) Intrapersonal
Photo by Canva
Children with high intrapersonal intelligence typically enjoy engaging in activities that allow them to learn more about themselves and reflect on the results.
| Activity | Cost | Events/Locations/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Take Personality Quizzes | Free | |
| Start a Journal to Reflect on Day-to-Day Events | Free-$ |
Write about your day’s events or ask reflective questions such as:
|
| Take a Quiet Walk Around Parks in Singapore | Free |
|
| Follow a Meditation Guide or Video on YouTube | Free |
For young children: |
(7) Musical-Rhythmic
Photo by The Esplanade
Children with high musical-rhythmic intelligence are recommended to engage in activities related to music.
| Activity | Cost | Events/Locations/Details |
|---|---|---|
| Attend Performances | Free |
Be sure to be on the lookout for any performances held at any of the locations listed below. You can follow their Instagram or Facebook page, or check their website for any updates.
Closest MRT: Esplanade, City Hall, Promenade
Closest MRT: Botanic Gardens More information here.
Closest MRT: Clementi, Dover More information here. |
| Attend Workshops Conducted by the Esplanade | $-$$$ | In addition to attending their free performances at the Outdoor Theatre, your child can participate in workshops organised at the Esplanade for them to explore their talents in music. Stay updated by checking their website to see what workshops are coming up! |
| Sing Karaoke | $-$$ |
|
| Use Garageband to Create a Song | Free | Download Garageband here: Download on Apple Download on Windows |
