Screen-Free Christmas Activities for Kids 6–10

The Christmas holidays are long, and for children aged 6 to 10 that often means a lot of time on tablets and TVs. There's nothing wrong with a film on a rainy afternoon, but most parents would love a few more screen-free hours. The good news is that this age group is perfect for puzzles, crafts, games and small projects, especially with a festive twist. Here are our favourite screen-free Christmas activities, grouped by type, with ideas for quiet time, family time and travel.

Puzzles and brain games

Puzzles are ideal holiday activities because children can do them alone or with family, and they're easy to take anywhere.

• Logic puzzles. Small grid puzzles with simple rules are perfect for this age. Children love the "I worked it out!" moment. A kids' logic puzzle book with picture rules and answers at the back keeps them busy for days:

Paperback · Kids 6–10

Logic Puzzles for Kids

120 Star and Sun & Moon Brain Games, Ages 6–10

Kid-sized versions of our crown and sun-and-moon puzzles, from little 4×4 grids up. Screen-free thinking for road trips, quiet time and classrooms.

• ✓120 puzzles in 3 levels: Easy, Medium, Tricky
• ✓Picture rules and secret tricks
• ✓Answers, a make-your-own page and a certificate

Get it on Amazon

• Free printable puzzles. Want to try before you buy? Our free printable logic puzzles include a kids' pack with 12 star and sun-and-moon puzzles and all the answers. Print them for a quiet afternoon.
• A Christmas treasure hunt. Hide small treats around the house with rhyming clues that lead from one to the next. Older children can write clues for younger siblings.
• Christmas word searches and crosswords. Make your own with festive words for an extra personal touch.
• Secret codes. Write a Christmas message in a simple code (A=1, B=2…) and let children decode it. Then let them write one for you.
• A family jigsaw on the dining table that everyone adds to throughout the holiday.

Crafts

• Paper snowflakes. Fold, cut, unfold. Simple, magical, and a lesson in symmetry.
• Homemade decorations: salt dough ornaments, paper chains, pine-cone creatures.
• Christmas cards for grandparents, neighbours and friends.
• A gingerbread house or biscuit decorating, a craft and a treat in one.
• Wrapping paper design: decorate plain brown paper with stamps, drawings and stickers.

Games for the whole family

• Card games like Snap, Go Fish, Uno and simple trick-taking games.
• Board games suited to mixed ages, especially cooperative ones where everyone wins or loses together.
• Charades and Pictionary with a Christmas theme.
• Twenty questions and other guessing games that work in the car too.
• A family quiz night, with questions written by the children for the adults.

In the kitchen

Baking is a wonderful screen-free activity, full of measuring, counting and patience. Try simple recipes like gingerbread biscuits, chocolate crispy cakes or decorated cupcakes. Let children read the recipe aloud and measure the ingredients; it's maths practice in disguise.

Outdoors

When the weather allows, get outside:

• A winter nature walk collecting pine cones, holly and interesting leaves for crafts.
• A light walk in the evening to look at neighbours' decorations.
• Snow activities if you're lucky: snowmen, sledging, animal track spotting.
• Bird feeders made from pine cones, peanut butter and seeds.

Quiet time activities

Every family needs a calm hour after the excitement. Good quiet activities for this age include:

• A puzzle book and a pencil. Logic puzzles are absorbing and silent.
• Reading, or listening to an audiobook together.
• Colouring and drawing, including mindful colouring books for older children.
• Building sets with picture instructions.
• Writing: a holiday diary, a story, or a letter to a friend.

Activities for travel

Visiting family often means long journeys. Pack a small "travel kit" with:

• A puzzle book and pencils (a clipboard helps in the car).
• A magnetic travel game.
• A notebook for drawing and word games.
• An audiobook or a list of car games like "I spy" and the alphabet game.

A sample screen-free day

Here's how a relaxed holiday day might look:

• Morning: a puzzle page with breakfast, then a winter walk to collect pine cones.
• Late morning: a craft project with the pine cones: bird feeders or decorations.
• Lunch, followed by a quiet hour with books, colouring or a logic puzzle.
• Afternoon: baking gingerbread, then decorating it.
• Early evening: a family board game or a treasure hunt with clues.
• Bedtime: a story and one riddle to sleep on.

Screens can still fit in, perhaps a family film in the evening, but the day has plenty of other things to look forward to.

For siblings of different ages

Mixed-age families need activities that stretch. Cooperative games, baking and treasure hunts work for everyone. For puzzles, give each child a book at their own level, or pair an older child with a younger one as a "puzzle buddy". Older children are often proud to explain the rules, and younger ones love being included.

When the weather is bad

Rainy or snowy days call for indoor adventures. Build a blanket fort and read inside it, set up an indoor obstacle course, hold a family talent show, or start a "puzzle marathon" where everyone tries to finish as many puzzles as they can before dinner. A big shared jigsaw is perfect for a long grey afternoon.

Tips for screen-free success

1. 1Don't ban screens completely. Set a gentle routine instead, such as screens after lunch, and puzzles and play in the morning.
2. 2Make the alternatives easy to reach. A "holiday basket" with puzzles, crafts and books in the living room gets used far more than a cupboard full of games.
3. 3Join in. Children are much more likely to choose a puzzle or game if a grown-up plays too.
4. 4Celebrate small achievements. A finished puzzle page or a homemade card deserves real praise.
5. 5Plan one special activity a day, like baking or a treasure hunt, so every day has something to look forward to.

Keeping it calm for parents too

Screen-free holidays shouldn't mean exhausted parents. Choose activities children can do on their own for part of the day, like puzzle books, colouring and building sets, so you get a break too. Prepare a few things in advance: print puzzles, gather craft supplies in one box, and write treasure-hunt clues the evening before. A little preparation turns screen-free days from hard work into the relaxed, cosy holiday everyone hoped for.

Learning without noticing

Many of these activities quietly practise school skills: baking is measuring and fractions, treasure hunts are reading and following instructions, logic puzzles are reasoning and patience, and writing cards is handwriting and spelling. Children won't think of it as learning, but they'll go back to school in January a little sharper than they left.

Grandparents can help

Visiting grandparents are often the best screen-free entertainers. Ask them to teach a card game from their own childhood, share old family photos and stories, or tackle a puzzle together. Children love learning a "grandma game" or "grandpa trick", and it gives everyone a calm, connected afternoon.

A screen-free countdown

If you're reading this before December, try a screen-free advent countdown: write one activity from this list on a slip of paper for each day and pop them into an advent calendar or a jar. Children love the surprise, and you'll never run out of ideas. For more puzzle-based ideas, see our guide to logic puzzles for kids and our list of stocking stuffers for kids who love puzzles.