Sometimes I let my kids do quiet screen-based activities to earn more screen time, and I know I’m not the only one. Other days, I need everyone to walk away from the TV, tablet, laptop, and phone and Do Anything Else.
We love these adorable printable activities for busy kid hands (and sometimes ourselves, too!). Share any of your other favorites in the comments below!
Coloring Sheet and Games from Zip Code East Bay Realty
This print-out is like a very artistic, hyperlocal children’s menu you might find at your favorite diner with games, coloring, and simple activities. We love the East Bay twist Zip Code East Bay Realty brings to the mat.
Outside the Lines Coloring Book by Letters, Aligned (10% of sales benefit homeless youth)
Meg Adler’s debut coloring book was inspired by quarantine and the East Bay. Outside the Lines: A Coloring Book for Rebels includes pages to color (obviously), prompts to sketch, draw, and doodle your own sheets to “cover every spec of paper with creation”. You may download the pages or order from her as a little book with proceeds to benefit homeless youth. Download Outside the Lines from Letters Aligned >
DIY Hand Puppets from the experts at Children’s Fairyland
Stage to thousands of puppet performances, Children’s Fairyland in Oakland created a printable template to help creative kiddos keep the show going. Mix and match the parts to make your own special puppet. Download a set of eyes, mouths, and more to create simple hand puppets with Fairyland magic.
Fairyland has also posted a free printable coloring book for the youngest of Fairyland fans. Anyone who mails in their coloring pages with a clearly marked return address will receive snail mail from Fairyland’s elves in response! (Mail your finished pages to:
Quarantine Diary from Apex Leadership
This fill-in-the-blank quarantine journal for kids is a gem for any personal time capsules in the works. It includes a letter to ones future self, a self-portrait, spaces for coloring, and many easy questions to take a little snapshot of now.
More printable activities we like:Â
