28 Creative Ways for Unstructured Play

28 Creative Ways for Unstructured Play

Kids everywhere will be going back to school soon and once school starts, playtime is just as important but it can be hard fitting it all into one day. We have had to create a list of things that we can easily do to get some fun play time in each and every day. These 28 Creative Ways for Unstructured Play are things that we frequently do spontaneously in our family when we need to play.

If you are anything like me, then you are busy too, and there isn't always time for play. However, I take 30 minutes per day and just be with my kids. We play together, we read together, we cook together. We just get to be a family. Play makes it more fun.

Staying hydrated is just as important to me as play. We start our fun with a CAPRI SUN Organic and I keep plenty on hand for whenever someone is thirsty. We freeze the pouches as well for after dinner when we play card games. See below for more info on CAPRI SUN Organic.

I actively search for ways to have active, unstructured play. This means that we just kind of go with the flow after we pick something below. Here are ways to play.

I actively search for ways to have active, unstructured play. This means that we just kind of go with the flow after we pick something below. Here are ways to play.

28 Creative Ways for Unstructured Play

1. Grab a hula hoop and see who can go the longest without stopping.
2. Play cards right after dinner. One person deals while the others clear the table. Simple and fun. We play a lot of UNO.
3. Teach the kids the game of Four Square. Use sidewalk chalk to draw the lines.
4. Grab some sidewalk chalk and ask everyone to draw a place they would love to travel. Take turns sharing.
5. Practice roundoffs, cartwheels and somersaults in the grass.
6. Jump rope for a while. Now try it jogging around.
7. Ride bikes
8. Have a scavenger hunt.
9. Take a walk around the neighborhood.
10. Play a game like Twister or create something similar.
11. Kick a ball around.
12. Play catch.
13. Fly a kite.
14. Learn a new dance.
15. Play hopscotch.
16. Print some of these adult coloring sheets and grab some colored pencils so everyone can color together.
17. Create a Geocache for your coordinates.
18. Grab everyone in the family and lead a stretching session.
19. Try yoga. Find good videos on You Tube.
20. Create a comic strip for the family.
21. Cut up a magazine picture or something that each person can paint or color in. Cut them up into 4, 5, or 6 pieces. Give each person at least one piece of the picture to color or complete. Put the picture back together to check out the differences.
22. Write a play together and give everyone at least three parts.
23. Learn conversational words in a new language as a family.
24. Use YouTube and teach yourself to play an instrument.
25. Give the dog a good, long walk.
26. Play Frisbee.
27. Fix something together. We always pick something kid friendly and let one child be the project manager.
28. Head to the local park and play.

How do you get playtime in each day? Tell us in the comments