Holiday break is wonderful for about three days. Then the snacks run low, the new toys lose their shine, and someone asks for a tablet. If you have a reader between 6 and 9 at home, this list is for you: simple, screen-free holiday activities that need little more than paper, crayons and a grown-up willing to play along.
I'm Les Erschen Jr. I make puzzle and activity books under the King Bear Squad name, and our newest series started as a gift for my niece, Evelyn. Writing it meant testing a lot of mazes, codes and treasure hunts. These are the ideas that work best for this age.
Our pick for winter break
Evelyn and the Bearberry Treasure Map is a gentle mystery story, a coloring book and an activity book in one, made for readers 6 to 9. Amazon prints, ships and sells it.
10 screen-free holiday activities for kids 6 to 9
1. A living-room treasure hunt
Write five or six short clues on scraps of paper, each one leading to the next hiding spot: under the couch cushion, inside a boot, behind the cereal box. Put a small prize or a favorite snack at the end. Next time, let them write the clues.
2. Secret-code letters to family
Teach the simplest code there is: A is 1, B is 2, C is 3, and so on. Have your child write a short message in numbers to a grandparent or cousin, with the key on the back. It is spelling, counting and a holiday card all at once.
3. Story first, then color
Read one short chapter of a story out loud, then hand over a coloring page from the same scene. Kids remember more of the story when they color it, and the quiet that follows is a gift to every grown-up in the house.
4. Maze races
Draw a simple maze on a sheet of paper and trade it with your child for theirs. Time each other with a kitchen timer. Their mazes will be wild and full of dead ends, and that is half the fun.
5. A kindness countdown
Pick one small kind act for each day of break: help set the table, draw a picture for a neighbor, read to a younger cousin, share a favorite toy. Keep a tally on the fridge. Children 6 to 9 love checking off a list, and this one leaves everyone in a better mood.
6. A thank-you note station
Set out folded cards, stickers and markers on a corner of the table. After each gift or visit, your child makes one card. It turns "write your thank-you notes" from a chore into a craft.
7. A family word search swap
Each person makes a small word search on graph paper using family names, pets and holiday words, then trades with someone else to solve. One tip from someone who makes word searches for a living: grown-ups should look over the random filler letters before the puzzle is shared, because random letters can spell words you did not mean to include.
8. Read-aloud night with a mystery
A gentle mystery is perfect for reading aloud, because everyone wants to guess what happens next. Read a chapter after dinner and let your child keep a "clue notebook" of what they notice.
9. Kitchen helper hour
Measuring flour, counting cookies onto a tray and cracking one egg into a bowl are real jobs for this age, with a grown-up close by. It is math they will actually enjoy.
10. A neighborhood "I spy" walk
Before a walk, make a list of ten things to find: a wreath, a red door, a snowman, a dog in a sweater. Bundle up and check them off together.
An activity book that holds a whole week of ideas
If you would rather have the activities ready to go, that is exactly why we made Evelyn and the Bearberry Treasure Map, the first book in our Evelyn and the King Bear Squad series.
Evelyn is the newest detective of the King Bear Squad, and her first case blows in on the wind. A big gust tears her Welcome Map into eight pieces that fly all over the town of Bearberry Hollow. With her friends and seven wonderful dogs, including Little Bear, the black Pomeranian based on our real dog, Evelyn follows one gentle clue after another. At every stop she helps someone first, and every piece of the map holds one secret letter.
Every chapter has:
- a story chapter set in big, easy-to-read 16 point type
- a full-page coloring scene with bold, simple outlines
- three activities, such as mazes, word searches, secret codes, picture sudoku, matching and counting
There are also Meet the Squad pages, a map of the town to color, 15 hidden crowns to find in the coloring pages, bonus puzzles, a badge to design, a detective certificate and a full answer key for grown-ups. It is a gentle mystery with no villains and nothing scary, just kindness, clever thinking and dogs who love their friends. Kids can enjoy it alone or with a grown-up.
The paperback and hardcover hold all of the activities. The Kindle edition is the story on its own, which is handy for reading aloud at bedtime. Crayons and colored pencils work best on the pages.
Coming soon: more Evelyn books
Evelyn's adventures continue with Evelyn and the Missing Christmas Crown, then Evelyn and the Secret Thank-You Notes and Evelyn and the New Year Lantern Countdown. Each one is a new gentle mystery with its own coloring pages and activities. We add each book to our Kids 6 to 9 page as soon as it is ready: see all Evelyn books.
Tips for making screen-free time stick
- Pick a time and keep it. "Puzzle time after breakfast" works better than "go find something to do."
- Do the first one together. Read the chapter out loud, then let them take over the activity.
- Keep supplies in one box: crayons, pencils, a sharpener, an eraser and a clipboard for car rides.
- Let them check their own answers. Hand over the answer key at the end so they can grade their own work.
- Make it a little bit special. A cup of cocoa and a blanket turn an activity book into a holiday tradition.
Every Evelyn book was made with love for Evelyn by her Uncle Les and her family, and we hope the young readers in your family love them too. See all Evelyn books.