Keep your kids’ screen time in check with these helpful tips and tricks.

Technology is a wonderful tool for kids when it’s used in the right way. Unfortunately, it’s also really easy for kids and adults to get sucked into the virtual world and spend way too much time staring at the screen, especially right now when everyone is stuck at home.

Here are 10 awesome activities to keep your kids (and even you) off screens while you’re at home.

1. Cover a table and let your kids have a slimeapalooza.

There’s something about slime that seems to keep kids entertained for hours. Not only it is fun to make, but it provides a relaxing sensory experience for kids of all ages. We bet you can’t resist sticking your hands in it too!

Let your kids have their own slimeapalooza by trying out a bunch of new DIY slime recipes. Here is a really fun fluffy slime recipe that’s also easy to make.

2. Take over the living room with a huge blanket fort.

The classic blanket fort is something that’s been entertaining kids forever. Gather up extra beddings, move any delicate items out of the living room, and encourage your kids to build the biggest, best fort they can.

As an added bonus, let your kids sleep in their fort for the night as a little indoor camping experience. Take it a step further by making hotdogs and s’mores for dinner.

3. Trade household chores and tasks for prizes or treats.

Kids off screens and chores being done without asking? You bet! Turning household chores into a way to earn prizes is a sneaky way to keep kids busy and having fun while you attend to your own tasks.

A fun idea is to pay your kids in Monopoly money as they complete chores or tasks. They can then “pay” for certain treats, a new toy, or even screen time later on in the day.

4. Bake some sugar cookies and set up a decorating bar.

Baking cookies is an easy way of entertaining kids and teens for an afternoon. Plus, who doesn’t love a fresh sugar cookie?

Look for a rolled sugar cookie recipe (like this one) to make decorating easier. You’ll need cookie cutters for these, but if you don’t have any on hand you can always use a drinking glass. As the cookies are baking, set up a decorating bar complete with sprinkles, different colored and flavored icing, edible gems, and whatever else you and your kids fancy.

5. Set up your kid with coloring pages and play an audiobook.

Coloring, along with painting and drawing, is a great activity when parents want their kids to relax and unwind for some quiet time. It works equally well for very young kids as it does with older teens. A Google search will yield a ton of free coloring printables as well.

You can make coloring and art time more entertaining by playing an audiobook in the background. Audible has a great selection of audiobooks for kids, including plenty of classic and new stories.

6. Put away the tablet and read a real book or magazine.

Kindle has made it easier than ever to read books, but it also takes away from the intimate experience of curling up with a real book. Not to mention it’s easy for kids who are supposed to be reading to get distracted as they get notifications on their phone or tablet.

Encourage your kids to spend time reading every day. You can each read your own books or take turns reading out loud as a family.

7. Put your family’s quick thinking to the test with charades.

Board games are tried and true for family bonding, but nothing quite beats charades when it comes to mixing family time with a ton of laughs.

You can either look for your own charades prompts online or you can find actual games for sale. One super fun option is Guesstures by Hasbro. Cranium is another Hasbro game that combines charades with sketching, sculpting, and other activities.

If you’re buying a charades game online, be sure to double-check that it’s family friendly.

8. Combine fun and education with a family science fair.

Science experiments are timeless. Even though the kids might be home from school, you can still get in the science fair spirit by having one at home with your family.

Rather than have everyone work on the same project, let each family member choose their own project to create. Once everyone is finished, each family member can present their experiment and explain how it works.

Google is once again going to be a handy way of finding science experiments for kids, teens, and adults in your family. Here is one resource to get you started.

9. Make D.I.Y lava lamps or sensory water bags.

Lava lamps were created back in the 60s but they are just as mesmerizing for kids today.

DIY lava lamps are surprisingly easy to make and allow for plenty of customization in terms of color, glitter, and other effects. Here are instructions on making a basic D.I.Y. lava lamp in a water bottle.

Another great idea, especially if you have toddlers or preschool-age kids, is to make sensory water bags like these.

10. Create fairy/firefly jars and turn off the lights.

Fairy or firefly jars look beautiful and can even double as decor for your kids’ rooms afterward.

There are a couple of ways of making fairy/firefly jars. One of the more popular options is to break open a glow stick (see here). This makes for a really incredible effect, but eventually, the glow will disappear. A permanent option is to use glow-in-the-dark paint in place of the glow stick (see here).

Remember to take it easy on yourself when it comes to your screen time expectations.

Things aren’t exactly normal in the world right now and that means that usual household rules may not work quite as well as they did before. Many parents are finding that as much as they want to limit screen time, juggling kids and trying to get work done makes technology a very tempting distraction.

And you know what? That’s totally ok!

Practice being flexible with your family’s routine. That might mean some days are gloriously screen-free and others you rely on the TV to keep your toddler busy during your conference call. Find what works for your family, adapt to it, and don’t be afraid to change things up if you find something isn’t working.