Kids' Activities by Age: Free Printables and Screen-Free Games
What are the best activities for kids at each age? Under 4s enjoy simple, hands-on play such as skittles and drawing. Ages 4 to 5 love hunts and pretend play. Ages 6 to 8 enjoy rules, scoring and story games, and ages 9 and over like quizzes and team challenges. Every free printable below is screen-free and takes minutes to set up.
Updated 29 October 2026. Ages are a guide. Supervise young children with scissors, tape, candles and small parts.
Quick guide by age
| Age | School stage (England) | Best activity types | Set-up time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 3 | Toddlers and nursery (EYFS) | Sensory play, skittles, drawing, movement games | 5 minutes |
| 4 to 5 | Reception (EYFS) | Scavenger hunts, indoor trick-or-treat, potion mixing | 10 minutes |
| 6 to 8 | Years 2 to 3 (KS1 and KS2) | Bingo, story chains, games nights | 10 to 15 minutes |
| 9 and over | Year 5 and above (KS2) | Quizzes, charades, riddle hunts, team games | 15 minutes |
Activities for ages 2 to 3
- Design a pumpkin face (ages 3+, free printable)
- 50 Halloween ideas: try spooky statues, ghost bananas and handprint spiders
- Play: Wooden Animal Skittles or Colourful Baby Skittles
Activities for ages 4 to 5
- Halloween scavenger hunt checklist (ages 4+)
- Indoor trick-or-treat cards (ages 4+)
- Potion recipe cards (ages 3+, with an adult)
- Play: Scavenger Hunt Game or Nature Scavenger Hunt
Activities for ages 6 to 8
- Halloween bingo (ages 5+)
- Spooky story starter cards (ages 5+)
- Family games night planner (ages 5+)
- Play: Bingo Set with Dry Erase Cards or Wooden Number Skittles
Activities for ages 9 and over
- Team games night with scoring and a finale
- Halloween award certificates for costume contests
- Christmas quiz
Christmas printables
- Christmas Eve box planner (ages 2+)
- Reindeer food recipe (ages 3+)
- Christmas scavenger hunt (ages 4+)
- Colour-in Christmas gift tags (ages 4+)
- Christmas bingo (ages 5+)
- Christmas charades cards (ages 6+)
- Elf mischief ideas (ages 6+)
- Christmas story starter cards (ages 7+)
- Christmas kindness and gratitude cards (ages 7+)
- Christmas maths mystery (ages 8+)
Rainy day printables
- Rainy day sensory play cards (ages 2+)
- Rainy day colour hunt (ages 3+)
- Blanket fort planner (ages 4+)
- Rainy day bingo (ages 5+)
- Obstacle course cards (ages 6+)
- Box city challenge (ages 7+)
- Comic strip maker (ages 8+)
- Rainy day escape room (ages 9+)
- Rainy day mini Olympics (ages 10+)
- Design a board game (ages 11+)
Seasonal activities
Halloween: start with the 50 Halloween ideas list. Christmas: try the Christmas quiz, Christmas cookies and Christmas recycling crafts.
Frequently asked questions
What are good activities for a 2 or 3 year old at home?
Short, hands-on play works best: simple skittles, handprint crafts, drawing faces on pumpkins and movement games such as spooky statues, always with an adult helping.
What can a 4 or 5 year old do on a rainy day?
Scavenger hunts, indoor trick-or-treat, simple potion mixing and colouring keep this age busy and are easy to set up in ten minutes.
What screen-free games suit 6 to 8 year olds?
Bingo, story chains, scavenger hunts with a timer and family games nights suit this age, because they enjoy rules, scoring and taking turns.
What activities work for children aged 9 and over?
Quizzes, charades, riddle-based treasure hunts and team games nights give older children more challenge.
Are the printables free?
Yes. Every printable linked on this page is free to download, print and share.
How do I pick an activity for children of different ages?
Choose a game with simple rules, mix ages in each team, and give younger children a head start or a helper.
What is the best age to start playing family games?
Many classic games work from around age 3 with a helper, then get more strategic as children grow.
Do you have Christmas activities too?
Yes. There are ten free Christmas printables above, plus our Christmas quiz, cookies and crafts in the Resources section.