Staying home doesn't have to mean being glued to a television or computer screen. If you're looking for some creative, screen-free alternatives for the whole family, these are a few ideas to consider:

1. Organize a scavenger hunt. You can enjoy this fun activity without leaving your house or expand to include a backyard if outdoor space is available. You can also scale the difficulty level to match your child's age. For example, ask younger children to find items that represent a rainbow of colors (something red, something orange, etc.). Make this more challenging for older children by giving them a list of items to find with specific attributes (something shiny, something old, something expensive, something heavy, etc.). Then, have your child explain why they choose each item.
2. Camp at home. Introduce your kids to the joy of camping without the travel logistics or expense of visiting a campground. If you have a safe backyard space and good weather, pitch your tent outside, grill hot dogs and watch the stars come out. If indoor camping is a better option, set up the tent in the family room or make a fort with pillows, blankets and sleeping bags. Use LED candles to make a "campfire" and read stories together before bedtime.
3. Bake together. Start a family tradition of learning new recipes together. Recipes that involve dough, like biscuits, bread and pizza, are especially fun for younger children who enjoy squeezing the dough with their fingers. Older children with some experience in the kitchen might enjoy tackling a more challenging baking project, like decorating a multi-layered cake.
4. Host a family game tournament. Pull out your favorite board games and let the competition begin! In addition to classics like Monopoly, Life, and Sorry!, older children may enjoy strategy games like Sequence, Ticket to Ride, and Catan Jr. Depending on your child's age, card games like go fish, Uno, and hearts can be fun, too.
5. Hold a puzzle challenge. When everyone works together, solving a big jigsaw puzzle can be surprisingly fast. You could challenge everyone to complete the puzzle in a set time frame and see how close you can come to completing it. Try a puzzle with a similar number of pieces the next weekend and see if you can beat the family time record.
6. Get active in the backyard. Playhouses, climbers, swing sets, slides, and trampolines can provide hours of outdoor fun and activity. To stay safe, it's important to maintain the equipment, regularly inspect it for damage and use it appropriately. Of course, a backyard playset is not a requirement for getting active outside. Jumping rope, playing badminton, tossing a Frisbee, or playing games hide-and-seek can be just as fun.
7. Get active in your living room. If outdoor space isn't available, there are still options for burning off energy indoors. Try an online yoga class geared for children or a virtual dance class. And there's always the family classic, Twister, which offers a version using Amazon's Alexa to call out colors.