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A family tradition is more likely to last when it is simple, predictable, and shaped by the people who take part in it. Choose one screen-free activity, attach it to a familiar time, and agree on a small version you can manage even during a busy week. It could be a Friday meal, a short walk after dinner, bedtime reading, or a Sunday puzzle—not an elaborate event.
What makes a screen-free tradition last?
The best choice is not the most impressive activity; it is one your family can repeat and enjoys enough to keep. The American Academy of Pediatrics describes family rituals as activities that become regular, predictable, and integral to family life. Its examples include conversation, recreation, reading or singing aloud, holiday activities, and spiritual pursuits. HealthyChildren.org: Your Family Rituals (updated December 16, 2025).
Build the habit around four practical features:
- A familiar cue: Tie it to a recurring day, meal, or part of the day so everyone knows when it happens.
- A manageable version: Pick something that still works when time or energy is limited. The guidance supports simple, repeatable routines; it does not prescribe a minimum duration.
- Shared ownership: Let children help choose the activity, theme, or role. Sesame Workshop advises involving children and choosing traditions the family wants to maintain. Sesame Workshop: Creating Family Traditions
- Room to adapt: Keep the recognizable cue while adjusting the activity for age, weather, access, or changing interests.
CDC guidance on building structure emphasizes consistency, predictability, and follow-through, while recommending that routines fit a child’s understanding and capabilities. It suggests starting with important parts of family life such as meals, bedtime, or mornings. CDC: Tips for Building Structure
How do you make the routine genuinely screen-free?
Agree on what “screen-free” means for the activity, then have adults follow the same expectation as children. For example, put phones in a shared parking place during dinner or leave them outside the room for bedtime reading. The AAP recommends screen-free opportunities for family time and other healthy activities, including device-free mealtimes and bedrooms; its guidance should be tailored to a family’s needs. AAP: Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents: Policy Statement
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- GAME OF SWEET REVENGE: Enjoy classic Sorry! gameplay with this Sorry! board game for kids. It's an edge-of-your-seat race to home, so hurry up and get there first
- FIRST ONE HOME WINS: Who will be the first player to get all 3 of their pawns to the home space? But watch out! Players can get "sweet revenge" by sending each other's pawns back to the starting point
- SO MANY POSSIBILITIES: Slide, collide, and score to win the Sorry! game. This family game for kids and adults features so many possibilities depending on the card picked up and strategy chosen
- CLASSIC SORRY! GAMEPLAY: Remember playing the original Sorry! game as a kid? Bring back memories of playing the Sorry! game with family members and introduce it to a new generation
- FAMILY GAME NIGHT FAVORITE: A go-to game for family time or anytime indoor fun, the Sorry! game for kids is one of the best family games for game night
Make the device rule concrete before the activity starts: where devices go, whether anyone needs to remain reachable, and when the screen-free period ends. A brief shared opening—putting phones away, choosing a story, or setting out a game—can make the transition recognizable. Sesame Workshop also offers practical guidance for scheduling device-free family moments. Sesame Workshop: Unplugged: Creating Device-Free Family Moments
Choose an activity that fits your family
UNICEF offers screen-free ideas grouped by age. Treat age bands as a starting point, not a rule: consider mobility, sensory needs, space, safety, family culture, and whether participants actually enjoy the activity. Activities can be simplified or made more challenging as children grow. UNICEF Parenting: Screen-free activities for children
Rank #2
- CLASSIC BEGINNER GAME: Do you remember playing Candy Land when you were a kid. Introduce new generations to this sweet kids' board game
- RACE TO THE CASTLE: Players encounter all kinds of "delicious" surprises as they move their cute gingerbread man pawn around the path in a race to the castle
- NO READING REQUIRED TO PLAY: For kids ages 3 and up, Candy Land can be a great game for kids who haven't learned how to read yet
- GREAT GAME FOR LITTLE ONES: The Candy Land board game features colored cards, sweet destinations, and fun illustrations that kids love
| Age range | Possible traditions | Ways to make it workable |
|---|---|---|
| Toddlers and preschoolers (1–4) | Act out animals, look for cloud shapes, make sock puppets, create a family band with safe household objects, or dress up. | Keep turns short, use familiar objects, and let younger children join by watching, pointing, or making sounds. |
| Young children (5–8) | Take a nature walk, try a child-safe scavenger hunt or “I spy,” build a story together, or play hide-and-seek with clear boundaries. | Choose a simple route or a small indoor search area; agree on boundaries before active games. |
| Adolescents (9–12) | Play statues, set up an obstacle course, teach a parent’s childhood game, try a drawing-guessing game, or grow herbs or vegetables. | Let children set a challenge or take the lead, and adapt movement or materials to the people and space available. |
| Teens (13–18) | Start a reading club, make a vision board, host family Olympics, cook a chosen dish together, or hold a family game night. | Offer meaningful choice: a teen might pick the dish, book, game, or music-free cooking playlist of tasks. |
Compare ideas by repeatability, not by how special they look
There is no established best tradition. Compare candidates against the conditions of your ordinary week rather than planning for an ideal one.
- Time and setup: A conversation prompt, reading moment, or walk may be easier to start than a planned outing or special meal.
- Age fit: Look for a role each person can take, even if the youngest participates differently or a teen chooses part of the activity.
- Cost and materials: Many options—walking, storytelling, reading, or talking—need little or no special equipment. Games, craft materials, or gardening supplies are optional, not prerequisites.
- Energy and access: Balance active games with quiet options such as reading or storytelling; adapt indoor and outdoor plans for weather, disability, sensory needs, and available space.
- Family meaning: A tradition is easier to want to repeat when it reflects the family’s interests, values, culture, and preferences.
- Short version: Decide what counts when time is tight, such as one round of a game or a brief walk to the corner and back.
A board game or puzzle can be one option for a family game night: UNICEF suggests these for teens, and the AAP includes games among shared recreation. If you use a game, check its age range, player count, play time, reading demands, cooperative or competitive style, and accessibility. No particular game is necessary or established as more effective than another.
Rank #3
- FUN FAMILY GAME FOR KIDS: Remember playing the original Trouble board game as a kid? Introduce a new generation to classic Trouble gameplay with this Trouble game for kids
- EASY TO LEARN AND SET UP: The Trouble game is easy to play and quick set up. The object of the game is simple: the first player to get all of their game pieces around the board wins
- POWER UP SPACES: The game instructions include options for classic Trouble gameplay or a version with Power Up Spaces for a more challenging game
- POP-O-MATIC BUBBLE: In this beloved children's board game, players press and pop the plastic bubble to roll the die. The iconic Pop-o-Matic die roller is fun to press, and it keeps the die from getting lost
- BOARD GAMES FOR FAMILY: Adults and kids can play this family board game together. It's a fun indoor game for playdates and a great choice for Family Game Night
What if a week gets missed?
Resume at the next familiar cue instead of treating one missed occasion as proof the tradition failed. If it repeatedly does not fit, ask the family what is getting in the way and adjust the time, activity, or expected length. The goal is a routine that fits your family, not perfect attendance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the evidence say about family traditions?
An American Psychological Association summary of a 2002 review of 32 studies reports associations between family routines and rituals and outcomes including marital satisfaction, adolescents’ sense of personal identity, children’s health and academic achievement, and stronger family relationships. These are associations; they do not show that starting a particular new screen-free tradition causes those outcomes. APA: Family routines and rituals may improve family relationships and health
Rank #4
- INTRODUCING A DIGITAL DIE: More suspense, more surprises, more laughs! In this Jenga game, enjoy the classic Jenga gameplay fans love—or dare to play it with the digital die for added challenges
- 6 MORE WAYS TO PLAY: Roll the digital die for unpredictable challenges: play using thumbs only, race against the clock, and more! (To download the die onto a phone, scan the in-pack QR code or access the web app. No additional purchase needed)
- HILARIOUS CHALLENGES: Actions like “Team-Up” amp up the fun! A player who rolls it selects another player to act as their eyes. The other player can guide their arm, but can’t touch the tower—or topple it
- EXCITING GAME FOR PARTIES OR SOLO PLAY: The Jenga game for kids and adults is the wooden block balancing game livening up parties for generations. No friends around? No problem. Play solo to beat a personal best
- GENUINE WOOD BLOCKS: The Jenga party game includes 54 precision crafted wooden blocks. Pull out a block, place it on top, but don't let the tower fall in this original wood block game
The APA summary also distinguishes routines from rituals and notes that intervention studies had not yet been conducted for the specific proposition that regular family mealtimes with responsive, respectful communication would benefit participants. CDC, UNICEF, and Sesame Workshop provide practical guidance and activity ideas, not comparative trials showing which tradition works best or how often a new routine will last.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- WHO’S GOT THE MOVES: Classic Twister gameplay challenges players to place their hands and feet on red
- GIVE THE SPINNER A WHIRL: See where it lands and make a move. Right foot red, off to a good start. Left foot green, you’ve got this. Left hand blue … wait, is that physically possible. Give it a shot
- INDOOR ACTIVITY FOR KIDS: Stuck inside. The Classic Twister game is an action-packed way for kids, tweens, and teens to "get their energy out." (Parents, rejoice)
- FUN PARTY GAME TO PLAY IN TEAMS: This group game includes instructions to play in teams, along with tips for hosting a Twister tournament. Break out the mat for game night too
- TYING PLAYERS UP IN KNOTS FOR GENERATIONS: Who doesn’t remember playing this Hasbro game as a kid. The Twister game is for adults and kids age 6 and up. Families can join in the fun together
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