Playdate Entertainment: Screen-Free Play Ideas for Kids Aged 3-10

Are you tired of hosting playdates that turn into screen time marathons? Playdates are a great way for children to socialize and learn through play, but finding suitable games and toys to keep them entertained can be a challenge. That's where we come in. We've compiled a list of the best screen-free play ideas for children aged 3 to 10 providing perfect playdate entertainment. 

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Games and Toys To Entertain 3-4-Year-Olds

Building Blocks That Kids Love

Building blocks are a classic toy that never goes out of style. They are perfect for 3-4-year-olds and encourage creativity, cooperation, and skill-building while providing hours of engaging, open-ended play.  Children can use imagination to build towers, houses, and other structures. Building blocks promote positive social interactions and cooperation of little kids.

Our favorite building blocks are:

1. Oversized Hollow Wooden Building Blocks

2. Grimm's Large 12-Piece Rainbow Stacker 

3. Wooden Rainbow Semicircle Stacker

4. Rainbow Blocks 

5. Magna-Tiles Metropolis

6. Acrylic Blocks

Dress-Up Clothes To Spark Pretend Play

Dress-up clothes are an excellent way for 3-4-year-olds to use their imagination and creativity. They can dress up as their favorite characters or pretend to be doctors, firefighters, or other professionals. Dress-up clothes also help children develop their social skills as they learn to interact with others while playing.

1. Superhero costumes: Outfits inspired by popular superheroes, including capes, masks, and accessories.
2. Princess dresses and crowns: Choose flowy dresses, tiaras, and other accessories that allow children to transform into their favorite princesses.
3. Occupation uniforms: 3-4-year-olds love costumes representing different professions, such as firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, chefs, or construction workers.
4. Animal costumes: Outfits that resemble various animals, such as cats, dogs, lions, or dinosaurs, encouraging imaginative play.
5. Pirate attire: Pirate costumes with hats, eye patches, and other accessories for swashbuckling adventures.
6. Fairy or butterfly wings: Attachable wings and matching accessories that let kids transform into magical creatures.
7. Knight or medieval costumes: Outfits inspired by knights, kings, queens, or other medieval characters, complete with swords, shields, and crowns.
8. Characters from favorite movies or TV shows: Costumes based on popular children's characters, such as those from Disney, Pixar, or other animated movies.
9. Simple dress-up accessories: Various items like hats, scarves, gloves, and glasses that can be mixed and matched to create different characters and outfits.
10. Ethnic or cultural attire: Choosing clothes representing various cultures ( for ex., Japanese kimono) and traditions worldwide is a great idea, which promotes cultural understanding and appreciation.

Active Toys and Games For 3-4-Year-Olds

When the weather is nice, the best playdate for such young kids is always outdoors. You can play active and fun games with balls, hula hoops, and bean bags in your backyard or walk in the nearby park with tricycles, scooters, or balance bikes. 

Here are some suggestions for the active games that your kids can play on a playdate both in- and outdoors:

1. Duck, Duck, Goose: In this classic game, children sit in a circle while one child walks outside, tapping each child on the head and saying "duck" until they choose someone as the "goose." The "goose" then gets up and chases the first child around the circle, trying to tag them before they can sit in the now-empty spot.
2. Simon Says: This game helps develop listening skills and body awareness. One child, or an adult, acts as "Simon" and gives commands like "Simon says touch your nose" or "Simon says jump up and down." The other children must follow the instructions only if they are preceded by "Simon says."
3. Freeze Dance: Play music and encourage the children to dance. When the music stops, they must freeze in place. This game is a fun way to develop motor skills and listening skills.
4. Follow the Leader: One child is the leader, and the others must follow them around and imitate their movements or actions. Adding obstacles or specific movements like hopping or crawling can make this game more challenging.
5. Red Light, Green Light: One child, or an adult, acts as the "stoplight" and stands at one end of the play area. The other children start at the opposite end. The stoplight calls out "green light" and turns their back, allowing the children to advance, then says "red light" and turns around quickly. Any children caught moving on the "red light" must return to the starting line.
6. Hot Potato: Children sit or stand in a circle and pass an object (such as a soft ball) around while music plays. When the music stops, the child holding the object is "out." The game continues until only one child remains.
7. Parachute Games: Using a large parachute or a bedsheet, children can work together to make waves, bounce balls, or play "parachute tag." These activities develop teamwork and gross motor skills.
8. Obstacle Course: Create a simple obstacle course using household items or outdoor equipment. Encourage the children to climb, crawl, jump, and balance their way through the course.
9. Musical Chairs: Set up chairs in a circle, with one less chair than the number of children. Play music as the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, they must find a chair to sit in. Remove one chair each round until there is only one winner.
10. Hide and Seek: This classic game helps develop spatial awareness and problem-solving skills. One child counts while the others hide; the seeker must find all the hidden children.

Encourage fair play, sharing, and cooperation to make these activities enjoyable and beneficial for 3-4-year-olds.

Arts and Crafts To Entertain 3-4-Year-Olds

On a rainy or cold day, or when children get too overexcited and start creating chaos around the house, the best idea is to engage them in art activities.

Here are some ideas on art activities for 3-4-year-olds:

1. Finger painting: Set up a large piece of paper and non-toxic, washable finger paints. Allow the children to create a collaborative masterpiece using their hands and fingers.
2. Collage making: Provide materials like colored paper, fabric scraps, stickers, and child-safe scissors. Encourage the kids to create their own collages or a group collage.
3. Simple paper crafts: Prepare templates for easy-to-make paper crafts like paper plate masks, paper bag puppets, or paper roll animals. Assist the children in cutting and assembling their creations.
4. Bead threading: Provide large, colorful beads and string or pipe cleaners for the children to create necklaces, bracelets, or keychains.
5. Play-Doh or modeling clay: Supply various colors of non-toxic Play-Doh or modeling clay and let the kids sculpt their own creations. Provide tools like rolling pins, cookie cutters, and plastic knives to enhance their experience.
6. Group mural: Tape a large piece of paper on the wall or lay it on the floor. Give the children washable markers or crayons and encourage them to work together to create a scene or a pattern.
7. Sticker art: Provide a variety of stickers and large sheets of paper or cardstock. Let the children create sticker scenes or collaborate on one big sticker project.
8. Handprint or footprint art: Have the children make handprints or footprints using washable paint on a large piece of paper. Afterward, they can turn the prints into animals, flowers, or other creative designs by adding details with markers.
9. Torn paper art: Offer a selection of colored paper and ask the kids to pull it into pieces. They can then use glue sticks to arrange the torn pieces into a design or picture on a larger piece of paper.
10. Sponge painting: Cut sponges into various shapes and supply washable, non-toxic paint. The children can dip the sponges into the paint and create patterns or scenes on paper or large pieces of cardboard.

Board Games For Small Kids

When choosing board games for a playdate, consider only simple, easy-to-understand, engaging games that will not require a lot of mental effort from kids, or you'll lose their attention quickly.

However, there are more exciting and fun board games for three and four-year-olds that the whole family will love. We do not recommend these for a playdate, but we highly encourage you to check them out. Such board games are a perfect way to include your little ones in fun family time together. 

100% Best Board Games for 3 Year Olds Your Family Will Love

The Best Board Games for 4 Year Olds: Top 10 Family-Friendly Options

Here are some of the best board games for a playdate of 3-4-year-olds: 

1. Candy Land: A classic game that teaches color recognition and turn-taking, with simple rules and a colorful game board.
2. Hi Ho! Cherry-O: A counting and number recognition game that helps children develop fine motor skills as they pick and place cherries on their tree.
3. Chutes and Ladders: This game teaches counting, number recognition, and sportsmanship as children move up ladders and slide down chutes.
4. Hoot, Owl, Hoot!: A cooperative game where players work together to help owls return to their nest before sunrise, promoting teamwork and color recognition.
5. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game: Players race to collect colorful acorns using squirrel-shaped tweezers, developing fine motor skills, color recognition, and strategic thinking.
6. Sequence for Kids: A simplified version of the popular Sequence game designed for young children, it encourages strategy and matching skills.
7. First Orchard: A cooperative game from HABA, explicitly designed for toddlers and preschoolers, promotes color recognition, matching, and turn-taking. However, the classic Orchard Game is perfectly suitable for 4-year-olds. 
8. Zingo!: A simple and fun bingo-style game that helps children develop memory, matching, and concentration skills.
9. Snug as a Bug in a Rug: A cooperative game that focuses on matching colors, shapes, and numbers, promoting teamwork and early math skills.
10. Count Your Chickens!: A cooperative counting game in which players work together to return the baby chicks to their coop, fostering teamwork and basic counting skills.
    

RELATED: What to Do on a Playdate: 70+ Play Ideas for 1- to 4-Year-Olds

Games and Toys for 5-6-Year-Olds

Board Games For Playdate Entertainment

For 5-6-year-old kids, board games that encourage strategy, problem-solving, and social interaction are great choices. Also, they should be simple enough because children may have different skills at this age. You must ensure everyone is on the same page and choose a simple, easy-to-understand board game. 

In the blog post below, you can find a list of the best board games for 5-year-olds that are fun for the entire family. These board games, however, might be too challenging for playdates, where kids distract easily. 

RELATED: The Best Board Game for 5 Year Olds That Kids Really Love

Here are some of the best board games for a playdate with this age group:

1. Uno Junior: A simplified version of the classic Uno card game, which helps children learn color, number recognition, and basic strategy.
2. Zingo!: This fast-paced bingo-style game promotes memory, matching, and concentration skills.
3. Outfoxed!: A cooperative whodunit game where players work together to gather clues and uncover the thief before the fox escapes, promoting teamwork and critical thinking.
4. Robot Turtles: This beginner coding board game teaches the basics of programming and logic through turtle-maze challenges.
5. Guess Who?: A classic game of deduction and questioning where players try to guess their opponent's character by asking yes or no questions.
6. Labyrinth: A maze game that encourages spatial reasoning and strategic thinking as players navigate the constantly changing board to collect treasures.
7. Sequence for Kids: A simplified version of the popular Sequence game that teaches strategy and matching skills by placing cards and connecting sequences.
8. Sleeping Queens: A card game that promotes memory, strategy, and basic math skills as players try to wake up the sleeping queens with the help of knights, dragons, and potions.
9. Monopoly Junior: A simplified version of the classic Monopoly board game, suitable for younger children, teaches basic money management and property trading.
10. Qwirkle: A tile-based game that encourages pattern recognition, strategy, and spatial reasoning as players match colors and shapes to create lines and score points.

When selecting a board game for 5-6-year-olds, consider the children's interests, attention span, and the level of adult assistance they may need. Encourage fair play, sharing, and cooperation to make these games enjoyable and beneficial for young children during playdates.

Building Sets and STEM Toys 

Building sets are a fun way for children to use their hands and creativity. Some of the best options for 5-6-year-olds include:

1. LEGO Classic Creative Bricks: These versatile building blocks help develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and creativity while teaching basic engineering concepts.
2. Snap Circuits Junior: An introductory kit that allows kids to explore the basics of electricity and circuits by building simple projects using snap-together components.
   
   
3. Code-a-Pillar or Botley the Coding Robot: These toys introduce basic coding and programming concepts through hands-on play and simple challenges without the need for screens.
   
   
4. Magna-Tiles or Magformers: Magnetic building sets that encourage creativity, spatial reasoning, and basic geometry skills.
   
   
5. AmScope Beginners Microscope Kit for Kids: A simple microscope designed for young children, which allows them to explore and observe the world around them.
   
   
6. ButterflyEdufields Kit for Kids with Electric Motor: A hands-on kit that encourages kids to build and customize motorized contraptions, fostering creativity and problem-solving skills.
   
   
7. Marble Run or Marble Genius: These building sets challenge kids to create elaborate tracks for marbles, teaching basic physics concepts and encouraging critical thinking.
   
   
8. Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears!: A construction set that allows children to build various gear systems, teaching them about mechanical principles and cause-and-effect relationships.
   
   
9. Science kits: Age-appropriate science kits that explore topics like geology, chemistry, or astronomy, encouraging kids to experiment, make observations, and learn about the scientific method.

Outdoor Toys and Games: The Perfect Playdate Entertainment

When the weather is nice, outdoor toys can provide hours of entertainment. 

1. Bouncy Balls and Soccer Balls: Children can play catch, kickball, or soccer, promoting coordination and gross motor skills.
2. Hula Hoops: Hula hoops can be used for various activities, such as hula hooping, rolling races, or creating obstacle courses.
3. Jump Ropes: Jump ropes help improve coordination, balance, and cardiovascular fitness. Children can jump individually or play group games like Double Dutch.
4. Frisbees: Throwing and catching frisbees can help develop hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
5. Bean Bags and Soft Balls: These can be used for throwing and catching games, target practice, or bean bag races.
6. Sidewalk Chalk: Encourage creativity and outdoor play with sidewalk chalk by drawing hopscotch grids and mazes or creating artwork.
7. Bubble Toys: Bubble wands, bubble machines, or giant bubble makers add a fun and magical element to outdoor play.
8. Scooters and Bikes: These toys help improve balance, coordination, and gross motor skills while providing a fun way to explore the outdoors.
9. Ring Toss and Lawn Bowling: Simple and engaging games that help develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
10. Water Toys: Sprinklers, water balloons, or Nerf water blasters can provide hours of refreshing fun and active play during warm weather.

All the active games we described in the 3-4-year olds section will also be interesting for 5-6-year-olds. Here are a few more ideas for older kids:

1. Freeze Tag: One child is "it" and tries to tag the other players. When a player is tagged, they must freeze until another player unfreezes them by touching them. The game continues until everyone is frozen or until a set time has passed.
2. Capture the Flag: Divide the children into two teams and give each team a flag or object to hide in their territory. The goal is for one team to capture the other team's flag and bring it back to their territory without being tagged.
3. Relay Races: Divide the children into teams and set up simple relay races, such as running with a beanbag on their head, hopping, or crab walking. Team members take turns completing the relay, and the first team to finish wins.

Craft Kits for 5-6-Year-Olds

Craft kits are a fantastic way for children to express their creativity. Some of the best options for 5-6-year-olds include:

1. Jewelry-making kits: Kits with large, colorful beads and elastic cords or pipe cleaners make it easy for kids to create bracelets, necklaces, or keychains.
2. DIY Slime Kits: Non-toxic slime kits allow kids to customize their slime with various colors, textures, and mix-ins like glitter or foam beads.
3. Paint-your-own pottery or figurines: Kits that include plain ceramic or plastic figurines and non-toxic, washable paints are an excellent way for children to express their creativity.
4. Suncatchers: Painting or coloring suncatchers with markers or paints provide a fun and easy craft that can be displayed in a window.
5. Collage kits: Provide various materials such as colored paper, fabric scraps, stickers, and child-safe scissors to encourage kids to create unique collages.
6. Sand art: Kits with colored sand and small bottles or containers allow children to layer and create sand art designs.
7. Mosaic kits: Foam or paper mosaic kits with pre-cut shapes and adhesive materials make it easy for children to create colorful mosaic pictures or decorations.
8. DIY mask or puppet kits: Pre-cut felt or foam shapes, and accessories let children design and create their own masks or hand puppets.
9. Sticker art: Various stickers and large sheets of paper or cardstock encourage kids to create sticker scenes or designs.
10. T-shirt decorating kits: Using fabric markers, fabric paint, or iron-on transfers, children can design and personalize their own t-shirts or tote bags.

RELATED: Playdate Invitation: 5 Rules You Must Know + Free Printables!

Games and Toys for 7-8-Year-Olds

Kids are more independent and enjoy playing with their peers at this age. They also love games that challenge their minds and require strategy. Here are some great games and toys for 7-8-year-olds that are perfect for playdates:

Board Games For a 7-8-Year-Olds' Playdate

Board games are a great way to keep kids entertained for hours. For 7-8-year-olds, board games that encourage strategy, critical thinking, and social interaction are excellent playdate choices. Here are some of the best board games for this age group:

1. Uno: This classic card game teaches basic strategy, and turn-taking.
2. Battleship: A game of strategy and deduction where players try to guess the location of their opponent's ships and sink them.
3. Ticket to Ride: A board game that involves strategy, planning, and geography as players compete to build train routes and connect cities.
4. Labyrinth: A maze game that encourages spatial reasoning and strategic thinking as players navigate the constantly changing board to collect treasures.
5. Carcassonne: A tile-laying game in which players build a medieval landscape, placing tiles to create cities, roads, and monasteries while strategically placing their followers to score points.
6. Blokus: A strategy game that challenges players to place their colored pieces on the board while blocking opponents from doing the same.
7. Qwirkle: A simple and fast-paced game where players match colors and shapes to create lines and score points.
8. Forbidden Island: A cooperative game where players work together to collect treasures and escape from a sinking island, promoting teamwork and problem-solving.
9. Guess Who?: A classic game where players try to guess their opponent's character by asking yes or no questions.
10. Sushi Go!: A fast-paced card game that involves strategic decision-making as players collect sets of sushi cards to score points.

Outdoor Games: The Perfect Playdate Entertainment

Outdoor games are perfect for playdates on a warm day. 

1. Capture the Flag: Children split into teams and try to capture the other team's flag and bring it back to their territory without being tagged.
2. Kickball: A combination of soccer and baseball, kickball is an easy-to-learn game that encourages teamwork, coordination, and physical activity.
3. Hide and Seek or Sardines: Classic games that encourage kids to explore their surroundings and practice problem-solving skills while having fun.
4. Red Rover: Two teams form lines facing each other and take turns calling a player from the opposite team to try to break through their line by running and holding hands. This game promotes teamwork and physical activity.
5. Four Square: Using chalk, draw a large square divided into four smaller squares, numbered one through four. Players take turns bouncing a ball into another player's square, making it difficult for the other player to return the ball.
6. Obstacle Course: Create a fun and challenging obstacle course using household items, playground equipment, or natural elements. Have children race through the course individually or in teams.
7. Relay Races: Organize relay races with different challenges, such as sack races, three-legged races, or wheelbarrow races. The such game encourages teamwork, coordination, and physical activity.
8. Frisbee or Frisbee Golf: Throwing and catching frisbees can help develop hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. Set up targets for a game of Frisbee Golf to add an element of strategy and competition.
9. Soccer or Basketball: Organize a friendly game of soccer or basketball that promotes teamwork, coordination, and physical fitness.
10. Water Balloon Toss or Water Balloon Dodgeball: Water balloon games can provide refreshing fun, and active play on a warm day. Just be sure to clean up any balloon remnants afterward.

STEM Toys To Engage 7-8-Year-Olds On a Playdate

STEM toys are a great way to introduce kids to science, technology, engineering, and math concepts. Also, 7-8-year-olds naturally love to play with STEM toys. Therefore, STEM toys that promote problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration are ideal for a playdate with 7-8-year-olds. Here are some of the best STEM toys for this age group:

1. Snap Circuits: These kits allow children to explore electronics by snapping together components to create working circuits and complete various projects.
2. LEGO sets: LEGO sets, particularly those focused on engineering, robotics, or architecture, encourage creativity, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning.
3. Ozobot or Sphero: These small programmable robots introduce kids to coding and robotics through engaging activities and challenges.
4. Magna-Tiles or Magformers: Magnetic building sets that encourage creativity, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving as children create 2D and 3D structures.
5. Marble runs or domino sets: Building and designing marble runs or domino tracks require planning, problem-solving, and understanding basic physics concepts.
6. Coding board games like Robot Turtles, Code Master, or //CODE: On the Brink introduce programming concepts and logical thinking through engaging gameplay.
7. K'NEX or Tinkertoy: Building sets that promote creativity, problem-solving, and an understanding of engineering concepts as kids construct various structures or machines.
8. Crystal growing kits: These kits allow children to grow their own crystals while learning about chemistry and the formation of crystals. Kids can take their crystals to grow them at home and have a nice reminder of their playdate with your kids. 
9. Microscopes or telescopes: Encourage scientific curiosity and exploration with simple microscopes for examining small specimens or telescopes for stargazing.
10. Geodes or fossil kits: Kids can learn about geology and paleontology by cracking open geodes or excavating fossils from plaster blocks.

Arts and Crafts To Calm Kids Down

Arts and crafts are a great way to encourage creativity and imagination. Set up a designated workspace with drop cloths or newspaper to protect surfaces and make clean-up easier. 

Some fun arts and crafts activities for 7-8-year-olds include:

1. Painting: Set up easels, canvases, or large sheets of paper and provide washable, non-toxic paints, brushes, and other painting tools for kids to create their own masterpieces.
2. Clay or Play-Doh sculptures: Provide air-dry clay or Play-Doh and let children create sculptures, pinch pots, or other three-dimensional art pieces.
3. Collage making: Offer a variety of materials like colored paper, fabric scraps, magazines, stickers, and glue sticks for kids to create unique collages.
4. Drawing or coloring: Provide sketch pads, colored pencils, crayons, or markers, and let the kids create pictures or color in pre-printed designs.
5. Mask or puppet making: Using pre-cut felt or foam shapes, accessories, and glue, children can design and create their own masks or hand puppets.
6. Beading and jewelry making: Offer a selection of beads, string, and clasps for kids to create bracelets, necklaces, or keychains.
7. Papercraft: Provide origami paper or cardstock for kids to fold and create various shapes, animals, or objects. Alternatively, they can create greeting cards or bookmarks with decorative elements.
8. Tie-dye: Using fabric dye, rubber bands, and white t-shirts, socks, or pillowcases, kids can create their own tie-dye designs.
9. Mosaics: Provide colorful tiles, foam or paper squares, and adhesive materials for children to create mosaic patterns on picture frames, coasters, or other items.

Overall, these games and toys are perfect for 7-8 year-olds' playdates. They provide hours of entertainment and encourage kids to use their imaginations and creativity.

RELATED: 122 Playdate Ideas for 5-7-Year-Olds in 2023: Outdoor, Indoor & Adventure Games

Games and Toys for 9-10-Year-Olds

Board Games That 9-10-Year-Olds Will Like 

Board games are a great way to keep 9-10-year-olds entertained during playdates. Games like Monopoly, Scrabble, and Clue are classics that always stay in style. They are fun and help develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Here are some other of the best board games for this age group:

1. Catan: A strategy game in which players build settlements, trade resources, and compete for the largest and most prosperous settlements on the island of Catan.
2. Ticket to Ride: A board game involving strategy, planning, and geography, as players compete to build train routes and connect cities.
3. Pandemic: A cooperative game where players work together to prevent the spread of diseases and save the world, promoting teamwork and problem-solving.
4. Carcassonne: A tile-laying game in which players build a medieval landscape, placing tiles to create cities, roads, and monasteries while strategically placing their followers to score points.
5. Gemblo: This strategy game reminds Blokus but for up to 6 people.
6. Splendor (Marvel Edition): A strategy and resource management game where players collect gem tokens to buy development cards and earn points.
7. Codenames: A word association game in which players work in teams to identify their agents hidden under code names based on one-word clues provided by their spymaster.
8. Qwirkle: A quick and engaging game for kids who don't want to learn a bunch of rules. 
9. Forbidden Island or Forbidden Desert: Cooperative games where players work together to collect treasures and escape from a sinking island or a dangerous desert, promoting teamwork and problem-solving.
10. Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle: A cooperative deck-building game in which players work together as their favorite Harry Potter characters to defend Hogwarts against dark forces.

STEM Toys For 9-10-Year-Olds

Building sets like LEGO and K'NEX are perfect for 9-10-year-olds who love to create and build. These sets come with instructions to build specific structures. Still, kids can also use their imagination to create their own designs. Here are some of the best STEM toys for these 9-10-year-olds:

1. LEGO Mindstorms or LEGO Boost: These robotics kits allow children to build, program, and control robots using LEGO bricks, motors, and sensors.
2. Snap Circuits or TinkL: These electronic kits enable kids to create various projects by snapping together components to form working circuits.
3. K'NEX or Meccano: Building sets that promote creativity, problem-solving, and understanding of engineering concepts as kids construct various structures or machines.
4. Makey Makey: An invention kit that allows children to turn everyday objects into touchpads and combine them with the internet, promoting creativity and understanding of electronics.
5. GraviTrax: This interactive track system enables kids to design and build their own marble runs using various elements like tracks, curves, junctions, and elevation pieces.
6. Arduino or Raspberry Pi kits introduce kids to programming and electronics, allowing them to build and control various projects.
7. National Geographic Geodes or Crystal Growing Kits: Geode or crystal growing kits allow children to learn about geology and chemistry while growing crystals or breaking open geodes.
8. Coding board games like Robot Turtles, Code Master, or //CODE: On the Brink
9. 3Doodler or 3D printing pens enable kids to create 3D structures and designs by extruding heated plastic, promoting creativity and spatial reasoning.
10. Games like Escape Room: The Game  or Clue encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Active Games: The Perfect Playdate Entertainment 

Outdoor games like frisbee, basketball, and soccer are great for 9-10-year-olds who love to be active. These games provide exercise and help develop teamwork and social skills. Other outdoor games like capture the flag and kickball are also fun options for playdates.

All the active games we described in the 8-7-year-old section can easily entertain older kids. Here is a short list of some of the best active games for 9-10-year-olds:

1. Capture the Flag: Get the other team's flag and bring it back to their territory without being tagged.
2. Dodgeball: A classic game where two teams try to eliminate each other by throwing soft balls at their opponents while avoiding being hit themselves.
3. Kickball: A combination of soccer and baseball, kickball is an easy-to-learn team game that encourages teamwork, coordination, and physical activity.
4. Soccer or Touch Football: Organize a friendly game of soccer or touch football, promoting teamwork, coordination, and physical fitness.
5. Relay Races: Plan relay races with different challenges, such as sack races, three-legged races, or wheelbarrow races, to encourage teamwork, coordination, and physical activity.
6. Human Knot: In this cooperative game, players form a circle and grab the hands of two different people across from them. The goal is to untangle the "knot" by working together, communicating, and problem-solving.
7. Tug of War: Divide the children into two teams, and each team pulls on opposite ends of a rope to pull the other team across a center line.
8. Blindfolded Obstacle Course: In pairs or small teams, one player is blindfolded while the others guide them through an obstacle course using only verbal instructions.
9. Pictionary or Charades Relay: Split the children into teams and have them take turns drawing or acting out words or phrases for their teammates to guess. The team that finishes the relay first, or accumulates the most points, wins.

Card Games For Instant Fun

Card games are a great way to keep kids entertained during playdates. They are not only fun but also help in developing cognitive and social skills. We have compiled a list of the best card games for 9-10-year-olds' playdates, which are easy to learn, engaging, and perfect for group play. 

1. Uno: A classic card game in which players try to eliminate their cards by matching colors or numbers while using action cards to change the gameplay.
2. Rummy: Players try to form sets of three or four cards of the same rank or runs of consecutive cards in the same suit. The goal is to be the first to "go out" by playing all their cards.
3. Blink: A fast-paced game where players race to match cards by shape, count, or color. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins.
4. Sleeping Queens: A unique card game where players try to wake up sleeping queens using various action cards to earn points by collecting queens.
5. Exploding Kittens: A quirky card game that combines strategy and luck, as players try to avoid drawing an Exploding Kitten card while using other cards to manipulate the deck or avoid the explosion.
6. Sushi Go!: A fast-playing card game where players try to collect the best combination of sushi dishes to score points.
7. Skip-Bo: A strategy game that involves sequencing cards in numerical order, with the goal of being the first player to use all their cards.
8. Phase 10: The objective of Phase 10 is to be the first player to complete all ten phases. The game is simple, but requires some strategy and planning, making it engaging and challenging for 9-10-year-olds.
9. Skillmatics Marvel Card Game: The game features characters from the Marvel universe, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, and others. Players take turns asking questions to guess the Marvel character on their opponent's card. The game helps develop communication, logical thinking, and memory skills, as well as fostering an interest in the Marvel universe.
10. Kids Create Absurdity: In this game, players take turns drawing a fill-in-the-blank question card and selecting an answer card from their hand to create the funniest or most absurd response. The judge for each round selects the response they find the most amusing, and the player who played that card earns a point.

Cool Arts and Crafts For Older Kids

Arts and crafts are a great way to keep 9-10-year-olds entertained during playdates. Kids can create jewelry, paint pottery, or make slime. Arts and crafts help develop creativity, fine motor skills, and self-expression.

1. DIY Wooden Models: Provide wooden model kits with instructions and tools, for building cars, airplanes, boats, or other structures.
2. Paracord Bracelets: Kids can learn together to weave paracord bracelets using different knots and patterns. They can also make keychains, lanyards, or other accessories.
3. Custom Skateboard Decks: Provide blank finger or even real-size skateboard decks, paint, and stencils for kids to design and personalize their own skateboard art.
4. Comic Book or Zine Creation: Supply paper, pens, pencils, and markers for kids to create comic strips or zines, encouraging storytelling and creativity.
5. Painting or Drawing on Canvas: Provide canvas, acrylic paints, brushes, and other art supplies for kids to create artwork inspired by their favorite characters, sports, or hobbies.
6. DIY Leathercraft: Introduce kids to basic leathercraft techniques by creating simple projects like leather keychains, wallets, or bracelets.
7. DIY Slime or Putty: Provide ingredients and instructions for making slime or putty, experimenting with different colors, textures, and add-ins like glitter or small toys.
8. Painting Miniatures: Offer small plastic miniatures for kids to paint, such fantasy game figures like Warhammers.
9. DIY Jewelry: Provide beads, charms, string, and other materials for creating necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or other accessories.
10. Personalized Tote Bags or T-shirts: Supply fabric markers, fabric paint, stencils, or iron-on transfers for kids to design and personalize tote bags or t-shirts.
11. Scrapbooking: Offer a variety of scrapbooking materials like patterned paper, stickers, decorative tape, and embellishments for kids to create memory books or photo albums.
12. Polymer Clay Charms: Teach kids how to work with polymer clay to create charms, figurines, or small sculptures, then bake them to harden and paint or decorate.
13. DIY Bath Bombs or Soap: Provide ingredients and instructions for kids to make bath bombs or soap bars, experimenting with different colors, scents, and shapes.
14. Paper Quilling or Origami: Offer quilling paper or origami paper for kids to learn the art of paper folding and create various shapes, animals, or objects.
15. Collage or Mixed Media Art: Supply materials like colored paper, fabric scraps, magazines, and glue for kids to create unique collages or mixed media art pieces.
16. Dream Catchers: Teach kids how to make dream catchers using embroidery hoops, string, or yarn and decorative elements like beads, feathers, or shells.

In conclusion, providing various engaging, screen-free playdate activities for kids aged 3-10 can inspire creativity, encourage teamwork, and promote healthy social interactions. You can help children develop essential skills while making lasting memories with their friends by offering age-appropriate games, crafts, and dress-up options. Whether it's an indoor or outdoor playdate, these ideas will keep kids entertained and foster a love for imaginative, unstructured play. So, the next time you plan a playdate, consider incorporating these fun and interactive activities to ensure a memorable experience for all the young participants.

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