Screen-free play at home: 10 easy ideas with a play sofa

The easiest way to cut screen time at home is to have something ready that children want to do instead, with no setting up from you. A play sofa helps because it's already in the room. Its 8 pieces become a den, a ship or an obstacle course in about 1 to 5 minutes. Below are 10 screen-free ideas, with the pieces and the time each one needs.

How much screen time do the WHO guidelines recommend?

The World Health Organization does not recommend sedentary screen time for children under 2. For children aged 2 to 4, it recommends no more than 1 hour a day, and says less is better. It also recommends at least 180 minutes a day of varied physical activity for children aged 1 to 4. You'll find the details in the WHO guidelines from 2019.

Guidelines are a direction, not a test you pass or fail. Most families use screens, and a quiet half hour can rescue a long afternoon. The ideas below simply make the other option easier to reach for.

Why does a play sofa make screen-free play easier?

• It's already there. There are no boxes to fetch and nothing to set up.
• It's quick. Most builds take 1 to 5 minutes.
• Children can start without you. Once they know a few builds, they can begin on their own, and you might get ten minutes with a cup of tea.
• It goes back to being a sofa. Tidying up takes a few minutes.

“I wanted to cut down on screen time. Now my kids spend afternoons building ships and obstacle courses instead of watching YouTube. The play sofa really changed our routines.” Laura, mum of two.

What can children do instead of screens? 10 ideas

1. A reading den

Pieces: 2 seat modules, 2 triangular backrests, 2 round cushions. Time: about 2 minutes.

Open one seat module flat as the floor and the other into an upside-down V on top. Brace the sides with the triangles. Put the round cushions inside as pillows, then add a torch and a pile of books. The photo at the top shows two sofas, one tent each; one sofa makes one reading den.

2. The floor is lava

Pieces: all 8. Time: about 1 minute.

Spread the pieces across a rug, a small step apart. Children cross the room without touching the floor. Keep every gap small enough to step across, not jump.

3. An indoor obstacle course

Pieces: all 8. Time: about 5 minutes.

Crawl through a tent, walk along the armrests laid end to end, step across the triangles and round cushions, and finish on a seat module laid flat. Time each round on a kitchen timer, not a phone.

4. A puppet show

Pieces: 1 seat module. Time: about 2 minutes.

Stand a folded seat module upright. Children kneel behind it and hold soft toys or sock puppets up over the top edge. Grown-ups buy tickets.

5. A shop or café

Pieces: 1 seat module, 2 round cushions. Time: about 2 minutes.

The upright seat module becomes the counter and the round cushions become plates. Children take orders, write menus and count out pretend money.

6. A picnic on the play mat

Pieces: 2 seat modules laid flat, the rest as cushions. Time: about 2 minutes.

Open the 160 cm Play Sofa out into a 160 × 172.5 cm mat and spread a blanket on top. Lunch on the floor feels like a day out. If something spills, the covers come off and wash at 30 °C.

7. Build it, then tell its story

Pieces: any. Time: as long as they like.

Children build whatever they want. Then they tell you what it is, who lives there and what happens next. Write the story down and read it back at bedtime.

8. Copy my build

Pieces: 4 each. Time: about 5 minutes.

The sofa's 8 pieces come in pairs, so two children get an identical set of 4 each. One builds something, and the other copies it. Then they swap.

9. A living-room camp-out

Pieces: 2 seat modules laid flat, the rest as cushions. Time: about 3 minutes.

Lay the sofa flat as the campsite, then bring sleeping bags and torches. Tell stories with the big light off. It's a sleepover without leaving home.

10. A quiet nest

Pieces: 2 seat modules, 2 triangular backrests. Time: about 2 minutes.

After a busy day, build a tent and drape a blanket over it, leaving one end open. It's a place for a book, an audiobook or just lying still for a while.

How do you make screen-free play a habit?

• Offer a build at the moment screens usually go on, for example after nursery or before dinner.
• Leave builds up overnight when you can. A den that's still there in the morning is an easy start.
• Join in for the first five minutes, then step back.
• Keep a small box of props nearby: a torch, a blanket, a cardboard tube and a few soft toys.
• Keep builds low. Build on a rug and stay close by when children climb.
• Swap, don't ban. “Let's build a den first” is often an easier sell than “no tablet”.

For step-by-step instructions, see our 12 play sofa builds, from tents and tunnels to a castle with Arches.

Ready to make screen-free play the easy option?

Shappy is a family brand from Poland, sewing play sofas in the EU since 2021. 60,000 families have chosen Shappy, and parents have left more than 700 reviews across our shops. Choose the 160 cm Play Sofa, or the Play Sofa Mini for smaller rooms. You have 30 days to return it.

See the play sofas

What else do parents ask about screen-free play?

How can I reduce my child's screen time at home?

Have an easy alternative ready at the times screens usually go on, such as after nursery or before dinner. Quick activities like a reading den, an obstacle course or a puppet show work well because they need little setting up. Joining in for the first few minutes helps children get started.

How much screen time is recommended for toddlers?

The WHO does not recommend sedentary screen time for children under 2. For children aged 2 to 4, it recommends no more than 1 hour a day, and says less is better.

Will a play sofa stop my child watching TV?

No, and it isn't meant to. A play sofa makes the screen-free option quicker and more tempting, because it's already in the room and a build takes minutes.

Does a play sofa fit in a small flat?

The Play Sofa Mini measures 120 × 60 × 45 cm and is made for smaller rooms. The 160 cm Play Sofa measures 160 × 80 × 56 cm as a sofa and 160 × 172.5 cm laid flat.