If you've done any gift shopping in the last few years, you've probably noticed the same problem: most of what's marketed to kids and teens is a screen, an app, or something that leads back to one. For families trying to keep faith and family time at the center, that makes gift-giving harder than it should be.
The good news: screen-free doesn't have to mean boring. Here's a list of gifts that hold kids' and teens' attention without a battery or a login.
For Younger Kids
- Interactive activity books. Books like My Temple Journey give kids a hands-on project — scratching off temples, filling in progress — instead of passive screen time. It's the same dopamine-style payoff as a game, minus the screen.
- Building sets with a purpose. LEGO-style sets that let kids build a scene from a scripture story turn a toy into a conversation starter.
- Puzzle books tied to Primary songs or scripture stories.
- A quality set of art supplies with a sketchbook for kids who like to draw what they're learning about.
For Tweens
- Scratch-off or fill-in journals with structure. Blank journals often go unused; ones with prompts or a clear format (like My Scripture Journey: Book of Mormon Edition) get finished.
- A subscription-free hobby kit — friendship bracelet kits, journaling supplies, or a simple craft that doesn't require an app to use.
- Board games with a family angle, especially ones that work for mixed age groups at gatherings.
For Teens
- A nice set of scriptures, especially with their name on it — this one never goes out of style.
- A temple-prep or personal progress activity book they can work through at their own pace.
- A journal specifically for missionary prep or personal goals, rather than a generic diary.
- Physical photo books or frames for temple trips, girls' camp, or youth conference — teens rarely print photos themselves, so this becomes something they keep.
Why Interactive Beats Passive, Even Screen-Free
Not all screen-free gifts are equal. A blank notebook is screen-free, but it's also easy to ignore. The gifts that actually get used share one trait: they give the kid something to do, with a visible sense of progress. That's why scratch-off and fill-in formats tend to outperform plain journals or books — there's a small reward built into the format itself, which is exactly what keeps a screen-based game appealing in the first place.
If you're trying to shift a kid or teen's gift list away from screens without losing their interest, look for anything that turns into a project rather than something they flip through once and set down.
Scott & Riah
Brough Made
https://broughmade.com
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