50 Screen-Free Summer Ideas That Won’t Make Your Kids (or You) Lose Your Mind

School’s out. The kids are home. And the phrase “I’m bored” is about to become your unofficial summer soundtrack.

If you’re trying to cut back on screen time but aren’t exactly ready to hand your kids a whittling knife and send them into the woods, we’ve got you. Here’s a list of 50 screen-free activities that are simple, silly, creative, and totally doable.

No elaborate Pinterest projects. No $300 in supplies. We've added some inexpensive resources if you want them, but these 50 things can be done almost for FREE! Just fun ideas that keep hands and minds busy — so they're not missing out on the awesomeness of summer because they're behind a screen.

Creative Fun (Messy, magical, and imagination-fueled)

1. Build with cardboard (cardboard, duct tape and imagination... the possibilities are endless)

2. Make pet rocks with googly eyes and glitter

3. Write and illustrate your own picture book

4. Turn the backyard into a fairy or dinosaur garden

5. Put on a puppet show (sock puppets totally count)

6. Create a "museum" of homemade art and inventions

7. Make your own playdough and sculpt funny creatures

8. Design a board game and play it with the family

9. Build a LEGO city with its own backstory

10. Make shadow puppets and create a nighttime story

CHECK OUT THESE AMAZING RESOURCES FOR INSPIRATION:

Cardboard Creations for Kids: 50 Fun and Inventive Crafts Using Recycled Materials

Big Book of Building: Duct Tape, Paper, Cardboard, and Recycled Projects to Blast Away Boredom (Imagine It, Build It)

Fun Hand Shadows For Kids: 30 + Hand Shadow Puppets With Easy To Follow Illustrations

Made By Me Make Your Own Comic Book Storytelling Kit for Kids

My Storybook Art Kit, Creative Writing & Drawing Activity Set for Boys & Girls

Backyard Adventures (No backyard? A porch or sidewalk works too)

11. Go on a nature scavenger hunt

12. Make a mud kitchen with old pots and pans (one of my personal favorites)

13. Camp out under the stars (or string lights)

14. Try "cloud watching bingo"

15. Host a bubble-blowing contest

16. Paint rocks and hide them around the neighborhood

17. Play flashlight tag at dusk

18. Set up a mini obstacle course

19. Make bird feeders out of toilet paper rolls and peanut butter

20. Collect leaves and make a leaf rubbing book

Bonus Idea: Grab some paintbrushes and a bucket of water and let them "paint" everything they can find.

CHECK OUT THESE AMAZING RESOURCES FOR INSPIRATION:

5 Pack Glow in Dark Flashlights Mini Flashlight for Kids

Backyard Adventure: Get Messy, Get Wet, Build Cool Things, and Have Tons of Wild Fun! 51 Free-Play Activities

Giant Bubble Wands, Big Bubble Wands Toys Set, 22pcs

Quiet Time Activities (For peaceful afternoon hours)

21. Read aloud under a blanket fort

22. Start a summer journal or comic book

23. Work on a jigsaw puzzle

24. Try origami or paper crafts

25. Listen to an audiobook while drawing or painting

26. Have a tea party with stuffed animals

27. Practice simple magic tricks

28. Make friendship bracelets or beaded jewelry

29. Start a collection (stamps, bottle caps, feathers)

30. Play board games or card games together

CHECK OUT THESE AMAZING RESOURCES FOR INSPIRATION:

Paper Crafts for Kids: 25 Cut-Out Activities for Kids Ages 4-8

3D Paper Crafts for Kids: 26 Creative Projects to Make from A–Z

Klever Kits 180+ Magic Set- My First Magic Trick Kit

Magic Tricks for Kids: Easy Step-by-Step Instructions for 25 Amazing Illusions

Friendship Bracelet Making Kit - Crafts for Kid Girls Toys Ages 8-13

Friendship Bracelets 101: Fun to Make, Wear, and Share! (Design Originals) Step-by-Step Instructions for Colorful Knotted Embroidery Floss Jewelry, Keychains, and More, for Kids and Teens [BOOK ONLY]

Water Play Without a Pool

31. Sponge toss with buckets

32. Wash the car together

33. Make a DIY slip-and-slide with a tarp and hose

34. Ice cube painting (food coloring + ice + paper = magic)

35. Create a "pouring station" with cups, pitchers, and tubs

36. Play water balloon baseball

37. Run through sprinklers in silly costumes

38. Freeze tiny toys in ice and dig them out with tools

39. Float paper boats in a kiddie pool or puddle

40. Fill squirt bottles and "paint" the sidewalk

Just Plain Silly

41. Dress like pirates and go on a treasure hunt

42. Have a backwards dinner (dessert first!)

43. Make up your own holiday and celebrate it

44. Try a "no talking" game for 10 minutes

45. Have a picnic in the weirdest spot you can find

46. Dance party in pajamas (extra points for 80s music)

47. Play charades with made-up animals

48. Make a silly family talent show

49. Create "secret handshakes" for everyone in the house

50. Write a letter to your future self and hide it in a book

Summer only lasts so long, but the memories we make during these sun-soaked days can last a lifetime. When we unplug from screens, we experience more connection, creativity, and discovery. Children thrive when given the chance to explore, imagine, and simply be—without the constant hum of digital noise. So here’s to popsicle-sticky hands, grass-stained knees, and the belly laughs that echo through the backyard. Let’s give our kids a summer full of wonder—the kind they’ll remember not because of a high score on a game, but because of the joy they found in the real world around them.

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