Summer should be full of wonder, not Wi-Fi. If you’re craving slower days filled with laughter, sunshine, and connection, but without the constant pull of screens, you’re not alone. Many families are choosing to unplug and savor a season of creativity, movement, and memory-making.
Whether you’re camping under the stars or enjoying lazy afternoons at home, these screen-free activities are perfect for preschoolers, big kids, and parents alike. No apps. No algorithms. Just real fun.
1. Build a Solar Oven and Make S’mores
Turn a pizza box into a DIY solar oven, then let the sun do the cooking. This simple STEM project ends with a gooey treat and a lesson on renewable energy.
2. Start a Nature Sketchbook
Bring a small notebook on your walks or camping trips and let your kids draw what they see. Leaves, bugs, clouds, wildflowers, each page becomes a little window into the season.
3. Make a Backyard Obstacle Course
Use ropes, hula hoops, sticks, and pool noodles to create a mini adventure course. Time each other or just play for fun.
4. Try Nature Weaving
Gather long grasses, wildflowers, or flexible twigs and weave them through a handmade cardboard loom. This calming craft is a beautiful way to connect with the natural world.
5. Pitch a Tent and Camp at Home
Backyard camping is just as magical as a forest getaway. Roast marshmallows, tell stories by flashlight, and fall asleep to the sound of crickets.
6. Create a Summer Bucket List Jar
Write down your screen-free summer ideas on slips of paper and pull one each morning. Kids love the surprise, and you’ll never run out of inspiration.
7. Host an Outdoor Art Show
Let your kids paint with mud, watercolors, or natural dyes. Hang their work on a string with clothespins and invite the neighborhood for lemonade and gallery viewing.
8. Go on a Color Scavenger Hunt
Choose a color of the day and find as many matching items as you can in nature. Great for preschoolers learning their colors and older kids who love a challenge.
9. Make Fairy Houses or Gnome Homes
Collect sticks, moss, bark, and stones to create magical miniature worlds under a tree or behind a rock. Add a little note to welcome visitors.
10. Learn to Whittle or Use Hand Tools (Safely)
With supervision, older kids can learn basic woodcraft skills. Start with soap carving, then try whittling a stick into a wand or roasting fork.
11. Cook Over the Fire
Even if you’re not camping, build a fire pit and cook something simple: banana boats, grilled corn, or campfire quesadillas.
12. Start a Rock Collection
Hunting for rocks and learning to identify them is equal parts science and treasure hunt. Bring a magnifying glass and a field guide.
13. Create a Summer Nature Table
Designate a spot indoors or in your camper to display beautiful finds: feathers, pinecones, shells, or pressed flowers. Let it change with the weeks.
14. Have a Water Day
Water balloon games, a slip-and-slide, DIY sponge tosses, or a backyard “car wash” station for bikes and toys, guaranteed summer fun.
15. Make Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag
Use two zip-top bags, salt, and ice to make single servings of vanilla or strawberry ice cream. Kids can shake it until frozen.
16. Build a Bird Blind and Observe
Use branches and leaves to create a quiet place to sit and observe birds with binoculars or a notebook. Patience often leads to magic.
17. Stargaze and Learn Constellations
Download a printable star map or bring along a simple sky guide. Summer nights are perfect for learning the stories behind the stars.
18. Create a Leaf or Bark Rubbing Book
Collect textures from trees and plants using crayons and paper. Label each one and turn it into your own nature field guide.
19. Try Hand-Clapping or Jump Rope Rhymes
Pass down some old-school playground fun. Look up a few favorites, or let your kids invent their own verses.
20. Keep a Summer Adventure Journal
Encourage your kids to write or draw about their daily experiences: campfires, bug sightings, funny moments, creating a keepsake of their unplugged summer.
Reclaim the Magic of Summer
The best summer memories aren’t made in front of a screen. They’re built barefoot in the grass, sticky with popsicle drips, and glowing under the stars.
You don’t need expensive toys or perfect plans. You just need a little creativity, a sense of wonder, and the willingness to slow down.
