40+ Screen Free Summer Activities

INSIDE : Check out 40+ amazing Screen Free Summer Activities for your kids to have fun, use their imagination, create and even do some baking!

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This post has been updated since it’s original May 2019 publish date.

My kids are getting more excited for summer with each passing day. They have started to complain about doing homework and getting up early in the morning. And I have to be honest, I long for lazy mornings, slower days and eating homemade ice cream.

However, after the first week of no schedule fun has worn off, I am ready to actually get some things done without my kids pestering me non-stop for a million things. As much as I don’t want to cave into letting them watch endless shows or play on the iPad for chunks of time, it totally happens some days.

Last year, I compiled a list of 60+ activities when you realize, My kids are home for summer, what now? It is full of fun creative free summer fun ideas.

Easy Summer Kid Schedule

I also always put together a summer schedule that really helps us. Nothing is set in stone, but each day I had one basic activity scheduled for the afternoon. Some days it was as simple as play with water outside. Other days it was head to the library.

Each day we had one small task to look forward to. If we didn’t make it that day, it was no big deal… it was SUMMER TIME and schedules go out the window. However, it was nice to have a few items that we could look forward to each day.

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Along with having a loose summer schedule, this year I think I am going to incorporate some screen free summer fun in a few days chunks of time. There are endless activities that my young elementary aged children could be doing that would foster so much more imaginative growth than playing the iPad for 3 hours straight.

NOTE : Now that my kiddos are older, I have created a more detailed summer schedule for us. Be sure to check it out here.

I have organized the ideas by category below.

Screen Free Summer Activities

Kid CREATIVE Ideas:

-Make a puzzle out of chipboard.
–Finger knit.
-Draw or Paint a portrait of each other.
-Go on a ceramics painting date and make coffee mugs for the whole family.
-Have them build sculptures out of aluminum foil.
-Make homemade play dough or slime.
–Paint rocks and leave them around town for others to find.
-Create 1980’s friendship bracelets!

Kid IMAGINATIVE PLAY Ideas:

-Make scrapbook doll houses (girl and boys).
-Create an entire town out of LEGOS.
-Build a fort under a table and imagine it’s….
-Put pillows on the ground and pretend they are your safety from lava.
-Build a race track out of recycling materials.
-Play dressup.
-Create their own theatrical play.
-Create a scavenger hunt inside the house.

Kid FOOD RELATED Ideas:

-Bake chocolate chip cookies.
-Make the family an afternoon snack.
-Make homemade ice cream.
-Setup a lemonade stand.
-Make brownies for neighbors.
-Help come up with meal plan for the week.
-Make homemade popsicles.
-Have friends over for a watermelon popsicle party.

Kid READING Ideas:

-Get a Public Library membership + go once a week.
-Did you see my huge list of favorite Elementary aged books for children?
-Keep their brains working during FUN summer learning with Summer Brain Quest books!
-Play school with stuffed animals + teach them to read.
-Write a poem about themselves.
-Play board games that make your children think like, Scrabble Jr.

Kid OUTSIDE PLAY Ideas:

–Jump rope.
-Setup a tent and pretend camp.
-Decorate and then play frisbee with a paper plate.
-Create a town out of sidewalk chalk.
-Take a nature walk and make a nature journal.
-Help water the plants.
-Decorate a pot and plant a new plant.
-Play with giant dice!

-Go on a bike ride for ice cream.
-Make and play HUGE outdoor pickup stick game.
-Visit your local zoo.
-Make homemade sidewalk chalk paint and paint masterpieces.
-Visit your local botanic garden and draw your favorite plants.