7 screen-free summer activities your kids won’t hate

By Sarita Harbour

Keeping tweens and young teens entertained without screens can be challenging as summer rolls in. This is especially true if you’re searching for fun and unique activities that require little preparation or money. If you need inspiration, here are seven screen-free summer activities your kids won’t hate.

DIY escape room

Turn a room in your house into an exciting escape room adventure. Create a storyline, set up clues and let your kids solve puzzles to escape the room.

Use items you already have at home or print out free templates available online. This activity encourages problem-solving, teamwork and critical thinking.

It may take an hour or two to set up and create your DIY escape room for teens or tweens. Yet the cost can be as low as zero dollars and requires minimal parental supervision.

Build a fairy garden

Create a fairy garden using small plants, pebbles, miniature figurines and other natural materials to keep your kids engaged. You can make this project indoors in a pot or a large, upcycled DIY planter.

If you can, entice your teen outdoors to build this in a section of your garden. It will foster creativity, gardening skills and an appreciation for nature.

Suggest creating a fairy garden as an individual, ongoing summer project. Alternatively, this may be a relationship-building project for parents and teens to work on together.

Backyard Olympics

Getting preteens and teenagers off their screens and outdoors can be tough, even in the summer. Entice them with a fun group activity, including siblings, cousins or their closest friends.

Organize a backyard Olympics with various events, such as sack races, three-legged races, obstacle courses, bean bag throws, long jump, triple jump and water balloon tosses. Let the kids design medals and plan the events.

These backyard activities promote physical fitness, creativity and friendly competition. Just remember to choose activities that fit the available space and are safe for all participants.

A summer backyard Olympics requires minimal setup and investment. Choose a sunny day that isn’t too hot and includes fruit, water, popsicles and other summer treats. The Olympics can take two or three hours.

Neighborhood scavenger hunt

People of all ages love scavenger hunts. They’re a great way to encourage time outdoors and improve your observation skills.

“Organizing a neighborhood scavenger hunt is a great idea,” says Stephanie Edenburgh, CEO of Bizzie Mommy and mom to three children in the tweens and teens stage. “I’ve done this in our community, and it’s a fantastic way for kids to explore and interact with their friends,” she says. “They get exercise and have fun without even realizing they’re away from their screens.”

Send your kids individually or in teams on a scavenger hunt in your backyard, local park, neighborhood or nature reserve. Grab a printable scavenger hunt or list items to find. For example, a nature scavenger hunt could include specific leaves, rocks, flowers or insects.

Make a copy for each player, and offer a prize for the first team to finish the scavenger hunt. This activity encourages exploration and problem-solving.

Creating scavenger hunts for teens or tweens takes about an hour. Depending on your children’s ages and location, parental supervision may be required.

Cook-off challenge

Host a family cook-off where everyone gets involved in creating a dish. A cook-off challenge teaches cooking skills, encourages teamwork and results in a delicious meal.

With your kids, choose a theme, such as international cuisine or picnic foods and work it into this week’s meal plan. Give each child a specific task, such as chopping vegetables, stirring the pot or setting the table.

Make a shopping list for the items you’ll need. Expect to spend more time than usual meal prepping. Depending on the dishes you choose, your children’s ages and kitchen skills, this can be a high-supervision, screen-free summer activity for families.

Stargazing and storytelling

Make taking a screen-break a family affair in the evenings. Set up a cozy spot in your backyard with blankets and snacks for a stargazing session on clear summer nights.

Use a star map to identify constellations. Combine this with storytelling, where each family member adds to a story inspired by the stars. This activity sparks imagination and offers a relaxing way to end the day.

DIY science experiments

Many teens, tweens and even preteens enjoy hands-on activities and experiments. Choose these for screen-free indoor activities. Simple, fun science experiments include making a baking soda volcano, creating slime, or building a simple circuit.

Many experiments use household items and require minimal parental supervision. This activity promotes curiosity, independence, critical thinking and a love for science.

Depending on the experiment, you may need to add items to your weekly shopping list and provide moderate supervision to ensure the safety of your kids and your home.

Schedule screen-free summer activities

Plan ahead to encourage your kids to step away from their screens and discover new interests and skills this summer. Schedule some or all of these seven screen-free summer activities each week.

Your tweens and teenagers can enjoy their summer break while staying engaged and entertained. By providing various unique and enjoyable activities, you’ll help them make memories and make the most of it.

Sarita Harbour is a busy freelance writer and homeschool parent. Visit Thrive at Home for her tips, tools and printables for working homeschool moms.