Living / 10 July, 2026 / Christina Walter
Summer holidays are the perfect way for kids to recharge, explore new interests, and spend more time being active and creative. Unfortunately, it can also lead to increased screen time as parents run out of ways to keep kids occupied during long days at home.
While tablets, televisions, and video games can provide temporary entertainment, many parents are looking for activities that encourage creativity, movement, problem-solving, and family interaction. Thankfully, there are plenty of screen-free summer activities that do not require expensive camps, elaborate planning, or a house full of supplies.
Below, we’ve rounded up the best activities that all share a few important characteristics for keeping creative kids engaged: easy to start, adaptable for different ages, and enjoyable enough that kids want to keep doing them.
Why Screen-Free Summer Activities Matter
Screen-free activities that are actually fun go beyond simply reducing the total amount of time spent in front of screens.
The best summer activities all require some degree of focus, patience, collaboration, and problem-solving to help strengthen confidence and encourage independent thinking.
As a parent, your goal should not be to eliminate screens altogether. A healthier approach is to try to create opportunities for kids to discover activities that are equally rewarding offline.
How We Chose These Activities
Every activity on this list meets four criteria:
- Requires minimal setup
- Doesn’t cost much to get started
- Provides meaningful engagement
- Appeals to a wide range of ages
The most important thing is that children keep coming back to these activities long after they first try them.
Personalised Colouring
Colouring a special memory or something meaningful to them is a lovely way for children to enjoy both creativity and a little guidance.
Many children love getting creative but can sometimes get stuck when they don’t know what to draw. Personalised colouring pages give them a starting point while still letting them add their own colours, ideas and imagination.
Unlike quick crafts that are finished in a few minutes, colouring projects can keep children entertained over several sessions, making them a great activity to enjoy throughout the summer holidays.
Why Kids Enjoy It
- Clear goals and visible progress
- Relaxing and rewarding
- Sense of accomplishment when finished
- Artwork can be displayed afterwards
Benefits
- Builds patience and concentration
- Improves attention to detail
- Encourages creative confidence
- Develops fine motor skills
Brands like Paint Me Like offer free colour-by-number generators for unlimited print-outs as well as high-quality paint-by-number kits, diamond painting kits, and puzzles that are great for parents looking for creative screen-free activity families can enjoy together during summer break.
Estimated Engagement Time: Multiple sessions over several days
Garden Treasure Hunts
A simple treasure hunt can turn an ordinary back garden into an adventure.
Create clues that lead children from one location to another before revealing a hidden prize, snack, or surprise. Younger children may enjoy picture clues, while older children can solve riddles and puzzles.
Benefits
- Problem-solving practice
- Critical thinking
- Reading comprehension
- Physical activity
Estimated Engagement Time: 30–60 minutes
DIY Blanket Forts
Building a fort is one of the few activities kids today share in common with their grandparents when they were kids.
Blankets, sofa cushions, chairs, and pillows can quickly become castles, secret headquarters, pirate ships, or reading hideaways.
Children often spend more time playing inside the fort than building it.
Benefits
- Encourages imaginative play
- Promotes problem-solving
- Supports independent play
- Encourages teamwork between siblings
Estimated Engagement Time: 1–3 hours
Chalk Challenges
Chalk is a simple, affordable summer activity that’s easy to take anywhere, whether you’re heading to the park, enjoying time in the garden, or looking for something fun to do on the driveway or patio.
Rather than just drawing pictures, encourage children to get creative with challenges such as designing their own obstacle courses, creating giant board games, drawing hopscotch grids, making colourful mazes or working together on a big outdoor mural.
Using a larger outdoor space helps children get active while also encouraging imagination, problem-solving and creativity. It’s a great way to keep little ones entertained during the summer holidays with just a box of chalk and a bit of space.
Benefits
- Artistic expression
- Outdoor play
- Collaboration
- Physical activity
Estimated Engagement Time: 45–90 minutes
Homemade Obstacle Courses
Obstacle courses allow children to jump over pillows, crawl under tables, balance along taped lines, and race against the clock. Older kids often enjoy creating courses for siblings or friends.
Benefits
- Physical fitness
- Coordination
- Confidence building
- Problem-solving
Estimated Engagement Time: 30–90 minutes
Friendship Bracelet Making
Friendship bracelets remain popular because they combine creativity with a tangible result.
Children enjoy choosing colours, experimenting with patterns, and creating gifts for friends and family members.
As skills improve, they can learn increasingly complex designs.
Benefits
- Fine motor development
- Patience
- Creativity
- Social connection
Estimated Engagement Time: 1–2 hours
Garden Camping Adventures
You don’t need a national park to enjoy camping.
Pitch a tent in the garden, bring out sleeping bags, tell stories, observe the stars, and enjoy all the excitement of camping without leaving home.
For younger children, even a single evening outdoors can feel like a major adventure.
Benefits
- Encourages independence
- Builds confidence
- Creates family memories
- Connects children with nature
Estimated Engagement Time: Entire evening
Nature Scavenger Hunts
Nature scavenger hunts encourage children to look more closely at the world around them, as well as get familiar with the ecology of the city they live in.
Start by creating a list of items to find, such as specific leaves, flowers, insects, rocks, birds, or colours. Older children can document their discoveries in a notebook.
Benefits
- Observation skills
- Curiosity
- Outdoor exploration
- Scientific thinking
Estimated Engagement Time: 30–60 minutes
DIY Bird Feeders
Any child can craft a simple bird feeder using household materials and then spend days watching birds visit their creations. The activity helps children develop patience and observation skills as they learn to identify different bird species and notice patterns in wildlife behaviour.
Benefits
- Nature appreciation
- Creativity
- Observation skills
- Science learning
Estimated Engagement Time: 30 minutes to build, ongoing enjoyment
Storytelling Challenges
Storytelling is a brilliant way for children to use their imagination while building confidence with communication and creativity. It’s perfect for a rainy day, a quiet afternoon, or when it’s simply too hot to be outside.
To get started, ask children to create a story using random objects around the house, take turns adding a sentence to a family tale, or invent adventures featuring their favourite toys and pets.
The best thing about storytelling is that there are no right or wrong answers. Children can let their imaginations run wild, creating characters, worlds and stories completely their own.
Benefits
- Imagination
- Communication skills
- Confidence
- Creative thinking
Estimated Engagement Time: 20–60 minutes
Family Board Game Tournaments
Board games create opportunities for family interaction that screens often can’t replicate.
Rather than playing a single game, turn the experience into a tournament that spans several days or weeks.
Children often become invested in the competition and look forward to each round.
Benefits
- Strategic thinking
- Sportsmanship
- Communication
- Family bonding
Estimated Engagement Time: 30–120 minutes
Origami
Origami teaches children how a simple sheet of paper can become something entirely new.
Animals, flowers, stars, aeroplanes, and decorative creations all provide opportunities to practice patience and precision.
Children often enjoy progressing from beginner designs to more advanced creations throughout the summer.
Benefits
- Concentration
- Hand-eye coordination
- Following directions
- Problem-solving
Estimated Engagement Time: 30–90 minutes
Your Screen-Free Summer Questions Answered
What are some easy screen-free activities to keep kids entertained during the summer holidays?
The best activities are ones that encourage creativity, imagination and independent play. Crafts, treasure hunts, outdoor games, gardening and building projects are all great ways to keep children busy while having fun.
How can I encourage my child to spend less time on screens?
The key is offering activities they genuinely enjoy. Open-ended projects like painting, making bracelets, building dens or growing plants can keep children engaged for much longer than quick activities.
What can kids do when they say they’re bored?
Boredom can often be the start of something creative. Encourage them to make something, invent a game, explore outdoors or begin a project they can add to over time.
Do screen-free activities have to be expensive?
Not at all. Many ideas use things you already have at home, from cardboard and paper to blankets, chalk and craft supplies.
Why are screen-free activities good for children?
They help children develop creativity, confidence, problem-solving skills and independence, while encouraging movement, imagination and family connection.
Sponsored content in collaboration with LinkGrow.
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