Lately, my husband and I have been trying to seriously scale back my daughters screen time, as well as our own. We recently took TV away as a consequence, and she absolutely lost it. It was shocking how much she lost it, frankly. Not only are the affects of screen time becoming more apparent as time goes on, but kids are becoming addicted. If you look at the statistics, we’re breeding the most anxious, depressed, suicidal, insecure, and hostile generations to ever exist. Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion, but I believe screens are playing a big part in that! This spring and summer, we’re going to start utilizing the outdoors a little more and find some old fashioned “90’s kid” summer fun to get into! Here are some fun, screen-free summer activities you can do with kids!

Screen-Free Fun summer activities with kids

1. Throw a Tea Party

Last year, my daughter and I had a tea party in our front yard, and she absolutely loved it! I’m the biggest Alice in Wonderland fan and I have been dying to have a tea party with her since I got pregnant. Her first birthday was themed “Freya in ONEderland”, naturally.

We made her favorite sugar cookies and decorated them with sprinkles, brought water and sparkling grape juice out for “tea”, and enjoyed time together under the trees. Especially for little girls, it’s the perfect way to not only get them outside, but to spend some one-on-one time with them, too.

2. Have a Bonfire

We have bonfires at least a few times every summer. My daughter likes to call them “camp outs”, as she likes to pretend she’s going camping without having to actually do it. We roasted marshmallows on sticks, and she even came up with a marshmallow throwing game. I find that when you get kids away from distractions like television or tablets and immerse in the moment, their imaginations really flourish.

3. Tie Dye T-Shirts

Making tie-dye shirts is a classic idea that still stands the test of time. My daughter and I both made matching tie dyed shirts last year, and she has already requested to do it again this year. It’s a messy, yet fun activity, that comes with a reward at the end: a cool shirt to show off to your friends and family!

4. Create Stepping Stones

This is becoming a new tradition that I love because it makes lasting memories that you can display outside. When we lost our daughter, Esmé, a few years ago, we received a big basket of activities to utilize as a distraction. One of the items in the basket was a stepping stone kit. My daughter seemed to like helping me mix the cement, and enjoyed watching the final result come to life after it dried.

5. Go Fishing

My husband and I took our daughter fishing after she didn’t catch a fish during a school field trip, and came out of it with the best memories. I caught the bluegill that I pretended she caught, but she was far more interested in the worms we used for bait. She created a song about the experience and performed it on the picnic table! Sometimes the simplest things can turn into some of the best family memories.

Not into fishing? Teach them to skip rocks instead!

6. Make a Gourd Birdhouse

When I was growing up, my grandmother grew gourds, and one year we made a birdhouse that hung off the clothesline. I remember it being so fun, and I plan on doing it this year with my daughter. The best part is not only watching it grow and allowing them to be hands on in that process, but also painting and decorating it afterward. It’s so exciting when birds choose to make it their home, too!

If you can’t grow a gourd birdhouse, or don’t want to go through the process, you can still get wooden craft birdhouses for $1.25 at the Dollar Tree. Just add some paint and brushes and you’ve got screen free summer activities!

7. Use the Water Hose

A lot of my childhood summers revolved around the water hose. Whether we were setting up a sprinkler to run through, filling up a trash can to wade in, or sitting in a wash bucket to cool off… We utilized the water hose all the time! Back then, it wasn’t taboo to snag a drink out of it, either.

Every summer now, my daughter requests I spray her with it while she jumps on the trampoline. She calls it playing “firefighters”, and has the best time jumping and playing pretend while being showered in water.

Don’t have a water hose? Grab a pack of glowsticks and throw them in the bathtub for a fun bath time glow up (literally)! There are tons of fun bath time activities you can embark in.

8. Construct a Fairy garden

Creating a fairy garden is the cutest way to bring indoor imagination outside. It’s essentially the outdoor equivalent of playing dollhouse. My daughter and I started one last year with just items from the Dollar Tree and it was a lot of fun to put together.

9. Catch Lightning Bugs

I remember running through our yard at night with my brother, catching fireflies and watching them glow. It was so fun to catch as many as you could, cusp your hands together, and have them light your hands up. It’s one of the greatest wonders of childhood and I truly think immersing our kids in nature, the wonder it presents, and the simple things is important.

10. Sidewalk Chalk or Paint

Sidewalk chalk and sidewalk paint are a children’s childhood staple. Every summer, my daughter and I are in the carport drawing with chalk. She loves tracing outlines of each other, or drawing things like bunny ears to lay down and take photos with.

11. Start a Tiny Raised Bed Garden

My daughter and I just read the book Gwendolyn’s Pet Garden and now she wants to tend her own garden. In the book, Gwendolyn asks her parents for a pet – any pet – but instead they give her a garden. She plants seeds, tells it secrets, waters it, and watches it grow.

Growing a small garden gives them something to do with their hands and is good sensory play. It also shows that, when you’re consistent, beautiful things can happen!

12. Set up a Mud Kitchen

Mud kitchens are one of the cutest and fun summer activities to do with kids! Growing up, I used to use my grandma’s muffin pans and bakeware to make muddy concoctions and it was always so much fun. I can only imagine the fun I would have had with my own mud kitchen!

You can really make them as basic or as elaborate as you want. They don’t need an entire mud kitchen setup; just some basic pots and pans. However, if you want to go the kitchen way, you can get jars filled with fruit skins, flowers, crushed leaves, rocks, etc. and allow their imaginations to run wild!

13. Go Swimming

Go to the river, or take them to a local splash pad for some fun in the sun! Water is such a fun and engaging activity for kids. The sky is the limit when it comes to water activities.

14. Make an “Edible” Birdhouse

Get a birdhouse from the dollar tree, add peanut butter to the roof, use blanched almonds for shingles, and whatever else your heart desires! Hang in a tree outdoors and watch the birds enjoy. This is a new, cute alternative to the traditional pinecone method.

15. Have a Picnic in the Yard

You can’t beat a good picnic! Break out the quilts, put together a small lunch, and eat together in the yard. Maybe add some books in the mix! Fun summer activities with kids don’t always need to be elaborate to be enjoyable. Sometimes each others company is more than enough.

16. Paint Stones

Paint stones for garden markers, to play “kitchen” with outside, or to gift to grandparents for their garden! You can even paint them to make a tic-tac-toe game, or whatever your imagination comes up with.

You may be thinking some of these are obvious activities you could do with your kid, but it’s also a reminder to look back on your own childhood and reflect. I find myself constantly looking to see things the way I used to see them as a child, and indulging in those shared experiences with your kids is so special. Slowing down, engaging in one-on-one play, and enjoying the simple things is what it’s all about!

What fun summer activities do you like to do with your kids during the spring and summer seasons?