25+ Screen-Free Activities to do This Summer

child playing with bubbles outdoors

The summer weeks are flying by and this summer brings many changes from last year. You might be looking for new screen-free ideas (or maybe past favorites to revisit) this summer.

Below is a brief list of activities for your child to do on their own, with a sibling, or with friends and family.

Make sure to share your own ideas and activities in the comments box below!

  1. Read a book - Visit our SJPL Picks for recommendations for the whole family!
  2. Draw a picture.
  3. Paint with water outside.
  4. Go for a walk.
  5. Play with bubbles, or make your own!
  6. Go on a picnic lunch in your living room, backyard, front yard, a nearby park, or a park farther away. 
  7. Cook a meal together! - Check out a No Cook Cookbook for simple ideas to try.
  8. Clean through closets and cabinets to donate old toys or clothes that your children have outgrown.
  9. Have an indoor dance party.
  10. Have an outdoor dance party.
  11. Have an indoor scavenger hunt.
  12. Have an outdoor scavenger hunt.
  13. Choose to do a random act of kindness.
  14. Turn recycled goods into artwork.
  15. Start a journal. Draw or write about different experiences.
  16. Play a card game.
  17. Play a board game.
  18. Put on a puppet show with stuffed animals or other toys around the house.
  19. Help with household tasks (sweeping up after dinner, setting the table, clearing the table, etc.,).
  20. Plant a mini garden. You can use egg cartons with soil for the initial sprouts - Visit the Almaden or Berryessa Branch Seed Libraries to pick up a packet.
  21. Play tag, play freeze-tag.
  22. Play hide & seek.
  23. Write a letter / draw a picture and mail it to a relative or friend.
  24. Sit outside and look for shapes in the clouds.
  25. Stay up late to watch the sunset.
  26. Design and build a comfy reading nook.
  27. Check out a Wee Learn and Play Activity Kit to bring home and explore.