40 summer activities for children completely without screens
TL;DR
Summer vacation with children doesn’t have to cost money or require planning. Here are 40 concrete screen-free activities — from nature and water to creativity and kitchen projects — for children aged 2 to 12. Make your own family summer card and use it as inspiration throughout the holiday.
Summer vacation lasts six to eight weeks. That’s many days, many hours, and — for most parents — many times the question: what should we do now? Screens are easy, but they’re not the answer to everything. Research shows that children who spend summer actively outdoors and in free play are more creative, better at concentrating, and generally thrive better than children who mainly watch screens.
Here are 40 concrete ideas divided into four categories: nature and outdoor life, water and beach, creativity and cooking, and gardening. And finally: what you as a parent can specifically do with them.
Nature and outdoor life: 10 ideas
Outdoor life and nature play aren’t just fun — they’re proven to be good for children’s motor skills, concentration, and mental health. Research from NCBI shows that just 20 minutes in nature significantly reduces stress hormones in children.
- Insect hunt: Forest trip with a magnifying glass and a list of what you find. Count beetles, butterflies, and ants.
- Shelter trip: One night in a shelter or tent. Campfire, sausages, and starry sky.
- Nature scavenger hunt: Make a list — feather, round stone, pine cone, a red flower. Find them all.
- Build a hut: Branches, leaves, and patience. No pressure on the result.
- Berry picking: Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. Eat some along the way and bring the rest home.
- Mini cycling holiday: Take a ride you’ve never taken before. Bring a picnic.
- Bird watching: Sit quietly with a handful of grain. Count the birds you see.
- Build an insect hotel: Bamboo pieces, pine cones, and soil. Hang it up in the garden.
- Earth spots: Dig in the soil, plant some seeds, and watch them grow over the holiday.
- Night nature: Go out after dark with a flashlight. Everything looks different at night.
Water and beach: 10 ideas
Water play is universally loved by children of all ages. And it requires very little equipment — often just a hose, a bucket, and a warm day.
- Water balloon fight: Fill 20 balloons and go out into the garden.
- Let loose the garden hose: A warm day, clothes you’re not afraid to ruin, and a garden hose.
- Stone sculptures at the beach: Find stones and build towers, figures, and faces.
- Water throwing with buckets: Who can stand the longest without getting hit?
- Sand sculptures: Not just sandcastles. Try animals, cars, faces, or a city.
- Treasure map for the beach: Make a map and bury something. Find it the next day.
- Water painting: Brush and bucket of water. Paint patterns on the concrete that dry away.
- Skipping stones: Who can throw a flat stone that skips the most times?
- Discovery pool at the beach: Find crabs, mussels, and snails in tide pools.
- Homemade bath fun: Sponges, buckets, and soap foam in the bathwater.
Creativity: 10 ideas
Summer is the season of free time — and free time is the fuel for creativity. Put out materials and let the child take charge.
- Painting with nature: Brushes made of twigs and leaves. Paint made from soil and berries.
- Make a summer book: A blank notebook as a diary, drawing, and pressed flowers.
- Stop-motion animation with post-its: Draw a figure on each post-it that moves a little. Flip through quickly.
- Clothing design: Old t-shirt and fabric dye. Tie-dye or free painting.
- Make a newspaper: Write, draw, and publish the family’s summer news. Print or handwritten.
- Photo safari: Give the child a simple camera or phone. Find and photograph 10 interesting things.
- Make clay animals: Clay from an art store. Shape, dry, and paint.
- Put on a theater play: Script, costumes, audience. One hour of preparation.
- Origami in the garden: Paper and video tutorial. Make boats and planes that can sail and fly outside.
- Chalk graffiti on the sidewalk: Large, colorful drawings that are washed away by the rain.
Cooking and garden: 10 ideas
Summer is the perfect season for food projects. Everything can be made outside — and it’s even more fun than indoors.
- Homemade ice cream: Blend fruit, yogurt, and honey. Freeze in ice pop molds.
- Homemade lemonade: Squeeze lemons, add sugar and water. Set up a lemonade stand.
- Pizza on the grill: Make dough, choose toppings, grill. A classic that never fails.
- Berry smoothie: Fresh summer berries in the blender. Serve with a straw and mint.
- Plant-to-plate: Plant tomatoes, radishes, or herbs. Harvest and eat.
- Outdoor packed lunch: Make your own packed lunch and eat it in the garden or park.
- Jam on the stove: Strawberries and sugar. Simple, fragrant, and proud.
- Open sandwich competition: Who makes the prettiest and most creative open sandwich?
- Fruit salad with own choices: The child chooses fruit, cuts it (with an age-appropriate knife), and arranges it.
- Outdoor breakfast: Oatmeal on the camping stove or pancakes in the garden.
Summer bucket list as a family project
A shared bucket list gives the summer holiday structure without ruining spontaneity. Children who have ownership of the plan are more engaged in the activities.
Sit down at the start of summer. Give every family member — including the youngest — a note and a pencil. Write down three things you want to experience during the summer holiday. Collect the notes, write the list on a large sheet, and hang it on the fridge.
Tip: Include both big experiences (the ones that require transportation) and everyday ideas (the ones that can happen tomorrow). Check off each item as it is completed. The visual proof of a well-spent summer is powerful for children — and for parents.
Get inspiration for kitchen projects you can add to your list from our inspiration blog and our children’s kitchen set.
What research says about summer play and outdoor play
Children who spend more time playing freely outdoors in the summer perform better cognitively, socially, and motorically. This applies regardless of socioeconomic background.
WHO recommends that children aged 5-17 be physically active for at least 60 minutes daily — and that a large part of this should be free play and outdoor activity. Summer is the natural season to fulfill this.
Studies show that children who spend summer vacation with a mix of free play, social activities, and structured creative projects have higher well-being and better school readiness behavior in the fall. It’s not about planning every hour — but about creating the framework for play to happen.
Summer is not a problem to be solved. It is a space waiting to be filled with curiosity, movement, and community. These 40 ideas are a starting point — let the children take over and tell you what they want to do. They usually know better than we think.
Explore our children's kitchen sets for food projects that can fill an entire summer afternoon — and find more inspiration on our inspiration blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should children do in the summer?
A good summer combines free play, outdoor activities, creative projects, and family experiences. The important thing is balance — not maximum activity. Children need time to be a little bored and come up with something on their own. Set the framework and let them fill it.
What can you do with children for free in the summer?
A lot. Nature play, forest trips, water play with a hose, stone sculptures, insect hunting, drawing, building with branches, catching butterflies, and berry picking cost nothing. The best summer memories rarely cost money.
Is it harmful for children to be bored in the summer?
No — on the contrary, it is healthy. Boredom activates the creative part of the brain and forces the child to come up with something on their own. Research shows that children who regularly experience free, unstructured time exhibit higher creativity and better self-regulation than children whose time is constantly scheduled.
What can you do with children when it rains in the summer?
Rain is not an obstacle — it is an activity in itself. Go out in the rain with rubber boots. Make paper boats and sail them in the puddle. Indoors: board games, baking, making a film, drawing, building with Lego, or making costumes and theater.
What do children remember best from summer vacation?
Research on children's memories consistently shows that they remember experiences, not things. The bonfire evening, the day they found the crab, the cake they baked themselves — not the toy they received. Invest in experiences and shared activities rather than material goods.