Summer is finally here—a time when school is out, the days are longer, and families have a little more room in their schedules to relax and explore. But with that extra leisure time, it can be tempting and comfortable for kids to slip into hours of screen use. While technology has its place, too much screen time can negatively impact children’s development. Research shows that children ages 8–12 spend an average of 4 to 6 hours a day on screens, and excessive screen time has been linked to lower academic performance, reduced attention spans, and delayed language development.1
That’s why it’s so important to balance digital time with real-world, face-to-face activities—especially in the summer, when there’s more flexibility to try new things. Below are some fun, non-tech summer activities that promote language, literacy, learning—and most importantly, connection:1
- Form a Kids’ Book Club: Get kids reading and socializing! Include fun snacks that relate to the book’s theme. If reading a book requires too much time, consider storytelling circles.
- Host a Scavenger Hunt: Work with your child to write clues, create maps, and hide items. Get creative in possible locations indoors and outdoors. City dwellers may consider a library treasure hunt: finding books, videos or articles on a specific topic.
- Hold a “Chopped” Cooking Party: Inspired by the cooking show Chopped, let kids team up, plan recipes and present their creations. Add a panel of fun “judges” to rate taste, creativity and presentation. Kids will practice planning and using descriptive language.
- Sleep Under the Stars: Whether it’s in the backyard or at a campground, camping is a memory-making machine. If sleeping outdoors isn’t an option, consider nature journaling.
- Take a Field Trip (Just Because): Visit a local museum, zoo, farm or aquarium as an educational outing. To save costs, visit the park and play word-based games outdoors.
- Schedule a Weekly Game Night: Board games, charades, card games, puppet shows and skits build turn-taking, rule-following and strategic thinking.
- Sign Up for a Class Together: Try yoga, dance, art or music. To keep costs low, create an in-home studio for any of the above, cook/bake a special recipe together or do a puzzle.
- Start a Business: A lemonade stand, pet sitting, baby sitting or lawn care business teaches kids planning, math, and marketing—and gives them a huge confidence boost.
- Get Gardening: A hands-on activity that promotes conversation and responsibility.
- Trade Spaces: Have kids redesign a sibling’s room or a family space on a small budget.
Spending time off screens allows families to create lifelong memories, build connections and explore new interests. Not only will your kids have a blast, but they’ll have some amazing stories to share when someone asks, “What did you do this summer?” Have fun, get creative and enjoy a summer filled with real-life adventures that develop language, reading and social skills.1 If you are interested in becoming an Advocate for the Innocent member and gaining access to our Resource Center ($10/month or $99/annually), visit https://advocatefortheinnocent.org/memberships/ to learn more.
1 – https://ptaourchildren.org/10-non-tech-summer-activities-to-build-language-literatcy-and-learning/