06 Jun Summer Activities For Kids That Don’t Involve a Screen
Because the best summer memories happen away from Wi-Fi.
School’s out, routines are upended, and chances are you’ve already heard “I’m bored” on repeat. While it’s easy to reach for screens, this summer we’re all about rediscovering the magic of unplugged play.
That’s where Artful Agenda comes in.
While the kids unplug, you stay in control behind the scenes—mapping out weekly themes, rotating activities, setting supply reminders, and keeping track of who’s done what chore. Artful Agenda gives you one colorful, digital space to manage a summer full of fun.
Here are some screen-free summer activities for kids that spark imagination, keep them moving, and give you peace of mind.
1. The Great Backyard Obstacle Course
All you need is some creativity and items you already have on hand: jump ropes, hula hoops, couch cushions, pool noodles, and maybe a few cones (or empty buckets). Let the kids help design the course, then time each other for fun!
📝 Artful Agenda tip: Encourage the kids to map out or design their course ahead of time. It’s a great opportunity for creativity, and it kills some time!
2. DIY Nature Scavenger Hunts
Get them exploring the outdoors by giving them a list of natural items to find, like a feather, a red flower, a flat rock, or something that smells good. Ask them to find something in every color of the rainbow or items that start with the letters in a word of your choice. (i.e. SUMMER – Sunflower, Umbrella, Moth…you get the idea.) You can make it educational by asking them to describe each item, draw it, or even research it.
📝 Artful Agenda tip: Create a recurring “Scavenger Sunday” and rotate lists weekly. Save past lists in your Agenda so you don’t repeat.
3. Library Reading Challenge
Many local libraries offer fun summer reading programs with prizes, but you can also create your own! Set page goals, theme weeks (like “mystery week” or “graphic novels only”), and rewards like a backyard popsicle party or a park picnic.
📝 Artful Agenda tip: With Artful Plus you can use your habit tracker to log daily reading time. Track book due dates in your calendar with reminders to avoid last-minute returns.
4. Craft-a-Palooza Day
Pick one day a week to go full-on crafty. Think popsicle stick picture frames, salt dough handprints, DIY bird feeders, or painting kindness rocks to leave around your neighborhood. Pinterest is a treasure trove of summer craft ideas!
📝 Artful Agenda tip: Set a “Craft Supply Reminder” mid-week so you’re never scrambling for googly eyes and glue sticks. Add Pinterest project links to your digital notes.
5. The Great Chore Challenge
Even during summer fun, chores still need to happen—but they don’t have to be boring. Turn them into games like laundry folding races, “who-vacuums-best” competitions, or sticker charts that lead to small rewards. A little friendly competition goes a long way.
📝 Artful Agenda tip: Use kid-chosen emojis in Artful Agenda to assign chores and keep everything organized (and a little more fun).
6. Neighborhood Mini Olympics
Rally a few neighborhood families and organize an afternoon of potato sack races, tug-of-war, hula hoop contests, and homemade medals. Let each family host one activity station. It’s low-tech and high-fun!
📝 Artful Agenda tip: Block off a weekend afternoon on the calendar and create a list in the Lists tab to manage who’s bringing what. Don’t forget sunscreen and water bottles!
7. Kitchen Creations Day
Let the kids take over the kitchen (with supervision!) for a kid friendly, weekly cooking or baking adventure. Try homemade lemonade, DIY pizzas, or “build your own” yogurt parfaits. It teaches life skills, keeps them engaged, and takes care of snack time all at once.
📝 Artful Agenda tip: Plan menus ahead in your calendar, and use your shopping list feature to make sure you have all the ingredients.
8. Stargazing & Backyard Camping
Not all activities need to happen during the day. Pick a night to set up a tent or lay out blankets in the backyard. Catch fireflies, read books by flashlight, or identify constellations using a paper map instead of a phone app.
📝 Artful Agenda tip: Use your weather tracker to choose the clearest nights, and create a packing checklist for backyard camping essentials.
9. Water Play Day
Designate one day a week to get soaked: water balloons, sprinklers, kiddie pools, sponge tag—whatever water-tastic thing you can imagine. Add a water-themed snack like watermelon slices or homemade ice pops to round out the day.
📝 Artful Agenda tip: Add a recurring event like “Water Wednesday” and make a water-play idea list to keep track of the crazy and refreshing ideas you come up with.
10. Weekly Theme Days
Assign a fun theme to each day of the week to keep things fresh but structured:
- Make-It Monday – crafts or cooking
- Trek Tuesday – walks, hikes, nature scavenger hunts
- Water Wednesday – see above!
- Thoughtful Thursday – writing letters, making cards for neighbors
- Fun Friday – picnics, dance parties, board game tournaments
📝 Artful Agenda tip: Map these out week by week, and tweak as needed. Add tasks, links, and with Artful Plus, you can even upload photos of all the fun as stickers to look back on.
Stay Sane, Stay Organized, Stay Inspired With These Summer Activities For Kids
Organizing screen-free summer activities for kids doesn’t have to feel like a chore when you’ve got the right tools. With Artful Agenda, you can create rotating activity schedules, prep supply checklists, set chore reminders, and even document those special moments with uploaded photos and stickers.
While the kids are busy crafting, playing, and discovering, you’re calmly managing it all like a pro. And hopefully, carving out a few quiet minutes for yourself.
Ready to have a summer full of creativity, connection, and zero screen battles? Try Artful Agenda FREE for two weeks and see how easy—and fun—planning your family’s summer can be!
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