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Screen-free activities for children to enjoy over summer
We all use the electronic babysitter to keep our children occupied, but is that the best way to keep them busy? There are plenty of screen-free activities that offer vital benefits such as strengthening creativity, enhancing critical thinking, building social skills, and much more.
Here are some fun, healthy activities your children can enjoy this summer without screens:
1. Read a Book
This one may strike you as obvious, but its benefits are undeniable! Reading exercises the mind, expands vocabulary, and boosts creativity. Encourage your child to join reading clubs or summer competitions to share their favorite stories.
Tip: Pack a book bag with a few interesting reads so your child always has something to dive into wherever they go.
2. Arts & Crafts
Few things spark creativity the way arts and crafts do. This activity gives children an outlet to express themselves while exploring their imagination. Hand them some card, pencils, paints, and glue and see what they create!
Arts and crafts also build fine motor skills and improve focus, since children practice cutting, coloring, and assembling. It’s not just fun—it’s a great way to prepare their hands for writing and other daily tasks.
You can make it even more exciting by introducing themed projects, such as:
Creating greeting cards for family and friends
Designing bookmarks for their summer reading books
Making puppets and putting on a mini puppet show
Recycling household items to build creative sculptures
3. Go Outside!
The outdoors might be the ultimate screen-free activity. Whether it’s a trip to the playground, a walk to the store, or a hike through the hills, nature offers endless opportunities for fun and discovery.
Just be sure activities are safe and supervised.
4. Team Sports
Joining a local baseball, basketball, or soccer club is an excellent way to keep children active and engaged. Team sports build:
• Physical fitness
• Social skills
• Teamwork and resilience
Learning to keep their chin up after a loss and try again is a life skill that will stay with them forever.
5. Cooking Together
Cooking is fun, hands-on, and rewarding (especially when it’s time to eat!). With child-friendly cookbooks or simple recipes, kids can enjoy making something delicious while learning responsibility by cleaning up after themselves.
6. Sewing
Sewing is both a creative and practical skill that children can carry into adulthood. Whether by hand or with a machine, it teaches patience, technique, and even color coordination.
Note: This activity may need supervision due to the use of needles.
7. Board Games
Board games are a great way to bring family and friends together for quality time. From simple, fun games to more strategic challenges, board games teach problem-solving, patience, and good sportsmanship.
Final Thoughts
As much as electronics can be useful, it’s important for children to grow up with experiences away from screens. Activities like reading, crafting, playing outside, or cooking give them real-world skills and memories that last a lifetime.
At Guide Academy, we believe in fostering well-rounded development — creativity, teamwork, and resilience are just as important as academics.
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