|

A No-Phone Summer Bucket List for Christian Moms + Kids (Screen-Free Ideas They’ll Actually Love)

Bymeganaperez

I used to be a very on-the-go woman. Always having to do something, always onto the next thing. Since having kids, I’ve learned the importance of slowing down — and in the summertime, I’ve been leaning into that even more. Thats why I wanted to create this list of no phone summer activities for kids.

Now, it may not always look that way from the outside, because we do travel a lot in the summer. But for me it’s more of a slowed-down mentality than anything else. I’m not on my phone as much. I’m not focused on creating a ton of content or writing blog posts every other day. Instead, I’m spending more time with my kids — trying to get as much one-on-one time with each of them as I can before another school year begins.

And honestly? It’s one of my favorite versions of myself.

My Honest Struggle with My Phone

I’ll be real with you, mama — I’ve always struggled with my phone. I find that I reach for it more than I reach for my Bible when I want to unwind, and that’s something I genuinely want to change. I love what social media does. I love the community it creates, especially for moms. I love the free marketing it offers for those of us building businesses or platforms. But it can also be completely overwhelming and quietly take over your mind and your time before you even realize it.

Lately I’ve been using The Brick — it’s a physical device that locks your social media apps and helps you physically disconnect. If you haven’t heard of it, I’ll link it here because it has genuinely helped me. In the summer especially, my phone usage drops, and I love that. It feels like breathing again.

Instead of scrolling, we do other things as a family. Real things. Slow things. And I wanted to share some of those with you today.

Before the List — A Perspective Worth Sharing

Before I get into the bucket list, I have to share something I came across on Instagram recently that really stuck with me. The idea of a “90s summer” has been all over social media lately — and while I love the concept, I also loved the perspective that Blake (@thegirlnamedblake) shared in this reel.

Her point was this: yes, 90s summers were simpler. We were allowed to be bored. We played outside. We made up games with random objects and ran around the neighborhood until the streetlights came on. But — we also watched TV and played video games. The difference is that those shows weren’t as overstimulating, and the games weren’t as graphic or violent. We had balance. A good balance of time with our moms and time to play independently.

I loved that so much because it takes the pressure off.

When I share lists like the one below, these are meant to be family activity ideas — not a performance standard. You do not have to have a Pinterest-perfect home with a new craft project ready every single morning. Your kids can play independently, and that is not only okay — it actually helps them grow in really important ways. This list is simply a starting place. A menu of ideas to help you and your family figure out what your summer looks like this year.

So take what works, leave what doesn’t, and give yourself so much grace.

The No-Phone Summer Activities For Kids

Want this as a pretty printable to stick on your fridge? Grab the free PDF below!

grab my free No-Phone Summer Activity Guide!
25 screen-free activity ideas for your family — print it out, stick it on the fridge, and make this your best summer yet.
Thanks! Keep an eye on your inbox for updates.

Get Outside

  1. Go on a nature scavenger hunt in your backyard or a local park
  2. Catch fireflies after dinner and let them go before bed
  3. Start a simple container garden together — herbs or sunflowers
  4. Have a backyard picnic with a blanket, snacks, and zero devices
  5. Explore a new hiking trail or nature path as a family
  6. Spend an hour cloud watching and naming what you see

Get Creative

  1. Set up a watercolor painting station outside
  2. Make homemade playdough and let the kids go wild
  3. Build a cardboard box city, rocket ship, or castle
  4. Start a summer journal — one sentence or drawing per day
  5. Do sidewalk chalk art — let the kids design a whole world
  6. Make friendship bracelets or simple bead jewelry together

Faith + Family

  1. Start a weekly Bible verse memory challenge as a family
  2. Make a prayer jar — write prayer requests on slips of paper and pray over them each week
  3. Read an illustrated Bible story together before bed each night
  4. Write letters of encouragement to someone who needs it

Slow Home Days

  1. Have a family movie night with homemade popcorn and cozy blankets
  2. Bake something together — cookies, bread, or muffins from scratch
  3. Do a puzzle as a family over several evenings
  4. Set up an indoor fort with sheets and spend the afternoon reading inside it
  5. Play board games or card games after dinner instead of turning on screens

Connect + Serve

  1. Leave kind notes for neighbors in their mailboxes
  2. Make a meal together and bring it to someone in need
  3. Have a “yes day” — say yes to one simple thing per child
  4. Make a family summer bucket list together — and let the kids add their own ideas

P.S. I also wrote a full post on screen-free activities for kids that goes even deeper — tons of games, coloring ideas, kinetic sand, and more. Things my kids absolutely love. Go check it out!

What to Grab to Make This Easier

You don’t need much for a screen-free summer — but a few things genuinely help. Here are some of my favorites, all linked so you can grab them easily:

Browse my full Amazon Storefront — Summer + Screen-Free Favorites list

One Last Thing, Mama

Here’s what I keep coming back to as I think about this summer.

The goal was never to be perfect at this. The goal was never to have a color-coded summer schedule or a different sensory activity ready for every Tuesday morning. The goal is presence. It’s choosing, again and again, to put the phone down and pick up the moment in front of you.

Some days that will look like a beautiful nature walk and homemade lemonade. Some days it will look like cereal for lunch and a pile of kids watching a movie together. Both are okay. Both are summer. Both are you, showing up for your people.

I think about Psalm 118:24 a lot this time of year — “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Not the perfect day. Not the Pinterest day. Just this one. The one right in front of you.

So this summer, I hope you put the phone down a little more. I hope you catch some fireflies and burn some cookies and sit outside long after you should have gone inside. I hope you laugh more than you scroll. And I hope at the end of August, you look back and think — that was exactly what we needed.

You’ve got this. 

— Megan

If you loved this list, let me know in the comments! I’d love to put together a fall version for you all as soon as the leaves start turning.

And if you want more encouragement like this — along with simple rhythms, faith inspiration, and things I’m loving each week — come join the Cozy Mom Club. It’s my weekly newsletter and it’s one of my favorite things I do.

For the mom finding her way back to herself…
Weekly faith encouragement, simple routines, and cozy living ideas — made for the SAHM who’s finding her way back to herself.
Thanks! Keep an eye on your inbox for updates.

Pin this for later! Save this post so you have your no-phone summer ideas all season long.

no phone summer activities for kids

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you — it simply helps keep this little blog going. Thank you so much for your support!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my kids on board with a screen-free summer? Start small and make it fun rather than framing it as a rule. Let your kids help pick activities from the list — when they have a say, they’re much more likely to be excited about it. Even swapping one hour of screen time a day for something on this list makes a real difference over a whole summer.

What if I can’t do all 25 activities? You don’t have to! This list is a menu, not a checklist you have to complete perfectly. Even if you try five or six things that become family favorites, that’s a win. The goal is presence, not perfection.

What is The Brick and where can I get it? The Brick is a physical device that locks your social media apps so you can mentally step away without the temptation of picking your phone back up. It’s been a game changer for me personally. I’ll link it here so you can check it out — great for moms and kids alike.

Do these activities work for different ages? Most of them do! The list was designed with a range of ages in mind. Younger kids will love the outdoor and creative activities, while older kids tend to gravitate toward the serve and connect ideas. The faith activities work beautifully for all ages when you adjust the conversation to meet them where they are.

What if my kids get bored anyway? Let them. Boredom is actually one of the best things for kids — it’s where creativity and independent play are born. As Blake from @thegirlnamedblake put it so well, 90s kids were allowed to be bored, and we turned out just fine. You don’t have to fill every moment. Some of the best summer memories come from unstructured time.

Latest On The Blog

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *