Summer Holiday Boredom Busters: 20 Screen-Free Ideas

Six weeks. That’s roughly forty-two days, or a little over a thousand hours, of summer holiday stretching ahead. It’s a wonderful thing — and also, if we’re honest, a slightly daunting one. Because somewhere around the end of week one, the novelty wears off, the “I’m bored” begins, and the tablet starts calling.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Keeping the summer holidays screen-free doesn’t mean filling every hour with elaborate activities or expensive days out. It means having a good stock of simple, engaging ideas to reach for — the kind that need little setup, cost almost nothing, and keep children genuinely absorbed.

So here they are: twenty screen-free summer holiday activities, grouped by mood and moment. Some are for sunny mornings in the garden, some for the quiet of the afternoon, some for when everyone needs to get out of the house. Bookmark this one — you’ll be coming back to it.

For Sunny Days in the Garden

1. Grow something from seed. Sunflowers, runner beans, cress, herbs — anything that grows visibly over the summer gives children a daily reason to check on their patch. Our Garden Wheelbarrow Set (£68) and My Garden Activity Book (£20) make brilliant companions for a summer of growing.

2. Make a nature collection. Give each child a bag and a mission: find ten interesting things. Feathers, stones, seed pods, petals. Arrange the finds on a tray at home for a nature table that grows over the weeks.

3. Press flowers and leaves. A wooden botanical press turns a garden hunt into weeks of quiet delight — gather flowers and leaves, press them, and open the press a fortnight later to find beautiful dried specimens ready for collages and cards.

4. Play garden games. The Woodland Croquet Set (£24) works beautifully on the lawn and entertains toddlers, big kids, and grown-ups all at once. Add classics like hopscotch, skittles, and “what’s the time Mr Wolf” for zero-cost fun.

5. Take the toys outside. Half the magic is just a change of scene. A set of wooden animals becomes a safari in long grass; blocks become a construction site by the sandpit. Children play bigger and braver outdoors.

For Creative Afternoons

6. Raid the recycling for craft. Egg cartons, cardboard tubes, cereal boxes, jam jars — keep a “making box” and let children invent. Our free crafts page is full of ideas that use exactly this kind of household odds and ends.

7. Download and print. Our printable activities page has over a hundred free downloads — colouring sheets, cut-outs, and craft templates — all ready to keep little hands busy on a whim.

8. Start a summer scrapbook. A cheap notebook, some glue, and the summer’s treasures: ticket stubs, pressed flowers, drawings, photos. A lovely keepsake and a rainy-afternoon project rolled into one.

9. Paint rocks. Smooth pebbles, a few acrylic paints, and an afternoon. Children love turning stones into ladybirds, faces, or story characters — which then become props for small world play.

10. Bake together. The summer holidays are the week for the recipe you never have time for. Pop on a children’s apron (the Fox Linen Apron at £15 is wipe-clean and adjustable) and let them weigh, mix, and decorate. Play often continues in the play kitchen afterwards.

For Big Imaginative Play

11. Build an epic small world. Summer gives you time for the big version. A tray, some scenery and figures, and an afternoon. The My Forest Floor (£50) tinker tray is perfect — sort, arrange, and build endless woodland scenes.

12. Set up a shop or café. Old receipts, a price list, and the General Stores (or just a cardboard box) become a full pretend high street. Children practise maths, language, and social skills for hours without noticing.

13. Go under the sea. A collection of wooden sea creatures — crabs, whales, seals, turtles — sparks brilliant ocean-themed storytelling. Pair with blue fabric or paper for an instant seabed, no water required.

14. Make a den. Blankets, cushions, chairs, pegs. Every child loves a den, and building it is half the fun. Once it’s up, it becomes a castle, a cave, a shop, or a reading nook.

15. Put on a show. Dressing up, a “stage” marked out with a rug, and an audience of teddies (or patient grown-ups). Puppet shows, plays, and concerts fill an afternoon and build confidence.

For Getting Out of the House

16. Go on a themed walk. Children walk further with a purpose. A bug safari, a “spot five red things” challenge, a puddle expedition, a colour hunt. Bring the finds home to extend the play.

17. Visit the seaside. Rock pooling is the ultimate free summer activity — hunting for crabs and shells teaches children more about nature than any screen. Back home, recreate the trip with coastal creature toys.

18. Have a picnic anywhere. A blanket, some sandwiches, and a change of location — the garden, the park, even the living room floor — turns an ordinary lunch into an event. Let children help pack and prepare.

For Quiet Moments

19. Do a proper puzzle. Rainy or restful days call for something calm and focused. Our puzzles and games range has options for every age, from chunky toddler puzzles to trickier challenges for older children. Or dig out a dolls house for absorbing, gentle storytelling.

20. Do absolutely nothing. The most important one. Children spend term-time scheduled and directed from morning to night. A few unstructured hours, a basket of open-ended toys within reach, and permission to be bored is not laziness — it’s where the best, most creative play comes from. Resist the urge to fill every minute.

Surviving (and Enjoying) the Six Weeks

You don’t need to do all twenty. You don’t need to do any of them on a given day. The summer holidays aren’t a programme to be delivered — they’re a stretch of time for children to slow down, get bored, get creative, and play in the deep, unhurried way that term-time rarely allows.

Keep this list somewhere handy, reach for an idea when you need one, and let the rest unfold on its own. And for the inevitable wet week? Keep an eye out for our rainy-day survival guide, coming soon — packed with indoor ideas for when the British summer does what the British summer does.

Most of all, remember that the best summers aren’t the busiest ones. They’re the ones with enough space in them for a child to find their own fun.

Stock up for a screen-free summer

Garden toys, small world sets, crafts, and open-ended favourites to see you through the break.

Gardening Toys    •    Small World Toys    •    Free Crafts & Printables