20 genius screen-free ideas to survive summer holidays without spending a fortune

Remember the kind of summer filled with bikes, bug hunts and imagination? These 20 budget-friendly activities will help your family rediscover the magic of screen-free childhood.

Children looking into their fishing net at the wildlife they have found. Children playing by the river , catching butterfly and learning in nature

Published: July 21, 2026 at 12:56 PM

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As much as you love your kids, let’s be honest – six weeks of summer can feel like six years when they’re constantly asking for snacks and bouncing off the walls.

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And while screens can buy you some peace, recent studies show that over reliance on them can have startling consequences for kids. A June 2025 study1 of more than 300,000 children worldwide found that spending more time on screens was linked to a higher risk of aggression, anxiety and low self-esteem later in life.

That's why MadeForMums has launched its Screen Free Summer campaign – packed with simple ideas, expert advice and family-friendly inspiration to help parents swap screen time for quality time this holiday. If you're looking for even more ways to keep the kids entertained away from tablets and TVs, you'll find plenty more inspiration in our Screen Free Summer hub.

This list of 20 brilliant, budget-friendly, screen-free activities is a great place to start. From garden scavenger hunts and DIY obstacle courses to photo safaris and at-home escape room kits, these are ideas that kids will actually love.

No expensive equipment needed, no Pinterest perfection required – just proper old-fashioned screen-free fun that'll help you get through the holidays with happy kids, lasting memories and your sanity intact.

Looking for even more ideas? Visit the MadeForMums Screen Free Summer hub for dozens more activities, expert advice and inspiration throughout the holidays.

20 brilliant screen-free summer holidays activities for kids of all ages

1. UK location self-guided treasure trails

Chances are your children only know your local town or villages as the locations of their various after school classes, where the supermarket is and where they go on play dates. But these places are hidden playgrounds for inquisitive kids and all you need is a little guidance to unlock their potential.

Many companies offer budget-friendly downloadable treasure trail kits for thousands of locations around the UK that will allow your family to become tourists for the day in your very own home – and give the kids a history lesson and make them exercise without them even realising it!

The kits are presented as spy or detective mysteries and encourage kids to spot signs and clues around the chosen location in order to uncover a special code that you then send to the company. We love Treasuretrails.co.uk, which has kits for £9.99 with trails that can take a whole morning or afternoon to complete.

MFM Top tip: take a clipboard along with you to make the paper sheet easier to fill in.

2. Photo safari

a smiling Asian girl take photos with a digital camera in a garden.

A photo safari is a lovely way to get kids outdoors on a walk without any grumbling or moaning about tired legs. To make it screen-free, encourage children to use an “old-fashioned” camera or consider buying them their own child-friendly camera to help them hone their photography skills going forwards.

Some of our favourite kids’ cameras include the Polaroid Go (Generation 2) for instant gratification and the Andoer Digital Camera, which is an affordable all-rounder, although does have a small screen.

If it’s raining you can always do this at home and ask kids to photograph random objects they see. Where you see an ironing pile they may see something worth snapping! Make it a challenge by creating a bingo-style card of items to tick off on their photo safari.

Why not make it part of your Screen Free Summer Week 1 challenge and see how many different birds, insects or flowers your family can spot over the holidays?

MFM top tip: If you’re using a Polaroid camera get kids scrapbooking with their pictures once you’re back home.

3. DIY obstacle course/ at home sports day

Give kids free rein to empty the shed and make themselves a fun obstacle course in the garden. Try and use items you already have like cones, hula hoops, skipping ropes, buckets, tunnels or nets if you have them. Give kids bonus points for inventive ways for making Olympic favourites like hurdles.

If you don’t have many suitable props, you can buy ready to go hurdles and full obstable course kits.

This works as a double activity as kids have to build the course first before they get to time themselves racing round it.

MFM top tip: Add a craft element and get your kids to create medals out of ribbons and card to award at the end of the obstacle course.

4. At home escape room

Older kids with analytical minds love escape rooms but heading to physical ones can be expensive and time-consuming. Bring the fun, and hours of screen free and lateral, logical thinking time, to your home with an Escape Challenge Kit.

Kits include challenges, puzzles and clues that kids have to solve to crack the clue and come in different levels of difficulty. The only problem is you’ll probably end up getting so intrigued you’ll want to join in too!

Buy from Escape Challenge Kits, Wicked Uncle and Paper Adventures.

MFM top tip: If your child loves escape rooms, you can use these kits for a budget-friendly but immersive birthday party too.

5. Outdoor art

Not a fan of paint and glitter flying around your kitchen when you’re looking the other way? Take the creative fun outside and give kids the freedom they desire to really embrace their inner artist.

As well as using chalks or water to create pictures on the patio you can encourage kids to do some leaf printing, splatter art, sun printing and rain painting. All brilliant projects that take time and keep kids entertained without making your house look like the set of Art Attack.

MFM top tip: Buy chalkboard paint and paint a large piece of wood and then nail it to the fence for a permanent and mess free outdoor art station

6. Themed tuff tray fun

a tuff tray for children set up in a garden with farm small world activity

If you're looking for ways to encourage your child to get involved in messy, sensory play then a tuff tray could be the piece of play equipment you need. Perfect for hours of summer entertainment, tuff trays can be used in lots of different creative ways.

Water, sand, mud, paint or homemade concoctions like crushed-up cereal, shaving foam or cocoa powder, all provide wonderful environments for children to explore.

Some of our favourite tuff tray set ups include a minibeast hunt, shaving foam paint, noisy farm yard small world, and scented potions, but you can find 50 ideas for tuff tray play here to keep you going all summer.

MFM top tip: If you don’t have a tuff tray, you could just as easily use a water or sand table, or a gardening tray or under-the-bed storage box.

7. Create a mini garden

Take one tray or empty box and tell your child to collect things from around the garden to create their very own mini garden scene. You could put together a list of safe things for them to find such as pebbles, moss, bark, grass, daisies and mud etc.

Once they’ve created the base using natural bits they can introduce toys to the garden such as Playmobil or doll’s house characters and other little toys from around the house.

MFM top tip: to make this activity last longer and avoid all your flowers being picked take the kids on a nature hunt walk first with a bag or basket so they can collect leaves and flowers.

8. Journalling, scrapbooking or comic book making

For a rainy-day craft activity that will take longer than 5 minutes challenge your kids to create a full project such as a journal, scrapbook or comic book. This activity is one that you can return to at different points throughout the summer holidays.

A scrapbook could include tickets to places you’ve visited as well as photos and short paragraphs about what they loved about the day out if they can write. A journal works better for older kids, and you can buy a ready-made summer journal for them to fill in or let them create their own.

For arty kids who prefer to draw than write consider a comic book set or simply get an A4 sheet of paper and divide it into squares for them to complete the story.

MFM top tip: start this project on the first day of the holidays and encourage your kids to write an entry (however small) about each day just before bed as a lovely mindful way to wind down.

9. Cardboard box den building

Zero waste home activity. Kids doing paper house with cardboard box after online delivery and playing together, creative idea for home isolation. Imagination skills and creatively thinking concept

Gone a bit overboard with the online shopping recently? Don’t just throw the cardboard in the recycling straightaway because it could buy you some precious uninterrupted summer holidays time!

There’s no denying kids love making dens and they don’t need anything expensive to do so – instead give them a load of cardboard boxes and some dust sheets or old towels and tell them to make the coolest fort they can.

MFM top tip: Ignore the mess and let kids turn their den into something really special over the course of the holidays by adding pillows and duvets, fairy lights and books.

10. Nature scavenger hunt

Saying “let’s go on a walk” is guaranteed to be met with groans and dragging feet, so reframe your desire to get the kids out into the fresh air by calling it a “scavenger hunt”! Download free nature hunt sheets or make your own, give them a pen and set them off on a hunt for things like ladybirds, robins and acorns.

It's exactly the sort of simple outdoor adventure we're championing as part of MadeForMums' Screen Free Summer campaign, with more printable ideas and activities available in our hub.

MFM top tip: take binoculars or a magnifying glass with you so kids can really study their finds.

11. Back garden camping

In an ideal world you’d spend summer on one long lovely holiday camping in different beauty spots and exploring. In the real world though parents need to work and chores need to be done!

Don’t put the holiday bits away though as they could become a brilliant summer holiday activity. If you have a tent why not pitch it in the garden when you know they weather’s going to be good and let children use it as a base for play. You could make it even more fun by having a campfire style dinner in the garden and letting them have a sleepover in the tent.

MFM top tip: if you have slightly older children with a later bedtime try some stargazing while you sit round the campfire toasting marshmallows.

12. Story stone painting

Little girl is having crazy fun during vacation. She sits near the beach and paints on the rocks using different water colors

Take a trip to a pebbly beach (or buy some pebbles and acrylic or craft paints and a sealant like Mod Podge) and ask your children to paint lots of different characters and objects on them – think princesses, dragons, flowers and castles.

Once they have a full set of characters ask them to tell you a story using their stones as prompts.

MFM top tip: If you have more than one child, make it a game by asking each child to take it in turns to present a stone and add a sentence to the story.

13. Science experiments

Wow your kids with some really exciting (and maybe a little explosive) DIY science experiments that are easy for kids to do (with a little adult help!) and are made using supplies you probably already have at home.

From balloon-powered cars and erupting volcanos, to walking rainbows and dancing raisins — there are plenty of science experiments that kids can get involved in this summer and that will help unlock a world of curiosity and make learning feel like magic.

We’ve compiled a handy list of 20 easy science experiments as part of our Screen Free Summer campaign here.

MFM top tip: invest in a large wipeable mat for your table as well as some goggles and gloves for kids to make them feel like real scientists.

14. Make and fly a kite

Let’s go fly a kite! Sometimes it’s the simple pleasures that really make the most impact and your child will definitely remember warm summer days flying kites as a family more fondly than anything they’d see on a screen.

If you don’t own a kite, you can easily make one and give this activity a craft element to it. The Scouts website has an excellent and detailed step by step guide to creating a kite that will actually fly.

Choose a day with a light breeze (not too windy) and find somewhere with a large open space and watch your child master the art of kite flying.

MFM top tip: if your children love this activity, consider taking them to one of the many kite festivals happening across the UK this summer.

15. Cooking or baking

Three children work together rolling dough on a wooden board in a kitchen setting, showcasing teamwork and the joy of baking.

Why not use this summer to pass on some culinary skills to your children? Not only is it a screen free activity they’ll love, but you’ll end up with dinner or a delicious treat afterwards too – getting double the results for half the effort.

goodFood has some excellent recipes that kids can learn to make themselves as well as a guide to the sort of cookery skills they should be able to learn by age.

MFM top tip: make sure you don’t end up cleaning up after your mini chefs and teach them the importance of clearing up after themselves. Make it fun with big bowls of soapy water or make it a race to see who can clean the fastest.

16. Take part in a car boot

Over summer, with toys out and kids constantly at home, the house can become very cluttered very quickly. Rather than letting the mayhem overwhelm you and cause arguments and stress use it as an activity and get kids to help you sort through the stuff in readiness for a car boot sale.

By sorting through cupboards and drawers together, kids will find all manner of forgotten treasures as well as things they don’t need anymore and it can be a really lovely way to spend an afternoon. Give them a box and ownership over what they want to sell, ask them to create price labels and then spend a Saturday selling their wares. More fun than it sounds – we promise!

MFM top tip: Choose a charity together or an item your child wants to work towards affording themselves to encourage an understanding of others needs or the need to work towards something you desire.

17. Create a Lego city

Chances are you have drawers full of Lego pieces all mixed up and just gathering dust as the original instructions are missing! Forget the original designs and set your kids to work making their own Lego masterpieces, such as an entire city, or depending on the pieces you have something themed like a fun fair, zoo or school.

You’ll need a large Lego base to get them started and then set them loose on all the pieces and marvel as they hours tick by and no one even thinks about snacks!

MFM top tip: if your kids need a little more guidance, you can find pre-set Lego challenges and build ideas on downloadable sheets online or in books.

18. Create a time capsule

Remember in 1999 when everyone became obsessed with time capsules to mark the new millennium? The next millennium’s a way off, but you don’t need a special date to have fun with this idea. Ask your kids to find things around the house that they don’t need any more but that they think sums up what it’s like to be a child in 2026 and put them all in a time capsule with a letter for the future owners of your house or their future selves.

Ideas for items include newspaper cuttings, Pokémon or other collector’s cards, drawings, family photos, a list of current slang words, a receipt and a picture of the current fashion trends.

MFM top tip: choose a waterproof container that kids can decorate with paints and bury it in the garden. Either leave it or decide on a date to reopen it – perhaps when they’re teenagers or even on their 21st birthday.

19. Make your own mocktails or potions

There’s nothing quite as enjoyable as mixing up potions or mocktails when you’re a child. For mocktails, choose some liquids you don’t mind your kids mixing (and ingesting) like juices, cordial, fizzy water, fruit and ice and let them go to town making a fruity masterpiece.

Or if you don’t want them to have a potentially sugary drink, you could encourage them to make a natural potion using things they find in the garden or around the house like bubble bath, ketchup and food colouring.

MFM top tip: this is a great option if you have a tuff tray to keep messy potions contained. If you’re worried about the items your kids might try and add, consider buying a ready-made potion kit.

20. Create your own board game

On day 4078… of the summer holidays you may have run out of board games to play so ask your kids to make up their own one instead. Ask them to spend some time coming up with a concept to pitch to you and then if it has potential, help them iron out any problems or stumbling blocks and then give them the tools – card, pens, scissors, a dice etc – to create a physical version of the game.

Play it as a family and provide feedback to help them hone the game until it’s worthy of a permanent spot on the shelf alongside Monopoly and Scrabble.

MFM top tip: younger kids can still have a go at making a board game using free resources that you can download from sites like Twinkl.

If these ideas have inspired you to spend a little less time on screens this summer, don't stop here. Visit the MadeForMums Screen Free Summer hub for more activities, expert advice and simple ways to make the most of the holidays together.

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References: 1Vasconcellos RP, Sanders T, Lonsdale C, Parker P, Conigrave J, Tang S, Del Pozo Cruz B, Biddle SJH, Taylor R, Innes-Hughes C, Salmela-Aro K, Vasconcellos D, Wilhite K, Tremaine E, Booker B, Noetel M. Electronic screen use and children's socioemotional problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychol Bull. 2025 May;151(5):513-543. doi: 10.1037/bul0000468. PMID: 40489178.

Authors

journalist and two young kids sat on a bench in France for a review of Eurocamp

Hollie BondSenior Digital Journalist

Hollie is Senior Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes articles about pregnancy, parenting, child health and getting pregnant. She has written for a number of national lifestyle magazines and websites over the past 12 years including Family History Monthly, You and Your Wedding and Muddy Stilettos. She has two children aged 5 and 8 and hasn't slept since 2017!

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