Summer Fun Unplugged


40 Alternatives to Screen Time
While you may not want to completely unplug this summer, planning alternative ways to entertain the kids is always a great idea. Get the family together and choose fun ways to spend your free time. Here a suggestions to help fill the gaps left by technology. Add some to your bucket list!

 
 Get Outside

  • Take a walk through the neighborhood with the dogs – or a friend.
  • Rollerblade around cones in a parking lot.
  • Head to the park and play.
  • Jump rope in the driveway.
  • Plant seeds to start a garden.
  • Have a backyard picnic.
  • Have an outside scavenger hunt.

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     Make a Game of It

  • Play card games like Uno, Hearts or Rummy.
  • Bring out board game classics like Monopoly or Sorry!
  • Create a game like Battleship out of two pizza boxes.
  • Make an easy tic tac toe board on the floor using colored bean bags for the X and O.

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     Play Classic Road Trip Games at Home

  • Name that Tune: Turn on the radio and see how quickly you can identify songs.
  • I Spy: Describe something in the house so other players can guess what it is.
  • Alphabet Game: Name animals, foods or athletes starting with the letter A, then B, and so on.
  • Write a short story with the kids.
  • Mad Libs: Fill in the blanks to short stories and be prepared to giggle at the outcome.

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     Spend Time with Family

  • Look through photo albums or school memorabilia.
  • Use your talents to create a family variety show.
  • Cook dinner together or bake cookies.
  • Sing karaoke or have a dance party.
  • Listen to a book on CD together every night.

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    Get the book, DIY Box Creations: Fun and creative projects to make out of REALLY BIG BOXES! Instructions for 12 great projects the family can make together such as a rocket, puppet theatre; retro stove and more.

     
     Get Crafty

  • Make homemade Play-Doh from Kool-Aid.
  • Build structures with marshmallows and toothpicks.
  • Create pasta people with glue and a variety of pasta shapes.
  • Use duct tape and cardboard to make swords and shields.
  • Use watercolors to paint a summer sky.
  • Learn to sew.

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     Get Out and Go

  • Head to the pool for a game of Marco Polo.
  • Go Bowling.
  • Go to the Beach.

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     Do Something for Animals

  • Teach your dog a new trick.
  • String popcorn for birds or craft a homemade bird feeder.
  • Collect towels and blankets for animals at the Kauai Humane Society.

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     Use your Imagination

  • Make paper airplanes out of colored paper.
  • Build skyscrapers out of Legos or Tinker Toys.
  • Use large cardboard boxes to create kid-sized houses that they can decorate.
  • Expand your Mind
  • Play Sudoku or complete a word search.
  • Browse the library for a good book.
  • Put together a model car.
  • Set up a home laboratory and create some science experiments.

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