How to Set Up a Screen-Free Summer Play Routine | Practical

The long summer holiday arrives with a particular kind of quiet dread. Six weeks stretch ahead, the weather is unreliable, and the tablet sits on the kitchen table like an easy answer to every dull afternoon.

It need not go that way. A screen-free routine is not about banning anything; it is about giving children something better to reach for. A box of well-made toys on the shelf will always win against boredom, provided the box is within reach and the toy is worth playing with. Our wooden building blocks are made from FSC-certified timber and tested to UKCA and CE safety standards, which is the quiet baseline every toy in a child's hands should meet.

This guide sets out a simple, workable plan. No charts to laminate, no rigid timetable — just a rhythm that suits your family and a few dependable games to build it around. You can browse our children toys as you read, but the ideas matter more than the shopping.

What Screen-Free Play Actually Means (and Why Summer Is the Right Time to Start)

Screen-free play simply means play that does not depend on a screen to hold a child's attention. It is a jigsaw on the floor, a game of catch, a fort under the dining table, a round of draughts that ends in cheerful protest.

The point is not that screens are the enemy. It is that children learn most through their hands, their bodies and each other, and a screen quietly crowds all three out. When the tablet is the default, everything else has to compete with it — and everything else usually loses.

Summer is the right moment to reset the balance because the ordinary structure of the school day disappears. There is time and space to establish new habits without the morning rush working against you.

Longer days help too. A child who has spent a morning outdoors and an afternoon absorbed in a proper game rarely asks for a screen at all; the appetite for it fades when there is something more interesting on offer.

We have been making games for this exact purpose for a very long time. Our own account of 230 years of screen-free play is less a history lesson than a reminder that children have always played this way, and thrived on it.

Start small. You are not aiming to eliminate screens for a whole holiday by Tuesday. You are aiming to make the alternatives so easy and so appealing that reaching for them becomes the natural thing to do.

Why a Screen-Free Play Routine Makes a Real Difference to Children's Development

The developmental case for real play is straightforward, and some of it is measurable. The World Health Organization's 2019 guidelines recommend that children aged three to four spend at least 180 minutes in a variety of physical activities across the day. Screen-free play is how most of those minutes actually happen.

For older children, the UK Chief Medical Officers' 2019 guidelines set a target of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day, averaged across the week. A garden game after lunch does more towards that figure than any amount of scheduled exercise.

There is a mental side too. A 2004 study by Kuo and Taylor in the American Journal of Public Health found that green outdoor settings reduced symptoms of ADHD significantly more than indoor or built outdoor environments. Time on the grass is not merely pleasant; it changes how a child feels and focuses.

Screen guidance itself is worth knowing. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one hour a day of high-quality screen time for children aged two to five. That leaves a great many waking hours to fill with something else.

Beyond the studies, ordinary play builds the things reports struggle to quantify: patience, negotiation, the ability to lose a game and try again. A round of rounders teaches fair play faster than any lecture. Our guide to playing rounders without arguments shows how much of that learning is disguised as fun.

Physical risk plays its part as well. Climbing, balancing and testing limits teach judgement, a case we make in our piece on why risk play matters.

How to Build a Screen-Free Summer Routine That Works for Your Family

A routine that works is one you can keep. Begin by dividing the day into loose blocks rather than fixed slots: an active morning, a quieter middle, and open play towards the evening. Children like knowing the shape of the day, even when the details vary.

Put the outdoor block first. Energy is highest in the morning, and getting bodies moving early makes the rest of the day calmer. A garden or a park works equally well; the point is simply to be outside. Our round-up of outdoor toys for screen-free garden play is a useful starting list.

Reserve the middle of the day for slower, seated play — the natural moment for a jigsaw, a board game, or building. This suits the post-lunch lull and gives children a chance to concentrate. A look through our board games will fill this block for weeks.

Make the toys visible. A basket left on the floor gets used; a cupboard shelf does not. Rotate what is on show every few days so the same objects feel new again.

Build in a little boredom on purpose. The dull ten minutes before a child invents their own game is where imagination does its best work. Resist the urge to fill every gap.

Involve the children in setting the rhythm. A child who has helped decide that mornings are for the garden is far more likely to go along with it than one handed a fixed timetable. Ownership does more than enforcement ever will.

What Games and Activities Do You Need to Get Started

You need far less than the toy market suggests. A small, well-chosen set of things that can be played with many different ways will always beat a cupboard crammed with single-use novelties.

Start with an open-ended toy that grows with the child. Our Kids Building Blocks, a Montessori-style set at £26.99, become a tower, a castle, a zoo and a counting lesson depending on the day. That flexibility is exactly what carries a long holiday.

Add one or two games with rules for the shared, seated block. A traditional game teaches turn-taking and a little healthy competition; our traditional games include the classics that have held children's attention for generations precisely because the play is genuinely good.

Choose materials that last. Wooden toys survive being dropped, chewed, buried in the garden and rediscovered next summer. Browse our wooden toys for pieces built to be handed down rather than thrown away.

For an active outdoor kit, think garden games and a decent ball or two. These fill the morning block and count towards those physical-activity minutes without anyone noticing it is exercise.

If you would like a considered shortlist, our guide to the best wooden toys for a screen-free summer pulls the dependable choices together.

Resist the temptation to buy everything at once. Hold a few items back for the middle weeks, when the first burst of enthusiasm has settled and a fresh box works its quiet magic.

How to Keep the Routine Going When Novelty Wears Off

Every routine hits the wall where novelty fades and the same toys stop tempting. This is normal and expected; the trick is to plan for it rather than be surprised by it.

Rotation is your best tool. Pack away half the toys and reintroduce them a fortnight later. A block set that has been out of sight for two weeks returns as something almost new, without a single purchase.

Change the setting instead of the toys. The same board game feels different on a picnic blanket in the garden. Take our board games outside and the familiar becomes an occasion.

Let children lead more as the weeks go on. Ask them to teach you a game, invent new rules, or set up a challenge for a sibling. Play they design themselves outlasts play you organise for them.

Bring other children in. A friend visiting for the afternoon revives interest in toys your own child had drifted from, and shared play carries its own momentum.

Accept that some days will collapse into screens, and let them, without ceremony. A routine you treat as sacred becomes a battleground; one you treat as the usual, easy default survives the odd off day intact.

Keep the good toys where they can be reached. Most screen-free habits fail not from lack of will but from friction — the game is in the loft, the pieces are missing. A tidy shelf of our children toys within a child's reach does more to sustain the routine than any rule.

Frequently Asked Questions About Screen Free Play

how do you get kids to play without screens

Start by creating a predictable daily routine that fills time screens would otherwise occupy. Rotate activities to maintain novelty: garden games one morning, board games the next, outdoor free play in between. Keep classic toys and games readily accessible so children can self-select without prompting. Involve children in choosing activities so they feel ownership. Natural outdoor environments are particularly beneficial — a 2004 study in the American Journal of Public Health found green outdoor settings significantly reduced ADHD symptoms compared with indoor settings. Consistency matters more than perfection; a simple daily rhythm is easier to maintain than elaborate plans.

what are the rules of croquet for children

In a simplified children's croquet game, each player takes a mallet and a coloured ball. Players take turns hitting their ball through a series of hoops (called wickets) set into the lawn, following a set course. Strike the ball with the mallet's face — not a sweep or push. If your ball passes through the correct hoop, you earn an extra shot. If you hit another player's ball (a roquet), you gain two extra shots. The winner is the first player to complete the full course of hoops and strike the finishing peg.

how do you play skittles in the garden

Set up nine or ten skittles (pins) in a diamond or triangle formation on a flat patch of lawn. Mark a throwing line several metres away — adjust the distance to suit the children's ages. Players take turns rolling a wooden ball along the ground to knock down as many skittles as possible. Each player typically gets two rolls per turn. Count the number of skittles knocked down each turn and tally scores across agreed rounds. The player with the highest total score at the end wins. Reset the skittles fully between each player's turn.

how many players do you need for a board game

Most board games are designed for two to six players, though the exact number varies by game. Two-player games such as draughts or chess work perfectly for pairs. Games like Ludo or Snakes and Ladders typically accommodate two to four players. Family strategy games often support up to six. Solo play variants exist for some modern games. For summer routines, two to four players is the most practical range, as games remain competitive and move at a reasonable pace without becoming unwieldy. Always check the manufacturer's recommended player count on the box before starting.

what do you need to set up a garden game

Requirements depend on the game, but most garden games need a reasonably flat, clear playing surface free of hazards. Croquet requires mallets, coloured balls, hoops, and a peg. Quoits needs a central pin or stake and a set of rings. Skittles requires pins and a ball. Boules or pétanque needs a set of metal or resin balls and a small jack. Beyond equipment, you need enough space — check the manufacturer's recommended area. Firm, short-cut grass suits most lawn games well. Mark boundaries or throwing lines with cones or rope if needed for clarity.

how do you win at draughts

In draughts (also called chequers), each player starts with 12 pieces on the dark squares of their side of the board. Players move diagonally one square at a time, capturing an opponent's piece by jumping over it. You win by capturing all of your opponent's pieces or blocking them so they cannot move. Promote your pieces to 'kings' by reaching the far end of the board — kings can move and capture both forwards and backwards. Plan several moves ahead, control the centre of the board early, and prioritise creating kings to gain a decisive tactical advantage.

how do you play quoits

Quoits is played by throwing rings (traditionally rope, rubber, or metal) at an upright pin or stake fixed in the ground. Players stand at an agreed throwing distance and take turns tossing their rings, aiming to encircle the pin. A ring that lands cleanly around the pin scores a 'ringer' and counts for the highest points. Rings closest to the pin score lower points if no ringer is achieved. Agree on a points target — commonly 21 — before starting. The first player or team to reach the target wins. Adjust the throwing distance to suit younger children.

what games can children play outside without any equipment

Many classic outdoor games need no equipment at all. Tag involves one child chasing others until they make a touch, passing the role on. British Bulldog sees one child in the middle trying to intercept others running across a space. Hide and seek, What's the Time Mr Wolf, and Grandmother's Footsteps are all equipment-free. Simon Says builds listening and coordination. Hopscotch needs only a chalked grid (chalk is minimal kit). Outdoor free play in green spaces is also beneficial on its own — research published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2004 found natural outdoor environments help reduce ADHD symptoms in children.

how long should children play without screens each day

Guidelines vary by age. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one hour per day of high-quality screen time for children aged 2 to 5, implying the majority of waking hours should be screen-free. The World Health Organization's 2019 guidelines recommend children aged 3 to 4 spend at least 180 minutes in physical activity spread throughout the day. For children aged 5 to 18, the UK Chief Medical Officers' 2019 guidelines recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. In practice, long stretches of screen-free active and creative play support these targets across all age groups.

how do you keep children entertained in the summer holidays without TV

Build a loose daily structure alternating active outdoor play, creative indoor activities, and social games. Garden games such as croquet, quoits, and skittles provide sustained engagement. Board games, card games, and puzzles suit quieter periods. Involve children in simple cooking or gardening to add variety. The World Health Organization's 2019 guidelines recommend at least 180 minutes of physical activity daily for under-fives; the UK Chief Medical Officers recommend 60 minutes for children aged 5 to 18 — garden play counts towards both. Rotate activities weekly to prevent boredom, and let children take turns choosing what to play.