10 Summer Activities That Don’t Involve Screens (or Cost Money)

Let’s be real — summer break sounds magical until it’s day three, your kids are “bored,” and you’ve already said no to tablets seventeen times before breakfast. And if you’re like me, you don’t have a ton of extra cash for daily outings or fancy camps. So here are 10 actually doable, mostly mess-free, and totally free summer activities to keep your kids happy and your sanity intact.

1. Backyard Obstacle Course

Use what you have — sticks, jump ropes, buckets, laundry baskets, whatever. Set up a course and let the kids race through it. Bonus points for silly challenges like crab-walking or hopping on one foot.

2. Nature Bingo

Make a simple bingo card with things like “a yellow flower,” “a butterfly,” “a rock shaped like a heart,” and head outside for a walk. It turns a regular stroll into an adventure.

3. Water Paint the Sidewalk

Give them cups of water and paintbrushes. Let them “paint” the driveway or sidewalk — mess-free and endlessly entertaining as it dries and disappears.

4. Library Challenge

Most libraries have summer reading programs with free activities, prizes, and events. Air conditioning and free books? Yes, please.

5. Lemonade Stand (With a Twist)

No pressure to sell anything — just set up a pretend lemonade stand. Kids can serve “customers” (aka stuffed animals or siblings) and practice their math and manners while playing.

6. Toy Wash Station

Buckets, sponges, soap, and waterproof toys = instant fun. Bonus: your plastic animals or trucks get clean.

7. Park Scavenger Hunt

Make a list of things to find at the park — a red slide, someone with sunglasses, a dog, etc. Turn a regular outing into a mini-mission.

8. DIY Backyard Camping

Pitch a tent or throw some blankets over lawn chairs. Let them “camp” for the afternoon with snacks and books. No bugs or late-night bathroom runs required.

9. Storytelling Circle

Everyone tells a part of a story, one sentence at a time. Go around the circle and build the tale together. You’ll be amazed (and maybe horrified) at where the plot goes.

10. Frozen Toy Rescue

Freeze small toys in plastic containers or muffin tins with water. Give kids tools like spoons and water sprayers to “rescue” them. It’s science, sensory play, and a cool-down all in one.

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Summer fun doesn’t have to mean spending money or battling screen time. With just a little creativity (and maybe some snacks), you can help your kids make memories that don’t require a Wi-Fi password.

Dinner Didn’t Go as Planned (Again) — And That’s Okay

It was going to be perfect. I had the recipe pulled up, all the ingredients on hand, and just enough time to get everything prepped before the kids started melting down. I had a vision: a cozy, healthy family dinner, eaten together at the table like a Pinterest board come to life.

What actually happened?

One kid refused to eat because it “looked weird.” Another cried because their favorite cup was in the dishwasher. The dog stole a chicken thigh. I burned the rice. Someone spilled juice all over the floor. I ended up eating my dinner standing at the sink.

And yet… we survived. Everyone ate something, eventually. No one starved. And honestly, no one cared that it didn’t go according to plan—except me.

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Real Talk: Dinner Doesn’t Have to Be a Performance

It’s easy to get swept up in the pressure to make every meal “special.” Social media makes it look like other families are sitting down to candlelit quinoa and lovingly roasted vegetables every night. But most of us are just trying to get something edible on the table before bedtime.

And that’s enough.

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What Actually Matters

• Did your kids eat something? Great.
• Was it cereal, leftovers, or frozen nuggets? Still great.
• Did someone laugh, even if there were also tears? Amazing.
• Did you do your best with the energy you had? That’s the gold star.

Perfect dinners are rare. Nourishing your family doesn’t always mean homemade, balanced, or Instagram-worthy. Sometimes, it means buttered noodles and a Popsicle. Sometimes, it means ordering pizza and watching a movie because that’s what your sanity needed.

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Let Go of the Guilt

Dinner doesn’t have to be magical. It just has to happen.
So the next time it all goes sideways—again—remember this: You are feeding your family with love, even if the love comes with a side of microwaved mac and cheese.

You’re doing great. Even if dinner didn’t go as planned.

I Yelled Today—And That’s Okay

I yelled today. Not because I’m a bad mom. Not because I don’t love my kids more than life itself. But because I’m human—and some days are hard.

The toddler refused pants, the baby ate dog food, the older one spilled juice down the stairs, and I had exactly 3.5 hours of sleep and no coffee. So yeah, I yelled. Then I felt awful. Guilty. Like I’d ruined everything.

But here’s the truth I keep trying to learn: perfect parenting doesn’t exist.

What does exist? Apologies. Hugs. Trying again. Kids seeing that grownups make mistakes and say sorry, and that love doesn’t disappear just because we lost our cool for a minute.

So I sat on the floor, pulled my kids into a pile of limbs and snot and snack crumbs, and said, “I’m sorry. I had a big feeling. Let’s start fresh.” And they did. Because kids are resilient and forgiving and made of second chances.

You’re not failing. You’re doing the messy, real work of showing up—even when you’re tired, overwhelmed, and not your best self. That’s enough. You’re enough.

Dining Out: Healthy Choices for Kids at Tim Hortons

Where we live, there are Tim Hortons everywhere. Nearly on every street corner. It's inevitable that we end up stopping there, and typically more than I'd like. But when you're on the go and you have kids and you want coffee...well, sometimes you just end up where you end up. And now the kids want something too.

Luckily, Tim Hortons is far more than donuts and coffee these days. They have sandwiches and wraps which can easily satisfy the young ones. Try to steer your kids away from that Ice Cap they want and skip the donuts. If the kids want a bite of something sweet, a Timbit will do. Less calories, less sugar.

Sandwiches are good. The whole wheat option for breads is ideal, but don't get the soups. They're really high in sodium.

Order

The toasted chicken club is a good choice. It's tasty and kids seem to love it. Add an apply juice and just 3 honey-dipped Timbits and you only have 680 calories. For a sandwich and a handful of tiny donuts, that's a really good number. And the kids will happily eat it up.

Don't Order

Again, skip that Ice Cap. If you get an Ice Cap, a chocolate chunk cookie, and a BLT sandwich, you're up to 900 calories and over 1100 mg of sodium. There's also 17 g of saturated fat. That's a lot of salt and fat and they won't be any happier with the meal.