It’s only a few weeks into summer, and while boredom hasn’t fully set in yet—it will. And that’s actually a good thing.
As Ginny Yurich writes in Until the Streetlights Come On (which I reference in Mama Bear Survival), boredom isn’t a problem to solve—it’s a gift to reclaim. She puts it simply:
“A bored child is a thinking child. A bored child is a creating child.”
Today, our kids are surrounded by endless digital content—500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every single minute. But what they really need is less content and more curiosity.
Unstructured, unplugged play builds creativity, confidence, and calm.
Real quick- looking for the free summer reading challenge tracker & giveaway? Head over to mamabearsurvival.com/summer
I was reminded of this just the other day when my girls spent an entire afternoon outside and ended up selling homemade bracelets at the end of the driveway. They made $37 in a few hours—all on their own.
That’s the magic of boredom!
One of my goals this summer was to get them reading—but without forcing it. So I pulled together a collection of 50 great picture books (yes, picture books are for older kids, too!) and created a simple reading tracker they can use to log their progress and earn small rewards along the way. We’re aiming for 100 books by summer’s end.
You can download this simple tracker here!
Just print it out and let your kids color or highlight across the line as they reach each reading milestone.
At our house, I added a little extra fun: I have a mini claw machine they get to “play to win” after reading so many books. Some are small trinkets, others have little notes for special treats—like picking a movie or going out for ice cream. We’ll see how well it works for adding a little extra motivation!
And checkout this screen-free summer giveaway I’m hosting on Instagram!
I’ve teamed up with some amazing screen-free brands for a summer bundle worth over $500, including an AlphaPals set, summer Keke subscription, yoto player, MindWare gift card and more!
Enter the giveaway on Instagram
1. Yoto Player
We’ve had our Yoto Player for years, and it’s one of my go-to tools for screen-free storytelling.
Kids insert audio cards to play classic stories, music, educational content—even physical fitness games.
It’s easy to use, totally screen-free, and great for quiet time, road trips, or winding down at night. This summer, I added a few preschool-friendly cards to our homeschool plans, plus the Narnia series for family listening.
2. AlphaPals
These plush alphabet letters are as cute as they are clever. Perfect for little ones prepping for preschool or kindergarten—they help build letter recognition and early spelling skills in a hands-on, cozy way.
My preschooler loves playing games like when the music stops “Bring me a letter T!” or sorting them by color. It’s learning disguised as play—and the full set looks adorable in a playroom.
AlphaPals is giving a full, color set to one lucky winner in our giveaway on Instagram @mambearsurvival!
3. MindWare Toys
MindWare’s award-winning toy brand is full some of the most engaging assortment of building sets, toddler toys, board games, science kits, crafts, puzzles, pretend play, STEM, and more.
I love that you can shop according to age or activity (like outside or stem). I picked out some fun growing kits and a mini wheel barrel for some science and gardening projects this summer, and some KEVA Planks- just good old-fashioned building play!
They’re giving away a $100 e-gift card in our giveaway! (head over to Instagram @mamabearsurvival to enter)!
4. Elseware Unplug
From the makers of Burts Bees, Elseware Unplug makes beautiful art supplies and journals that are perfect for on-the-go creativity—like nature sketching on a hike or painting at a picnic. They have beautiful and natural art sets that you can bring along on your next nature hike and even creative products for teens and adults. I love the traveling watercolor set- perfect for the stroller or your beach bag so you can pull it out for some on the fly creating.
I love the mission behind the brand. Here is a blurb from their website that sums it up! We offer perfect product solutions and tools that support your desire to unplug at home, at work, in the bath, in nature and on the go! And many of our awesome, natural products are freshly handmade in our plant in Raleigh, North Carolina.
5. Keke Kid
Keke stands for Keep Every Kid Engaged—and that’s exactly what these clever kits do. I love them for travel days and our summer road trips to the cottage.
Keke Kits are pre-packed, reusable activity kits designed for kids ages 3–6. They come in a sturdy, zippered binder with neatly organized pouches, making them ideal for mess-free fun on the go.
Whether you’re in the car, at a restaurant, or waiting at an appointment, these kits keep little hands busy without a screen. You can even subscribe to receive fresh activity packs and swap them out when your kids need something new.
You can win a summer subscription kit in our giveaway!
✨ Enter the Giveaway!
We’re celebrating all things screen-free with a big summer giveaway, valued at $500+!
You could win:
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A full AlphaPals Alphabet Set
- A mini yoto player, adventure jacket & $25 gift card
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A summer Keke Kit subscription
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A $100 e-gift card to select your own MindWare fun
The winner will be announced June 20!
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