Free Reading Tracker + $500 Summer Giveaway
Screen-Free Summer with Mama Bear Survival
July 22, 2024
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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.
One of the themes I talk about on the Mama Bear Survival podcast & in the book, is how important it is to protect space for our kids to get bored — because that’s where creativity starts.
As Ginny Yurich says in Until the Streetlights Come On: “A bored child is a thinking child. A bored child is a creating child.”
In today’s world, where over 500 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube every single minute, what our kids really need isn’t more content — it’s more curiosity. Less consuming, more doing.
Unstructured, screen-free play develops creativity, patience, and confidence — all things we want to foster in our kids!
I was reminded of this just last week, when my girls spent an entire afternoon outside and ended up launching a little bracelet stand at the end of our driveway. In just a few hours, they made $37 — entirely on their own. That's the beauty of boredom!
I'm sharing a a free summer reading tracker along with some of my favorite screen-free products. Plus, you can enter to win a bundle of these prizes values at over $500 from these incredible brands!
We’ve had our Yoto Player for years, and it’s one of my go-to tools for screen-free fun. Kids insert audio cards to play classic stories, music, educational content—even drawing & movement-based games!
It’s easy to use and great for quiet time, roadtrips, or at-home learning. This summer, I added preschool-friendly cards for homeschool, geography lessons and games, plus the Narnia series for family listening.
pals
unplug
Plush alphabet letters that are as cute as they are clever. Perfect for preschool prep — they help build letter recognition, spelling, color sorting & more in a hands-on, cozy way.
My preschooler loves games like: “Bring me the letter T!” or sorting them by color. It's learning disguised as play — and they're adorable!
Get 20% off using code "MamaBear20"
MindWare’s award-winning toys encourage building, STEM, crafts, and outdoor exploration. I love that you can shop their website by category or age. I go right to the outdoor & physical activity sections. Some of my top picks are these fun growing kits to explore the plant cycle and encourage self-reliance (you know I love that!), a kid-sized wheelbarrow for science & gardening, and KEVA Planks — just good old-fashioned creative building play!
KEKE stands for Keep Every Kid Engaged — and that’s exactly what these reusable activity kits do.
Perfect for car rides, restaurants, or appointments. Neatly packed pouches keep little hands busy without screens. Bonus: you can subscribe for fresh activity packs throughout the year!
Created by the team behind Burt’s Bees, Elseware Unplug makes beautiful art supplies and journals perfect for nature sketching, picnics, and creative moments outdoors. We love the travel watercolor set — easy to toss into the stroller or beach bag for spontaneous creating. Their mission is all about helping kids (and parents!) unplug and create anytime, anywhere.
We’ve had our Yoto Player for years, and it’s one of my go-to tools for screen-free fun. Kids insert audio cards to play classic stories, music, educational content—even drawing & movement-based games!
It’s easy to use and great for quiet time, roadtrips, or at-home learning. This summer, I added preschool-friendly cards for homeschool, geography lessons and games, plus the Narnia series for family listening.
pals
unplug
Plush alphabet letters that are as cute as they are clever. Perfect for preschool prep — they help build letter recognition, spelling, color sorting & more in a hands-on, cozy way.
My preschooler loves games like: “Bring me the letter T!” or sorting them by color. It's learning disguised as play — and they're adorable!
Get 20% off using code "MamaBear20"
MindWare’s award-winning toys encourage building, STEM, crafts, and outdoor exploration. I love that you can shop their website by category or age. I go right to the outdoor & physical activity sections. Some of my top picks are these fun growing kits to explore the plant cycle and encourage self-reliance (you know I love that!), a kid-sized wheelbarrow for science & gardening, and KEVA Planks — just good old-fashioned creative building play!
KEKE stands for Keep Every Kid Engaged — and that’s exactly what these reusable activity kits do.
Perfect for car rides, restaurants, or appointments. Neatly packed pouches keep little hands busy without screens. Bonus: you can subscribe for fresh activity packs throughout the year!
Created by the team behind Burt’s Bees, Elseware Unplug makes beautiful art supplies and journals perfect for nature sketching, picnics, and creative moments outdoors. We love the travel watercolor set — easy to toss into the stroller or beach bag for spontaneous creating. Their mission is all about helping kids (and parents!) unplug and create anytime, anywhere.
kids
Top Screen-Free Toys & Fun
Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Head over to Instagram @mamabearsurvival to enter the full Screen-Free Summer Giveaway — over $500 in fun!
AND.... Grab your copy of Mama Bear Survival — packed with real-life tools, preparedness, and simple ways to raise resilient kids in today’s world.
Before you go...
Want to read more? Visit the full screen-free summer blog here.