How to Keep Kids Off Screens During School Breaks: Creative and Calm Vacation Ideas

Why Screen-Free Vacations Matter More Than Ever

If you're reading this, chances are you're a parent who loves their child deeply—but you're also tired. Tired of the constant battles over screen time, and maybe a little worried about what all that time in front of tablets and computers is doing to your child’s creativity, focus, and well-being. And as the school holidays approach, the fear of hearing "I’m bored" on repeat all day is starting to creep in.

You're not alone. The good news is that you don’t have to plan a Pinterest-perfect getaway to keep your kids happily screen-free during vacation. What you need is something more sustainable: variety, engagement, and a little structure. It’s not just about avoiding screens—it’s about giving your child something better to turn to.

Start With a Gentle Routine

During the school year, children find comfort in routine. And while vacation is a time to loosen the reins, completely removing all structure often leads to restlessness and, ironically, more complaints of boredom. Create a loose daily rhythm with space for play, creativity, movement, and quiet time.

For example, a day could begin with a morning walk followed by breakfast and then a chunk of creative play time. After lunch, maybe a calm hour with stories or drawing, and the afternoon reserved for an outing or collaborative family activity.

This rhythm not only provides kids a sense of predictability, but it also helps reduce the temptation to default to screens every time there’s a lull.

Replacing Screens with Story-Led Play

One of the challenges with eliminating screens is that digital content often becomes a child’s primary source of storytelling. Replace that visual noise with richer, more evocative forms of story—ones that spark their imagination instead of simply feeding it.

Audiobooks and audio series can work brilliantly here. They free the hands and eyes, and invite kids to create mental pictures through listening. For instance, the Apple App Store and Google Play platforms offer LISN Kids, an app filled with original audiobooks and audio series designed for children aged 3–12. Whether your child loves fantasy, mysteries, or comedy, LISN Kids can turn car rides, quiet afternoons, or even post-dinner calm-down time into a screen-free haven for their imagination.

And listening together can become a shared family ritual—more connective than watching TV, and far less overstimulating. You’ll find more practical ways to reduce screen use during downtime in our article After School Screen Time: How to Help Your Child Find the Right Balance.

Rediscover the Power of Hands-On Boredom

Boredom isn’t the enemy—it’s the beginning of creativity. When your child comes to you saying, "I don’t know what to do," try pausing before offering suggestions. Give them space to dig into their own imagination. You’ll be surprised at what unfolds when you let that silence linger.

Still, it helps to have a “boredom toolkit” ready with materials that encourage open-ended play: cardboard boxes for DIY houses, old clothes for dress-up, or loose parts like buttons, bottle caps, and string for crafting. Rotate items every few days to keep their curiosity piqued.

If you're planning a road trip or long car ride, check out our guide on screen-free travel activities to keep siblings engaged and squabble-free.

Connect Them to Nature Without Overplanning

Sometimes parents feel an unspoken pressure to orchestrate every moment of a vacation—but children often just need exposure to interesting environments. A nearby forest, shoreline, public garden, or trail can be incredibly refreshing. Let them climb, flip rocks, inspect bugs or build fairy houses from sticks and leaves. It doesn’t need to be a pre-scheduled eco-tour—just space to explore, naturally.

Consider establishing a simple nature tradition, like a weekly picnic, bird-watching with binoculars, or collecting different leaves for scrapbooking. The natural world offers the kind of unstructured, sensory-rich experience that screens simply can’t replicate.

When Calm is Needed: Bedtime Without Blue Light

Evenings are when many kids crave downtime—that soothing end-of-day ritual. But relying on screens for relaxation can rev up their nervous systems, making peaceful sleep harder to come by. We explore this in more detail in this guide to screen-free bedtime routines.

Try gently lit rooms, soft music, warm baths, guided bedtime stories, or audio quiet time with a calming episode from an audio series. A quiet environment in the evening signals safety and closure, helping kids wind down in both body and mind.

Small Shifts Add Up Over Time

If your child is already heavily reliant on screens to pass time, transitioning to a screen-light vacation can be tough at first. Resistance is normal—it doesn’t mean you’re failing. You’re simply helping them build a new kind of muscle: one for patience, imagination, self-direction, and presence.

If you're worried your child might be overly dependent on devices, consider exploring the deeper context in My Child Is Addicted to Screens: What Can I Do?.

In the end, it's not about perfection or eliminating screens entirely. It's about thoughtful balance, choosing richer alternatives, and being a little braver in letting boredom bloom. This vacation, let that be your parenting win—you’ve done more than enough.