We’re in the thick of our screen free summer planning and I wanted to share this great list of 50 Things to Do As a Family Without Technology from Tech Time Out. Discussion around these topics is really one of the best parts of blogging and I really appreciated all of the shared stories about how their family manages technology. I especially appreciated this comment from a mother of three, one of whom has unique needs: We have tried many things over the past seven years (including a seven month break). As your kids get older, as life changes, it’s okay to change your rules, try different strategies and adjust as needed.

Sometimes it’s really hard to stop the kids from watching tv and even apps to limit screen time can lead to more whining for when the next ‘fix’ will be available. If you ever feel stumped on what to do on a rainy day or for a new family activity, this is a great list. 

50 Things to Do As a Family Without Technology

1. Cook dinner together.
2. Visit your local Ronald McDonald House and cook dinner or bake cookies for the families.
3. Do a jigsaw puzzle.
4. Take a walk.
5. Have a family picnic.
6. Take a bike ride.
7. Play Frisbee.
8. Volunteer.
9. Go swimming.
10. Play with a pet. If you don’t have one make friends with a neighbour that does.
11. Go to the park.
12. Play a card game.
13. Look through old family albums together.
14. Go bowling.
15. Play hide and seek.
16. Bake cookies together.
17. Visit a relative at a nursing home (or see if a nursing home nearby has a visitor volunteer program).
18. Take the family sledding.
19. Have a family touch football game.
20. Go to a roller rink.
21. Volunteer at a food pantry or homeless shelter.
22. Go cross country skiing.
23. Go outside and take fun family photos.
24. Make a meal and surprise a neighbour.
25. Play soccer.
26. Make a chalk picture on your driveway or sidewalk.
27. Make pizza from scratch.
28. Rake an older neighbour’s leaves.
29. Play miniature golf.
30. Play a game of hockey.
31. Visit a pet shop.
32. Play a board game.
33. Try some food you’ve never had before.
34. Build a snow or leaf fort.
35. Hike through the woods.
36. Shoot some hoops.
37. Play a game of Charades.
38. Do a family art project.
39. Make a family breakfast.
40. Try geocaching.
41. Make a care package for the kids at your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
42. Plant some seeds and watch them grow.
43. Take a family trip to the zoo or museum.
44. Take a fishing trip.
45. Build a birdhouse or birdfeeder.
46. Clean house and donate items to non-profit.
47. Have a treasure hunt.
48. Plant trees.
49. Pick seasonal fruit at a local farm.
50. Go to the beach.

Can you add something to this list? We also like to draw and colour together, bake, water our plants, read a chapter book or listen to an audio book together.