Summer Out Loud

May 29, 2025

Look away from this screen! OK, wait—don’t go just yet. Please finish reading this newsletter, because ironically, my job at KidsOutAndAbout is to help you stop staring at screens and start living your life out loud, especially in summer.

Summer is meant to be sticky and messy and loud and full of grass stains—and it helps to have a plan. One of my favorite tricks? Give your summer a theme. For over 20 years, KidsOutAndAbout.com has helped families trade scroll-time for real time, and of course my kids have been test subjects for these ideas. Here are some examples: Our Summer of Connection included recording family interviews and scanning old photos into albums. The Summer of Good Taste came after we joined a CSA and had to learn what to do with actual vegetables. Our Summer of Outdoor Adventure was... well, quickly renamed the Summer of the Adirondacks Camping Debacle. One year I declared our house a No-Zone-Out Zone—no relying on screens for entertainment. That inspired KOAA's article 50 Ways to Love Your Summer… without Technology; that list never goes out of style, and it's zero cost, so it's the perfect place to launch a low-tech Summer of 2025.

Want to go out of town, but not far? Check out 101 Family Day Trips. Need help organizing your days? Our classic article It’s Their Vacation and You’re the Tour Guide: How to Organize Camp Mom is packed with structure ideas, activity tips, and resources for making the most of long summer days. Just don’t overschedule. Boredom is underrated—it sparks creativity. A theme gives that creativity direction. (Ideally toward invention and not, say, removing a bathroom sink to “see how the pipes work.”)

The point is: A little structure, a little freedom, and a big sense of fun can turn any summer into a memorable one. Even if it doesn’t go exactly as planned. So: Pick a theme. Make a list. Then look away from the screen. Summer’s waiting.

—Deb