I'm a parent of two boys, 9 and 6, and I live this screen-time struggle every single day. Summer break rolls around, the heat climbs, and suddenly I'm watching my kids gravitate toward their screens like moths to a flame. Gaming, YouTube, some science apps too—so that's cool. But, you name it, they're on it. And honestly? I get it. I do it too.
So when I started asking myself "how much screen time is actually okay?" I wasn't asking as some parenting expert with all the answers. I was asking as someone in the trenches, trying to figure out what balance actually looks like when you have two kids who genuinely love their devices.
Here's what I've learned from observing my own habits and those of friends and family:
You're not alone in this struggle, and the answer isn't as black-and-white as it seems.
The goal isn't to eliminate screens entirely (let's be realistic, that's not happening in my house), but rather to create a balanced approach that works for your family while still allowing kids to enjoy their summer freedom.
In this guide, I'm sharing what I've discovered about reasonable summer screen time, how to set boundaries that actually stick, and importantly, how to replace some of that screen time with activities that keep kids engaged, learning, and genuinely happy.
Understanding Summer Screen Time: What's Actually Normal?
Let's start by acknowledging the elephant in the room, and that summer screen time is different from school-year screen time, and that's okay.
During the regular school year, kids have built-in structure. They're in classes, doing homework, attending sports practices, and following bedtime routines. Screens fit into the margins of their day.
Summer? There are no margins. There's just... time. Endless, unstructured time.
I used to stress about hitting some magic number of screen hours, but I've realized that real-world parenting rarely follows guidelines perfectly.
What matters more is understanding what's actually happening in your home and whether it's serving your family's needs or working against them.
From conversations with other parents, I've found a wide spectrum of approaches:
- Some families implement strict limits: 1-2 hours on weekdays, maybe 2-3 hours on weekends
- Others take a "no electronics until the weekend" approach, keeping screens off-limits during the week entirely
- Many families (including mine, eventually) adopt a flexible, need-based system where screen time happens as needed but other activities are prioritized
- Some parents let kids self-regulate while gently encouraging breaks
The common thread? Most parents who feel good about their approach aren't obsessing over the exact number of hours. Instead, they're thinking about balance, and making sure screens aren't crowding out everything else.
The Real Problem With Summer Screen Time (And It's Not What You Think)
Here's what I actually worry about when I worry about screen time:
It's not the screens themselves. It's what screens are replacing.
When my kids spend 6-8 hours a day on devices, they're not spending that time:
- Playing outside and getting physical activity
- Reading books or engaging in creative projects
- Developing problem-solving skills through play
- Building real-world social connections
- Learning new skills or hobbies
- Simply being bored (which, counterintuitively, is when creativity happens)
I noticed something last summer that really shifted my perspective. After realizing my oldest had spent an entire day mostly on screens, I saw behavioral changes, like more irritability, difficulty focusing, and restlessness. The screen time wasn't the root problem but rather a symptom of a summer that had lost its balance.
The good news? Once you shift your perspective from "how many hours" to "what's being crowded out," solutions become clearer.
Setting Realistic Summer Screen Time Boundaries
The most successful approach I've found isn't implementing screen time rules, but structure that naturally limits screen time. Again, this is my preferred approach because it works best right now. This could change tomorrow, and can very well be a much different approach for you.
Create Time Blocks, Not Time Limits
Instead of saying "you get 4 hours of screen time today," I started breaking the day into designated screen and non-screen periods:
| Time Block | Daily | Recommended Activities | Why This Timing Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Morning (6-9am) | 0-15 min | Breakfast, getting ready, outdoor play, reading | Kids have peak energy; screens before breakfast derail the whole day |
| Late Morning (9am-noon) | 15-30 min | Creative projects, sports, errands, educational apps | Still high energy; good window for one focused activity |
| Early Afternoon (noon-2pm) | 30-45 min | Lunch, quiet time, one screen activity | Post-lunch slump; screens here prevent afternoon meltdowns |
| Late Afternoon (2-5pm) | 30-60 min | Main screen time block, outdoor play, snacks | Heat peak, parent work time; this is when kids most need engagement |
| Early Evening (5-7pm) | 0-15 min | Dinner prep, family time, outdoor wind-down | Transition to family mode; screens here interfere with dinner |
| Late Evening (7-9pm) | 30-60 min (shared only) | Shared movie/show, family games, bedtime routine | Wind-down time; only shared screens, no solo devices |
| Total Daily | 120-180 min | Mix of passive & creative screen time | Weekends allow more flexibility without losing structure |
Morning blocks (before noon): Limited screens or none at all. This is when my kids have the most energy and are most likely to engage in active play or creative projects. I've found that if screens happen before lunch, the rest of the day is harder to manage.
Afternoon block (noon-4pm): This is often when heat, tiredness, and boredom peak. One hour of screens here is reasonable—it gives me time to handle lunch, work-from-home responsibilities, take a nap on the weekends, or just catch my breath. And honestly, my kids don't mind as much because they know it's coming.
Evening block (after dinner): Family time without screens, or shared screen time (watching a movie together counts differently than solo gaming in my book).
Make "No Screens" Times Non-Negotiable
There are specific times during the day where screens are absolutely off-limits:
- During meals (all of them)
- The first hour after waking up
- The hour before bed
- Anytime someone's reading, doing art, or engaged in another activity
This approach feels less restrictive because I'm not counting hours. I'm just creating natural boundaries that everyone understands.
Use Boredom as a Feature, Not a Bug
One of the hardest things I've had to accept as a parent is that boredom is actually good for kids. It's when boredom sets in that my boys invent games, build forts, start art projects, or teach themselves new skills.
When my 6-year-old says "I'm bored" and reaches for a tablet, I've learned to pause. Instead of handing over a device, I ask him to come up with three things he could do instead. You'd be surprised what emerges when kids have to problem-solve their own entertainment.
"Go be a kid!" I yell this often. Enjoy your summer, get dirty, explore, shoot hoops. "Go be a kid."
Wait—Don't You Work for a Summer Tech Camp?
Yes. I do. And I know how that sounds. I'm aware of the irony. I'm writing about limiting screen time while working for a company that literally puts kids on computers all summer.
Here's the thing though (and this is where my perspective actually matters): I see the difference between kinds of screen time up close.
There's a massive gap between a kid passively scrolling YouTube for three hours and a kid spending two hours designing a game, debugging code they wrote, or building something they're genuinely proud of. One is consumption. The other is creation. The brain processes them completely differently.
Yes, they're still on computers. But they're problem-solving, creating, collaborating with peers, and learning skills that actually matter. That's not the same as mindless gaming or endless YouTube binges.
The structure matters too. Our camps aren't "sit at a computer all day" situations. Kids get breaks. Real breaks. They're outside between sessions, eating lunch together, moving around, socializing face-to-face.
A parent recently shared this sentiment in their Trustpilot review:
"Camp was very well organized, instructors were great, besides classroom time, kids had time to do outside games and connect with each other. On Friday (showcase day), the instructor gave a really good feedback to my son, which was very honest and motivational. My son really enjoyed the camp and the challenges presented.He learned a lot. Thank you ID tech!"
There's rhythm to the day—focused work time, physical activity, creative projects, downtime. It's the kind of structured balance that most parents are actually trying to create at home.
Does that mean summer tech camp is the answer for every family? Absolutely not. But it is one legitimate option for filling non-screen time with activities that happen to involve screens—and that's an important distinction.
The real question isn't "are screens bad?" It's "what are screens being used for?" And that's what separates passive consumption from genuine engagement.
This is where coding, game design, robotics, and STEM activities shine. These aren't "educational screen time" in the boring sense. They're genuinely engaging activities that happen to teach real skills.
Wrapping Up: Summer Doesn't Have to Be a Screen Time Battle
The goal of summer isn't to achieve perfect screen time balance or to win some parenting competition about who limits devices the most. The goal is to raise kids who have a healthy relationship with technology, and can enjoy screens when appropriate but also know how to entertain themselves, engage with the physical world, and pursue their interests without constant digital stimulation.
Ready to give your child a summer filled with learning, creativity, and genuine engagement? Explore iD Tech's summer camps, where kids dive into coding, Roblox game development, AI projects, and more.
Whether your child is a complete beginner or already passionate about technology, our programs are designed to challenge, inspire, and keep them genuinely engaged all summer long.