Screen-free summer

A few screen-free ideas we're trying with our teens this summer...

Between school holidays and the inevitable screen-time arguments, keeping tweens and teens engaged over summer can feel like a full-time job.

We’re big believers that connection doesn't have to be forced and a little novelty goes a long way. Here are three simple, screen-free ideas to try at home over the break to get everyone talking (and away from their phones):

• Host a family ‘safari supper’: Instead of a standard dinner at the table, ask each family member to take responsibility for making and hosting a course in a different part of the house or garden. Floor picnic mains and desserts around the barbecue or fire pit keep life interesting.

• Upgrade to a 'garden cinema' night: Make your own outdoor cinema night - a projector is great if you have one, but you could just use a laptop or tablet with air mattresses, cosy blankets and fairy lights (plus the obligatory popcorn). It’s amazing how a change of scenery makes a movie feel like a special event.

• The ultimate backyard camp-out: You don’t need to pack up the car for a big camping trip. Pitch a tent in the garden—or simply lay yoga mats and sleeping bags under the stars on a warm night. There is something about chatting in the dark outside that gets teens opening up in a way they rarely do at the kitchen table.

Stepping out of routine often creates the most memories in our experience. It doesn’t have to be complicated but just opportunities to step away from the noise and have longer conversations and moments of shared stillness together.

P.S. Ready to kick off the holidays with a full day of screen-free connection, a luxury pool, and family wellness workshops and mini treatments. Find out more about Bloom and Bond on July 23rd or August 28th.