If you’ve got kids in your life, you might have leaned on tablets and devices a little more these past few months – as you should! Parents and families have been doing whatever it takes to keep kids busy, happy, and safe at home during the pandemic.

But summer fun can very easily be screen-free and close-by. Try these old school activities – with kids or on your own! (You’re never too old for simple pleasures.)

Jump in muddy puddles

After a rainfall, pull on your rubber boots and go on a puddle walk. Look for worms who have pushed through to the surface, find leaves floating like boats in new little sidewalk lakes, and best of all, jump in muddy puddles! There’s nothing like getting a little dirty and making a splash.

Play Poohsticks

You don’t need the 100-acre wood to play Poohsticks, though it does work best with a bridge of some kind, you can also just use a puddle or a pond or a river or Niigaani-gichigami (Lake Ontario). Pick up a nearby stick, drop it in the water, and watch its journey for as long as you can.

Hopscotch

What you need: chalk, a sidewalk, and a small object to toss onto the court. If you don’t have chalk, you can trace lines into dirt, and what’s really great about hopscotch, is you can play alone or with (your bubble) friends. Many of us who grew up in Canada, know the “modern” layout of the hopscotch court, but check out American and English designs, too, to switch it up.

Water balloons

First rule: only throw water balloons at someone who has agreed to play! Second rule: there isn’t one! You can play tag, baseball, catch, racketball, pretty much any ball-game with a water balloon – you just get the added fun and risk of getting wet! Best on a hot day.

Tic tac toe – outdoor or indoor!

On a rainy day, pull out some paper and a pen. When it’s sunny out, use sticks and rocks to mark your x’s and o’s. Remember the fun of the quick and fast paced game? You’ll quickly remember how easy it is to play over and over, too.

Once you start to think about simple summer fun, you’ll find the ideas (and childhood memories) start to flow: catching fireflies, skipping stones, building a fort… start with the above and comment below with your suggestions!