Our Real-Life Summer Schedule For Kids (That Keeps Me Sane)

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The school year gives us structure, whether we like it or not. But summer? Summer hits differently. My kids would wake up ready to go by 6 am, and if I didn’t have some kind of plan, the day would unravel before breakfast.

That doesn’t mean I run a tight ship — I just learned (the hard way) that some structure helps everyone feel better. So a few years ago, we started using a Summer schedule, keeping it flexible but adding enough routine to save me from losing my mind.

Here’s the thing – I love Summer break! I love not having the usual routines or having to be up at a specific time. Most of all, I love Summer; even if we have nothing special planned, it’s still fun to hang out with the kids.

But, I also work from home and that doesn’t change during school holidays, so having a home Summer camp schedule was a lifesaver, especially when the kids were younger.

If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “How is it only 10 a.m.?”, this one’s for you.

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Why We Have a Summer Routine in the First Place

I’ve got two daughters, and like most siblings, they bounce between being best friends and mortal enemies depending on the day. Actually, depending on the hour!

We’ve tried Summers with no structure at all, and spoiler alert: that did not go well. The constant snack requests, screen time battles, and “I’m bored” complaints wore us all down.

I don’t want to overschedule their holidays, but I’ve found that a bit of rhythm helps all of us feel more settled — and still leaves plenty of space for fun.

Our Flexible Summer Routine

This is what our typical summer day looks like at home. Keep in mind it’s not set in stone — some days we ditch it entirely if we’ve got plans, or the weather’s calling for a spontaneous day out, or if we’re travelling.

It also differs depending on the day too. Twice a week, we have entirely screen-free days – tech-free Tuesdays & Thursdays. We have been doing this since my eldest was in first grade.

Morning (7:00–10:00)

• The girls usually wake up between 6:00–7:00. They’re early risers, no matter the time of year!
• Breakfast and then something screen-free: LEGO building, reading, puzzles, or drawing.
• Mid-morning, they do a quick tidy-up and get ready for the day. This is when morning chores are expected to be done too No chores = no screens!

Late Morning (10:00–12:00)

• This is our activity block — craft kits, baking, sensory bins (yes, even with tweens!), or we head out for a walk before it gets too hot.
• Sometimes I keep a loose “theme of the week” so I’m not scrambling for ideas. Think water play week, nature week, art week — simple stuff.

Lunch & Downtime (12:00–2:00)

• We eat lunch together, then it’s downtime.
• This is usually when the girls will have their screen time. We try to keep it to 2 hours a day on screen days during the school holidays (1 hour during term), but I’m not gonna lie, sometimes they get extra if I need to get stuff done. Usually, they will play Minecraft or similar on Xbox or watch TV.

Afternoon (2:00–4:30)

• Free play, outdoors, or quiet activities depending on moods and weather. This is the time of day when independent activities are sometimes best, to avoid those super fun sibling conflicts.

Evening (4:30–8:30)

• Dinner prep (they help if they’re in the mood), then family time — we often watch a movie or TV show together (Yes, this is extra screen time, but it’s nice to do this together. Or sometimes an evening walk with the whole family.
• Showers, evening chores and then quiet time in their rooms from 8 pm. This is usually reading, diamond painting or drawing.
• We don’t have a strict bedtime during school break anymore, now that they are older. But if you have younger kids, keeping bedtime to a reasonable time is a good idea, since they’re still going to be up early and less sleep isn’t fun for anyone!

Why This Routine Works for Us

The best thing about this schedule is that it’s not rigid. We’re not tied to the clock, but the flow of the day stays fairly consistent.

The kids know what to expect, I know when I’ll get a bit of breathing room, and we all get through the day with a bit more calm. Plus they actually seem to enjoy the ‘challenge’ of having daily expectations.

Here’s what’s helped us:

• A visual routine chart so the kids don’t ask “what are we doing now?” every five minutes.
• Having a list of easy activities on hand for when I run out of ideas like an I’m Bored jar or a drawing ideas jar.
• Giving the kids some choice — they help plan the weekly theme or pick a “yes day” where they call the shots.

Screen Time Rules

At the very basic level of our Summer schedule, if nothing more, we have simply screen time rules in place where the kids need to earn their screen time through certain actions.

This means there are no screens before breakfast, chores and getting ready for the day. Then they need to do non-screen activities to earn periods of time.

My kids like to stack their non-screen activities so they can use their full block of 2 hours, usually in the afternoon.

If you are worried that even a flexible Summer schedule might be a little much, having screen-time rules can be a really simple starting point!

Throw In Some Summer Goals

One of our favourite ways to add a little extra fun to Summer vacation at home is by having some Summer goals.

One that we have done for the past couple of years is a 100 hours outdoors goal, where we track each hour we spend outside, with the goal of reaching 100 hours as quickly as we can during the Summer months.

If you have kids who are resistant to leaving the couch, habit trackers are a fun motivator!

We also have Summer reading challenges to get them reading as many books as possible. This one took a while to gain traction as my kids were not big readers when they were younger, and I had to work hard to motivate them to read, but these days they both love to read.

You can put together your own Summer bucket list, or grab my free printable version instead. This is a fun way to plan extra activities you want to do together with your kids and even better if they have input into it.

Adding Outings Into The Mix

I work from home, and I hate driving. It’s an annoying quirk, so we tend to stay close to home most of the holidays, with the exception of weekends and actual vacations. This is another reason why we needed a way to make my work-from-home routine into a fun Summer schedule for kids.

But on the occasions we do have outings during the week, you can do these spontaneously or make it a regular thing, like Fun Fridays, where you go somewhere different (or the same place) each week.

We tend to cram our weekends with a lot of fun over Summer – theme parks, weekend trips, backyard BBQs.

Tips for Making Your Own Summer Schedule

If you’re creating your own Summer vacation routine, start with your family’s natural habits.

Early risers? Build in some chill time in the morning. Kids who get cranky in the afternoon? Keep that part of the day low-pressure.

And remember — some days will go off the rails. That’s okay too. The goal isn’t to micro-manage every moment. It’s to create just enough structure to keep everyone sane and still leave plenty of room for fun and freedom.

Kids tend to thrive on routine. It helps give them guidelines on what to do and when, and that all helps with their regulation. Having a schedule for Summer break can be the perfect way to have calmer, happier kids… most of the time!

Creating a simple summer routine has made a big difference in how we spend our days — fewer meltdowns, more moments that feel like summer should. If you’re looking for more ways to keep the kids entertained or stay organised through the holidays, check out these ideas next:

• 100+ Fun School Vacation Activities for Kids at Home
• How to Set Up a DIY Boredom Buster Jar
• Screen-Free Activities for Families
• Family Date Night Ideas