Spoiler alert: yelling “Put the phone down!” doesn’t work. Neither does the guilt trip, the unplugged family manifesto, or the endless screen time timers that everyone just ends up ignoring.
So if you’re already bracing yourself for a summer of power struggles and zombie-eyed TikTok scrolling, we see you. And we’re here to offer something better than shame or supervision: motivation.
Let’s be real: Devices aren’t the enemy. Boredom is.
When kids are sitting around with nothing to do and no one to do it with, it makes perfect sense that they turn to a screen. It’s instantly rewarding. It’s fun. It doesn’t make them feel dumb, or awkward, or like they have to be anyone other than exactly who they are. Can we blame them for liking that?
But here’s the twist, kids don’t actually want to spend all day on a screen. They want to move, play, explore, laugh, win, build, challenge themselves, and do things that make them feel powerful. But they need help getting there and that’s where you come in, and where Kong Academy becomes your secret weapon.
So How Do You Actually Help Your Kid Get Off Devices This Summer?
Start with the same thing that keeps them stuck: dopamine.
Screens provide instant feedback, and games are structured to make kids feel like they’re making progress. Every level up, every like, every reward keeps them hooked. But you can recreate that same structure in the real world.
Here are a few ways to do it (without turning into the no-fun police):
1. Turn physical movement into a story
Instead of saying, “Go outside,” say: “The floor is lava in 10 seconds. Move!”
Kong Academy’s YouTube channel is packed with adventure workouts that let kids fight imaginary goblins, dodge fireballs, and rescue the kingdom, all from their living room or backyard. They’re not just exercising, they’re becoming the hero of their own fantasy story.
Bonus: You don’t need to prep anything. Just hit play and let the story take over. But if you want to level it up, give them a costume box, a cape, a chef’s apron, a pirate hat; it doesn’t matter what. When kids dress the part, they get even more into the story. That’s a screen-free dopamine boost right there.
2. Let play look like screen time
Do they like ninjas? Dinosaurs? Robots? Pirates? Great. So do we.
Kong camps and videos are themed around the characters and stories kids already love. So instead of trying to pull them away from their interests, you just bring those worlds to life through play.
Summer themes include:
- Sharks & Pirates (June)
- Ocean Exploration (July)
- Ninja Secret Agents & Back-to-School Minecraft Missions (August)
Each adventure is rooted in real-life social-emotional learning but the kids don’t have to know that. They just think it’s fun and that’s the magic: they’re doing the same problem-solving, teamwork, and self-regulation they’d get from a therapist or teacher, but they’re getting it through an obstacle course with a foam sword in hand.
Plus, when kids feel ownership over the adventure, they’re less likely to ask for a tablet. They want to see what happens next.
3. Make boredom a bridge, not a breakdown
Instead of rushing in to fix the “I’m bored” complaint, ask: What do you want to feel right now? Excited? Brave? Powerful? Creative? Then give them a path to get there. Kong’s games, camps, and workouts are built to trigger those exact feelings through movement and story-based challenges. Kids aren’t just entertained, they’re activated.
They get to try new things, they get messy, they get loud. And all of it builds the kind of resilience and self-belief that no app can deliver.
If your child is more introverted or hesitant? That’s okay too. Many Kong activities can be done solo or in low-pressure social settings. You don’t have to force group play to build confidence. You just need to make the real world as rewarding as the screen.
4. Let them struggle a little
Yep. Struggle is actually the point.
At Kong, we believe kids are capable of hard things. In fact, we show them they’re capable by letting them problem-solve, work in teams, and keep going even when the game gets tough.
Because in real life, there’s no instant do-over. You don’t pop back up fully recharged like in a game. Instead, you take a breath, recalibrate, and try again; maybe differently this time. That reset is where the real learning lives. You try again. And again. And then, finally, you nail it. That moment of victory is the moment that makes it stick.
That’s how they build resilience. It’s also how they stop reaching for a screen the second something feels hard or uncomfortable. And here’s the quiet bonus: they start to believe in themselves without needing outside approval. That’s a big deal. Because when kids feel internally motivated, the screens lose a lot of their grip.
5. Replace control with connection
Your kid doesn’t need more monitoring, they need more meaningful interaction.
Instead of spending your summer policing phone time, why not spend it watching them climb a (safe) tree, lead a team mission, or finally land that cartwheel? Even 15 minutes of shared play a day can change the vibe of your whole household.
And when that can’t happen in your backyard, it can happen at Kong Academy. Kong offers in-person camps in Seattle for ages 4–10, as well as free YouTube content for kids anywhere who need a movement-based mission to get through their day. Whether you’re juggling work or just out of ideas, we’ve got you.
Why Kong Works
Kong Academy was built on the idea that kids learn best through movement, story, and play. Every afterschool and summer program is designed to boost your child’s confidence, self-regulation, and ability to connect with others.
We use physical play as the vehicle because it works. And we use characters, themes, and game-based challenges because that’s what lights kids up.
Whether it’s:
- climbing over lava pits,
- sneaking past goblin guards,
- leading a ninja team mission,
- or just learning how to keep your cool when things don’t go your way…
… your kid is being entertained while also building real-world life skills that will last way past summer. In addition, they’re building a relationship with themselves… That little voice inside that says, ‘You can do this. Try again. One more time.’ And honestly? That’s the kind of confidence we wish we all got when we were kids.
Next Steps
So if you’re ready to:
- avoid the summer screen battle,
- give your kid something real to look forward to,
- and teach the kind of skills that aren’t on any app…
Then start with a Kong Academy video today. Or check out our summer camps if you’re in the Seattle area.
You don’t have to micromanage every minute of summer. You just have to offer a better story. We’ll help your kid become the hero of it.
7-Day Crystal Shard Adventure
Unleash your child’s potential with our 7-day crystal shard movement adventure!
