Tues, Sept 22, 2026

Could you go Screen-Free for a Summer?

We survived 48 hours without power at camp this summer. And most of the kids didn’t even notice. If that doesn’t tell you something about the pros of being screen-free (and living outside), I don’t know what will.

At camp we have no phones or games consoles that need charging, no TVs that need plugging into an outlet, no lights in our tents that require electricity.

Instead we have friends to talk to, card games to play, friendship bracelets to make, talent shows to support at, flashlights to light up the darkness.

Imagine if you lost power for 48 hours at home in the middle of the summer (on July 4th, no less)? What’s the first thing your kids (and maybe you) would complain about? No WiFi, right? Unfortunately, I know that would be one of my first thoughts too.

Not the hot water, not the food in the fridge (okay yes, I was concerned about the freezer stash of milk for my 7 month old), not even the total darkness come nighttime.

We’ve become so accustomed to having an endless supply of information and entertainment right in front of us, and when that’s taken away we almost have to relearn how to fill our time and enjoy ourselves without those screens.

Which is where a session at camp comes into play.

At Sloane we are screen-free. I say screen-free rather than just ‘phone-free’, because I know that phones aren’t the only problem. iPads, TV, computers… In the ‘real’ world we're surrounded by screens every single day.

But not at camp. At camp it’s a rarity to see a screen (other than to watch the World Cup games this summer, of course!). And honestly, it's actually not that big of a deal. When no-one has their screens, no-one needs (or wants) their screens. Everyone goes screen-free together - staff put them in their locker, kids leave them at home, and then we just go on with our day.

Where else in the world can you do that?

Ru