While kids and teens are counting down the minutes until school lets out, parents are bracing for the inevitable battle against mindless screen time. You have likely already thought of all the ways to keep kids away from tech — summer camps, at-home activities, playdates, etc. But have you thought about how you can actually use tech to enhance your kid’s summer?
To help you make the most of the season, we’ve rounded up our top tech tips for a fun, safe, and balanced summer. Let’s get into it!
Bark’s 2025 Top Summer Tech Tips for Families
Tech that inspires creativity and imagination
Understandably, parents don’t want their kids scrolling on TikTok or playing Fortnite all day. But that’s not all tech can be used for! It can be a powerful tool to spark creativity and curiosity.
If your child loves the aesthetic posts of Instagram and Pinterest, perhaps they’d enjoy digital art and design. Apps like Tynker and Procreate can be the stomping grounds of their artistic journey. If your child loves video games and math, coding may be the perfect next step. Not only are there lots of online programs that teach kids coding, but you may even find a local coding camp where they can work with instructors in person.
Tech that promotes learning and education
Once school is out, naturally kids don’t want much to do with learning and schoolwork. But summer can be a great time to encourage reading and academic skills in a more low-pressure environment and on their own terms. And tons of tech tools and platforms can help do just that!
If you want to encourage your child to read this summer, platforms such as Libby and Epic! have thousands of kid-friendly titles, available on most devices. You can even use apps like Beanstack to track your child’s reading and challenge them to see how many books they can read in one summer!
For other subjects such as math, science, and languages, check out Khan Academy, BrainPOP, and Duolingo for awesome educational platforms designed to teach kids. These are accessible platforms no matter what level or interest your child is at.
Tech that encourages an adventurous but safe summer
What if tech didn’t have to be a distraction that keeps kids inside all day, but instead something that enables fun experiences outside? If your child is old enough to let them venture into the neighborhood by themselves, you can use GPS tracking to ensure their safety while still giving them the freedom to explore.
Pro tip: You can use something like the Bark Watch and not only can you track them, you can also send them a quick text or call to get them back on the way home.
But it doesn’t stop there — apps such as Seek, Skyview Lite, and geocaching can turn a summer stroll into an interactive adventure. For a full review of some of our top recommended outdoor apps, check out our guide.
Tech that supports balance and relaxation
For most families, keeping all social media and video games out of summer is simply unrealistic. Additionally, it’s important to remember that summer should be a time for kids to relax after a long school year, so some extended screen time may be well deserved. But as with all things, balance and moderation is key.
With this in mind, you can use tech to set healthy boundaries. Screen time management tools can allow you to allot a certain amount of time for your kid’s favorite online activities without getting out of hand.
Pro tip: The Bark Home can help you manage screen time for all devices in your home — including phones, tablets, computers, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and more. Instead of setting up screen time on individual devices and apps, you can easily set up your internet rules with one app on your phone.
How Bark Can Help
Whether your summer is filled with adventures or lazy days at home, Bark can help you keep the family’s tech use balanced and safe. We offer a variety of products that help parents protect their kids online, including the Bark Phone, the Bark Watch, the Bark app, and the Bark Home. Check out our products page to find out which one is the best fit for your family.
Bark helps families manage and protect their children’s digital lives.
