How it works
Screen-Free Summer is our exciting, annual, reading campaign to help children and their families have fun away from screens over the long summer holidays.
Run on our Instagram page over the first 4 weeks of August, we provide fun, hands-on, themed activities for younger and older children to do independently or with their families plus a list of brilliant inclusive books to match each weekly theme and provide insipiration.
Each week has it’s own themed activities, aimed at boosting children’s creativity, love of reading, and good-quality family time.
Families can dip in for 10 minutes or make a whole afternoon of it — there’s no pressure to do every weekly activity. And, as an added bonus for taking part, you will be automatically entered into our weekly and grand prize draws for a chance to win a bumper selection of fantastic prizes!
How to take part
To take part in our Screen-Free Summer challenges, follow us on Instagram @ibc_reads, where we’ll post each challenge as they’re set, starting from 3 August 2026, with last entries on 30 August.
Each weekly Instagram post will explain the fun activities your children can take part in, and will also explain how to send your entry in to be registered for the grand prize draw.
For a sneak peek of what’s in store, see the ‘Weekly themes for 2026’, below.
What you could win
Fantastic, child-friendly prizes will be up for grabs for chosen participants at the end of each week of Screen-Free Summer activities, plus a generous grand prize bundle will be awarded to one lucky winner at the end of August. So, there are several chance to win some lovely gifts for your children if you take part.
Keep a check on our Instagram for more details on the weekly prizes and grand prize bundle as they are announced, and for the campaign terms and conditions.
Huge thanks to our brilliant prize partners who have donated amazing prizes for Screen-Free Summer campaign.
Weekly themes for 2026
Week 1: Let’s be… chefs! 2026
This week’s challenge: make a dessert using tinned fruit — and if you can, donate a tin to your local food bank too. Fuel your inner chef with our two featured books: Farah Loves Mangoes for little ones and The Great (Food) Bank Heist for older readers — plus 10 more brilliant food-themed reads to explore all through August. Click here to view the full ‘Let’s be… chefs!’ booklist.
Week 2: Let’s be… scientists! 2026
This week’s challenge: build a boat and photograph whether it floats or sinks! Super charge your inner scientist with our two featured books — Rosa’s Big Boat Experiment for little ones and Space Blasters: Suzie Saves the Universe for older readers — plus 10 more brilliant science-themed reads to keep the questions coming all week long! Click here to view the full ‘Let’s be… scientists!’ booklist.
Week 3: Let’s be… performers! 2026
This week’s challenge: put on a dance, singing or drama show! Little ones make a puppet and perform a puppet show for their family — then send us a photo of your puppet and tell us what your show was about. Older children go solo — create your dance or drama costume or choose your instrument, and perform your one-person show. Then send us a photo of your costume or instrument and a description of your performance. Light up your inner performer with our two featured books — Tommy’s Time to Shine for little ones and Ballerina Dreams for older readers — plus 10 more brilliant, performance-themed reads to bring the house down. Click here to view ‘Let’s be… performers!’ the full list.
Week 4: Let’s be… athletes! 2026
This week’s challenge: timed trials! Work through 5 exercises and see how many you can do — little ones get 10 seconds per exercise, older children get 30. Count your reps, write down your scores and send us a photo of your results card. All you need is your body, a timer and the will to go for it. We’ll suggest 5 exercises, but please adapt any or all of them to suit your child’s age, ability, and stage of development — every body is different and every version of this challenge counts equally. Energise your inner athlete with our two featured books — Strong Like Me for little ones and Go! Go! Chichico! for older readers — plus 10 more brilliant sport-themed reads to keep you moving all the way to the finish line. Click here to view the full ‘Let’s be… athletes!’ booklist.
Why do we run our Screen-Free Summer campaign?
Screens have become part of everyday family life, and this campaign isn’t about banning them. But the slower pace of the summer holidays provides a great opportunity for fun and creativity off screen, a conversation the whole country is having at the moment, with all UK schools now required by law to be phone-free during the school day and a social media ban for under-16s expected to follow by 2027.
Reading enjoyment among children and young people has just seen its first rise in five years, according to the National Literacy Trust’s 2026 survey, but recovery is fragile, and children aged 5 to 8 are reading books for pleasure slightly less than they were last year. The Education Select Committee is currently running an inquiry into why, overall, children are still reading for pleasure less than they were two decades ago, and what might help turn that around.
During the long six-week holidays, when routines fall away for bored schoolkids, reading can easily lose out to a tablet, smartphone or TV. By running our IBC Screen-Free Summer campaign, we aim to make a difference, by helping to raise children’s enjoyment of reading books, linking reading to fun actvities that will motivate them to ‘Go All in‘.
Building on the success of the 2025 campaign, this year brings four new weekly themes, with fresh activities and incredible prizes to keep things exciting.
Great books for adults this Screen-Free Summer
Research shows that adults modelling good reading habits for children really does encourage them to pick up a book and read, just like their mum, dad, nan or teacher.
Here are some suggested reads, inclusive adult titles, you might enjoy that link to our 2026 Screen-free Summer weekly themes.
Week 1: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Week 2: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Week 3: Hope in a Ballet Shoe by Michaela DePrince with Elaine DePrince
Week 4: Swing Time by Zadie Smith
Stay up to date with Screen-Free Summer 2026
Want to know more about each week’s Screen-Free Summer 2026 challenge as soon as it lands?
Follow us @ibc_reads on Instagram for activity prompts and prize updates throughout August. And don’t forget to join our mailing list, below, for the full rundown on Screen-Free Summer 2026 before the holidays begin.
More screen-free ideas and books
Looking for more ideas to keep your child entertained with books once Screen-Free Summer ends? Our ‘5 smart-swaps for a screen-free summer’ blog post is full of practical hints and tips.
Learn more about the inclusive books featured in the campaign and find 100s more high-quality titles for ages 1 to 9 on the IBC website. Check out our ‘Search books’ or ‘Search booklists’ filters.