Parents Want a ‘90s Kid Summer' for Their Families—but Is It Realistic?

Yahoo

03-07-2025

Fact checked by Sarah Scott
Riding bikes to the local library. Splashy days at the public pool. The thrill of chasing ice cream trucks. The hunt for open fire hydrants. Unstructured playtime outside until the first whispers of dusk flutter across the sky.
These are just a smattering of memories of a '90s summer that parents online are sharing as they consider the type of summer they want to provide for their kids. I get the appeal. I grew up in Trinidad & Tobago and often spent summers in New York City with my family. The heat coupled with the energy of the city created unforgettable childhood memories that I yearn for my kids to experience.
A new Instacart x Harris Poll reveals that 71% of parents reminisce about their childhood summers and want to give their kids the same experience. For those who grew up in the '90s that figure jumps to 79%. Fewer screens, more outdoor play, and nostalgic snacks were some of the things that made these summers so memorable. There are benefits to this type of summer, such as increased self-mastery skills, more opportunities for creativity, emotional regulation, and stress reduction, says Sarah Harris, LMFT-S, a play therapist and family therapist.
But the reality is it's not attainable for everyone. In a viral video, one mom points out that the '90s kid summer' trend doesn't work for every family for various reasons. Her takeaway: 'Do a '90s summer if it works for you and your family.' And if it doesn't work, that's OK too.
My partner and I usually lock in our children's summer camp registrations by mid-March. We get nervous about the notion of having to entertain two restless children—with our jobs pressing from all ends—for the months of summer break.
When we do try to capture some of the '90s summer vibe and keep them home, the balance of screen-free time, unstructured play, meal prep (three times a day every day!), and a healthy dose of sibling bickering can be, well, not great.
And in 2025, all parents in a home may work because of the increased cost of living. That makes it that much harder to be around to support a child's '90s summer.
'There is privilege in being able to offer your child/ren a '90s summer,' says Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft, a mother of four and producer of the Freedom Summer Camp in New York City. 'To do this, normally, at least one parent is working from home, and can take on the emotional and practical labor of making sure the kids are fed and not on screens all day. Plus, not everyone has a backyard or otherwise accessible and available outdoor place to roam.'
As mentioned in the aforementioned Instagram video, for some kids who are neurodiverse, a summer that lacks structure and routine may spell disaster. And many families live in cities where free play in the streets for little ones simply isn't logistically safe. So, us parents are left with that yearning for the childhood we wish our kids could have and, as is often the case, we blame ourselves for not doing our best to provide them with that.
'I'm also thinking about the social and political background of the world that I also feel heavily as a parent, and wonder how that plays into my kids ability to have a '90s summer, and mine to parent for one,' Ashcraft adds. 'It's all very heavy, and shutting it all out is an act of privilege. Even so, cultivating rest and joy are necessary for collective liberation. So that balance is necessary and important.'
Could there be a middle ground, though? Is there a way to include the elements of a '90s summer even as we deal with the realities of being parents in 2025?
Unstructured play and minimal screen time are just a few of the tenets of the summer many parents may dream of and there are ways to infuse some of that into our kids' lives. Parents can plan with their kids on how to make it work for them.
'Over the summer, kids need a blend of unstructured and structured time,' explains Harris. 'Blended time can look like a child and parent collaboratively planning how they will spend the next day.'
This mixture allows for some autonomy on the part of the child to aid in helping their creativity.
For parents who need or prefer to put their little ones in summer camp, Harris recommends a few things to look out for when choosing one. 'Camps with mainly outdoor activities, or ones that incorporate free play in their schedule or have very limited screen time are ideal,' she advises.
Camps can be a relief for parents whose work schedules remain unchanged in the summer months and it doesn't have to mean that their kids miss out on the fun. 'Summer camp gives kids and families something they often can't get during the year: time to play and learn without the pressure of testing and grades," says Adam Jacobs, a former summer camp director for 20 years and the current co-executive director of the National School Climate Center.
That can even be the case in camps that focus on a specific theme, such as music, basketball, or theater, because there's typically still time for unstructured free play. "That's when kids learn from each other, interact with camp staff informally, pretend, imagine, try new things, and sometimes fail, all in a monitored, safe environment," explains Jacobs.
And what can us parents do at home? Families can try a '90s summer morning or evening routine, Harris recommends. Pick a day or two a week, leave the phones indoors, invite some neighborhood kids to join, and engage in outdoor activities like a short hike, a scavenger hunt, or a walking tour of a new neighborhood. If you have sprinklers, turn them on or search for an open fire hydrant, if you're a city family. Families can also try outdoor reading time together in their backyard, local park, or front lawn.
Ashcraft, who lives in the city with her family, says they're able to let creativity flow, even when indoors. 'On the second day of summer, I found my children making a fort and producing a stop motion film, simply because I'd let them know the night before that it was going to be a screen-free day without any plans,' says Ashcraft.
Whether a family chooses summer camp, a completely unstructured summer, or a mix of both, parents should try to shift away from the guilt of not providing their children with exactly what they had as children. After all, our children are living in a different time which comes with a unique set of opportunities and choices. So, don't get too stuck in nostalgia. Find the right fit for your children and have a bit of fun with them along the way.
Read the original article on Parents