Free outdoor play and peer connection support children's emotional wellbeing during summer — while unstructured screen time has been linked to increased anxiety, social withdrawal, and mood difficulties in school-aged children (Kromydas et al., 2024; Objio et al., 2025). Summer break is supposed to be the most carefree time of a child's year. No alarm clocks. No homework. Weeks of sunshine, play, and freedom stretching ahead. But beneath that cheerful surface, research is rev