Daily life. 44% of parents keep their children occupied with screens on vacation: here are our alternatives

It's not always easy to know how to keep the little ones occupied once school is out. This summer, 77% of parents plan to go away with their children, according to an OpinionWay survey for the children's audio platform Tonies ^(*) , which we are revealing exclusively. So, you'll have to find activities for them so as not to leave them in front of a screen all day .

It's sometimes tempting to put your child in front of a cartoon or a video game to give yourself a moment of peace and quiet. Especially on vacation , when everyone wants to relax. According to the survey, nearly one in two parents (49%) suggest that their child play with a screen while on vacation (+4 points in one year). During the vacation itself, 44% of them still do so.

However, this is not the time to give up: "On the contrary, it's the time when the weather is nice and we can go out, which we can't always do during the year or because of bad weather," emphasizes psychologist Sabine Duflo, a screen specialist.

Families are well aware that there are many other ways to entertain their little ones. When traveling, parents prefer to chat (65% of them) or listen to music (64%) with their child rather than give them a tablet (27%) or a game console (25%). Once they arrive at their destination, they favor cultural visits and physical games (64%) over watching videos (26%). Craft activities (53%), story reading (50%), and cooking (45%) are also frequently suggested by parents.

To stick to this schedule, it's advisable to establish rules before the holidays to avoid excessive screen time. Sabine Duflo recommends the "4-step method" throughout the year—namely, no screens in the morning, no screens during meals, no screens before bedtime, and no screens in the child's bedroom.

Adults must set an example . During their leave, parents must also disconnect. "Rules are only ever for children," insists the psychologist. This also applies to grandparents who would welcome their grandchildren: "If grandpa and grandma are in the habit of watching the news during meals, they need to forget about it."

Sabine Duflo reminds us that "screen-free time is free time to do other things." According to her, establishing "strong" rules allows us to "discover the pleasure of doing something else." To keep their resolutions, parents can make a list with their children of screen-free activities they would like to do (making something, going for a bike ride, going to the park, reading a book, etc.).

Many parents are not hesitant to combine business with pleasure: 93% intend to have their children do at least one learning activity this summer. Educational games (board games, memory games, etc.) are the most popular (48%), behind reading (46%) and sports (44%), cultural (44%) and artistic (43%) activities. Not to mention holiday workbooks: nearly 4 out of 10 parents plan to give some to their child.

Ultimately, 56% of parents plan to have their children work every day this summer. However, be careful not to equate a studious vacation with a laborious vacation: "We never learn as well as when we enjoy doing it," notes Sabine Duflo. "Perhaps there's more value in reading a book than boring ourselves with holiday workbooks." And then, at this time of year, the most important thing is still to unwind.

^(*) OpinionWay survey for Tonies carried out from May 5 to 19, 2025, with a sample of 1,002 parents, representative of the French population of parents of children aged 3 to 10.