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The summer scaries: Survey reveals concerns about kids' mental health don't disappear when school lets out

While children may look forward to the freedom of summer break, a new survey reveals that the end of the school year brings a fresh wave of anxiety for many parents, dubbed the "Summer Scaries."

The national survey of more than 1,000 parents, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of The Kids Mental Health Foundation, reveals that half of parents are just as concerned about their child's mental health when they are out of school for the summer as they are during the school year.

One in 10 parents is even more concerned about their child's mental health during the summer. The top worries include increased screen time (38%), boredom and lack of structured activities (34%) and disrupted routines or sleep schedules (26%).

"While many children are excited to be out of school for the summer because of the freedom it brings from homework and school tasks, without the structure and social connection that school provides, some children are at higher risk for isolation, irregular sleep, and decreased engagement in fun activities," said Ariana Hoet, Ph.D., executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation and a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

"This can put some kids at higher risk for mood concerns, especially if they're already experiencing mental health challenges."

As part of its ongoing mission to support families nationwide, The Kids Mental Health Foundation, founded by the behavioral health experts at Nationwide Children's Hospital, offers practical tools to help parents reduce summer-related risk factors for their children. These free, expert-informed resources include:

• —Guidance on creating and sticking to daily routines that support mental wellness.
• —Tips on how unstructured time can help kids develop creativity and resilience.
• —Tools for managing device use and promoting balanced and age-appropriate digital habits.

Survey methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Ipsos on the KnowledgePanel from April 4 to 6, 2025. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,085 adult parents of children under the age of 18. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.14.