As a child therapist working with anxious and depressed kids, I know that back-to-school time brings up a lot for parents, kids, and families. New schools. Socializing and fitting into peer groups. Academic pressure. Physical appearance. Teasing and bullying.

All of this—and more—is a lot to navigate! But both parents and kids can get ahead of the school year’s stress pile-up by establishing healthy habits and routines at the outset that will positively shape kids’ mental health throughout the school year.

And best of all, the inspiration for these strategies comes from the summer camp playbook!

From new friendships to challenge courses to song circles around the campfire, kids thrive at camp. Time in nature with friends alongside a healthy dose of independence and creativity is just as exciting today as it was 30 years ago.

As summer winds down, school need not be a rough transition. Rather, it can be an opportunity for families to renegotiate household rhythms and reset family values.

Here are several basic ingredients that parents can translate into routines that guide family life and build long-term resilience.

1. Exposure to nature

A new global study adds to an already existing body of research demonstrating that when people spend time in or interact with nature in some way—anything from a walk in a park to looking out the window to watching a nature documentary or playing with a pet—they feel significantly better. Indeed, psychiatrists actually give out “park prescriptions” to kids whose depressed or anxious moods or ADHD benefits from playing outside in the fresh air. It’s cheap, it’s accessible, and it works quickly!

In the UK, community health practitioners are doing something similar with green social prescribing, or prescribing nature-based interventions like gardening or cycling to the same effect. In Japan, shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, has long been a popular medical and therapeutic intervention, as studies show that it lowers symptoms of depression and anxiety and boosts mood.

Here are some simple ways to integrate nature into weekly routines:

• Kids can walk or bike to and from school and enjoy the benefits of fresh air, exercise, and nature.
• Kids can play more outdoors in their parks or neighborhoods. If you’re concerned about safety, you can ask a responsible teenager to accompany them or rotate flexible parents.
• Monthly/bimonthly/weekly family excursions. Draw from a hat: beach, lake, river, park, forest, hike, bike, swim, etc, or co-create a family bucket list of places to go or fun outdoor activities.
• Does your child have reading homework? Encourage them to take it outside on a balcony, blanket in the grass, hammock, treehouse, park, etc.

2. Face-to-face socializing (that does not involve devices!)

Kids thrive on socializing, and it’s a key part of their growth and development. But not all socializing is created equal. Remember the last time that you walked past a group of kids clustered together, all staring at their individual phones? Or staring at one glowing screen altogether?

Yes, yes, parents often model this very same behavior. We also know how incredibly addictive screen time is (it literally alters dopamine like a drug). Studies consistently show that increased time spent on devices—particularly social media—makes kids feel more anxious and depressed. But kids benefit from adult guidance in setting limits and boundaries in the digital landscape.

Your kids may initially balk, but deep down, someday they will thank you if you set some parameters around their screen use. Some parents ask tweens to drop their smartwatches or phones into a basket when they come over to visit. Or you can set a household rule that when friends are over, devices are on sleep mode unless needed for something specific.

You can help brainstorm with your kids a “Screen-Free Stuff To Do List.” Perhaps this lives on your fridge so you don’t have to listen to a chorus of “I’m bored,” “there’s nothing to do,” “Can we please just watch/play/look at…?” Sometimes, kids just need a gentle reminder that so many other possibilities exist IRL to keep them from defaulting to a glowing screen.

3. Hands-on creativity

From lanyards to string bracelets to candle-making to jewelry to tie-dye T-shirts, creating with your hands is an unofficial summer camp motto. And kids love it. As an art therapist, I can attest that so much goodness happens when kids focus on creating with their hands: rumination decreases, repetitive movements soothe their nervous systems, glimmers of satisfaction and contentedness and even confidence register on their faces or elevate their moods. Sure, there are moments of frustration that can arise, but these are not the enemy. Frustration offers kids a chance to learn both how to problem-solve and how to persist.

Many parents have an art area or a messy kids’ table in their homes. Or you can set up the kitchen table for specific projects. I always think it can be a double win if you have a table outside where kids can create in the open air.

When families make space to create together, perhaps as part of a weekly routine, that reminds kids that it’s an outlet and an alternative to screen headaches. Seasonal art-making is an annual reminder of pumpkin carving, costume design, wreath-making, cookie decorating, flower arranging, etc.

Some fun creative family-friendly projects:

• Spice art: kids can spice up a bowl of water and then place a sheet of paper atop the water to absorb the design (e.g., turmeric, cinnamon, basil).
• Simple monoprint: paint a leaf, or carve and paint a potato, then press onto paper. Repeat.
• Hot glue nature sculptures: search for nature friends (flower petals, stones, bark, leaves) and then assemble sculptures with hot glue.
• Eco-mobiles: use whatever materials you’ve got to create a hanging sculpture (save old tea bags, corks, bottle caps, gift wrap, etc.).
• Collage: source scraps of paper, bags, magazines, or cards and glue onto paper (nice room decoration)!

Kids today face mounting pressures from many directions. In my office, I hear about so many layers of struggle on the micro and macro levels. As kids navigate the current maze of existential distress, they need more outlets that are tangible, at their fingertips, and allow for emotional release.

Picture letting go of a balloon that you just blew up and watching it deflate as it flies and hisses through the air. Our kids, like a balloon, inflate with daily pressures, and they need a release at the end of the day. Nature, socializing, and creativity are easily embedded into school-year routines and offer the space and permission for kids to blow off steam at the end of the day.

At any time, parents can plant and water these seeds to promote emotional well-being. Not only that, but they stand to benefit, too!