Things are looking a little different this summer at the Kelce household, with Jason's retirement after 13 years in the NFL. But, with three small children, the family is going to be busy. Kylie Kelce is prepared, and she's sharing her tips for an active summer.
Kylie is passionate about limiting screen time for daughters Wyatt, 4, Ellie, 3, and Bennett, 15 months. She explains, "We are a big 'get outside' family. As the weather has warmed up, we've been doing the water table out on our front porch. The girls have started weeding the garden, which they are very, very good at. It's things like that where you just sort of get out, get in the fresh air, get their hands dirty a little bit."
As an ambassador for the Eagles Autism Foundation, she knows that limiting screen time is especially important for kids who are neurodivergent. The subject is close to Kylie's heart, as she grew up with her friend Tim, "a neighbor who we basically consider family," who is on the autism spectrum. Kylie explains, "Just knowing him and loving him has given me a passion to work with the autism community. My first job out of college was as a 1 to 1 with children on the spectrum. And that opportunity only furthered my passion. So when Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the Eagles, decided to put the Eagles Autism Foundation in motion, I was so excited to get involved at the beginning, just volunteering and then now in a more official capacity, but we are really fortunate that Jeffrey chose to channel his passion into something that has become so outstanding."
Kylie has partnered with HP to promote Print Pals, a fun (and free) project that allows kids to make puppets that help them express their creativity and convey their emotions. Kylie says, "Although it is a resource that is helpful for the neurodiverse community, I'm excited to do it with our girls at home. You get to be creative, you get to do a hands-on activity. And then when you're done, you get to play with the puppets, you can use them for expression and communication."
The project is perfect for days when it's too hot or rainy to get outside. Kylie says, "We love doing arts and crafts, we love doing anything that requires a mess, really. But this keeps it nicely contained. So instead of letting them loose in the house with finger paints, we will be leaning into resources like Print Pals. I'm also excited to see what puppet my husband makes."
With Jason at home more this summer instead of training at the Eagles facility, Kylie explains their life is "significantly more chaotic." She says, "Over the years, we had very much worked out the football schedule and we were sort of settled into it, and now we are flying by the seat of our pants. We really don't know what's next any given week. I think with young kids, you have to be a little flexible anyway."
Jason has signed on with ESPN as part of the Monday Night Football team, plus he's continuing to record his weekly New Heights podcast with his brother, Travis. Kylie says, "He's definitely busier than when he was playing football. I'm excited for fall to come so that we can settle into more of a schedule, although it will be chaotic, it will technically be a schedule."
This summer, the Kelces will be keeping busy with more than just arts and crafts. Kylie, who played field hockey in college, says, "We will hopefully be holding one or two field hockey clinics over the summer. Jason will be out with our girls, hopefully digging big holes on the beach and building big sandcastles. It's fun to get out, be active, and make sure that our girls take part in those opportunities.
"Jason and I have fond, fond memories of not growing up in a space where there are tablets or screens everywhere you look. So we're hoping to put that in place for our girls."
For 60 more ways to keep your family busy and enjoy an old-school summer, check out Camp Country Living.
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers gift guides, product reviews, crafts, and TV shows like Yellowstone. She’s currently stitching up a cross-stitch pattern for the magazine’s next issue
