Unplug to Groove: A Screen-Free Saturdays Guide

by | Dec 15, 2020 | Uncategorized

The days are getting shorter, the blankets are looking cozier, and our bodies are feeling slower. Now is a great time to shake off the sleepiness, turn up the tunes, and get groovin’. This month, we’ve compiled a few different musical opportunities for your families as you turn off your devices.

For Screen-Free Saturdays, let’s unplug to groove, baby!

Growing up in a musical family was a blessing I didn’t understand until much later. Dad was always playing guitar on the porch, my brother would practice multiple horned instruments, and humming was happening at all hours. The sounds and the soul of music were alive in our little home. It wasn’t until I was a pre-teen that the music experience changed – mp3 players, smartphones, and YouTube took over the music world, and soon, music wasn’t just an auditory thing. Instead, I’d spend hours cultivating playlists, organizing my music downloads, watching, and consuming – all on a screen. The experience of listening to music changed.

So, what does it look like to experience music in a back-to-screen-free way? Try out these groovy activity ideas for your family on Screen-Free Saturdays – all involving music! 

Musical Activities for the Family

DIY musical instruments. Music can be made from just about anything. Bring out pots and pans, tissue boxes wrapped with rubber bands, glasses filled with water, and toilet paper tubes turned trumpets for a creative experience!

Musical charades. For a more complex version, one person puts on earphones, does an interpretive dance to the song. The rest of the family members have to guess what the song is!

Plan your playlists ahead of time. Avoid getting stuck on the screen by setting up your playlists before your screen break. Or, plan to use CDs or radio devices to crank up the tunes! Check out one mom’s evaluation of Screen-Free Music Options.

Shake it and make it! Playing music while creating art is a well-known pair, but what does it look like for your family? Try out painting to different tempos and styles of music. Or, maybe cook to your favorite beats. Incorporating music into other creative activities can freshen up the experience!

Check out live, socially distanced music. The Arts field is struggling right now due to the pandemic. Beyond some fantastic digital concerts and experiences to check out when you’re plugged in again, there are some groups that have offered socially distanced opportunities to see live performances. For example, groups like Long Beach’s Block x Block play on neighborhood porches to whomever wants to come listen from their own windows (shameless plug, this features my little brother as described above, now playing upright bass). Other musicians have offered concerts out of apartment windows. Seek opportunities in your area that will also support local musicians!

Have a jam session. You don’t need to know how to or be good at playing music or singing in order to jam out. Start a beat on your knees and see what happens. Who knows where it’ll take you!

Featured Resources

Homemade Instruments

Need more musical instrument design ideas? Check out this list of 24 Homemade Instruments here.

Music to cope with Covid

“Studies have found that singing decreases feelings of depression and loneliness. You don’t have to be a great singer to sing! Also, any kind of active engagement in music can help relieve stress such as playing an instrument or moving/dancing to music.” Click here to read an article about the benefits of music.

Community Connections

SAVE THE DATE: May 3-9, 2021

Screen-Free Week will look a little different this year, but we’re keeping the spirit alive. We’re missing our community celebrations, school-wide spirit, and in-person soirees, but we’re committed to helping families to celebrate Screen-Free Week 2021 as it works for them! More information coming soon! www.screenfree.org

Psst, did you see our new, super cute hours tracker for Screen-Free Saturdays? Download it today and get tracking! 

Happy unplugging,

Rachel

Unplug to Get Cozy: A Screen-Free Saturdays Guide

by | Dec 1, 2020 | Uncategorized

When I was a kid, my little brother and I used to wait at the door for any packages delivered to my dad. As a sales rep, sometimes Dad would get samples of products ranging from mugs to stuffed animals to (our favorite) candy. But usually, it wasn’t what was inside that I was waiting for. It was the box itself. The jackpot came when the box was the perfect size: taller than me and wider than my shoulders. I would drag the box up the stairs to our bedroom and set up the coziest little nest inside – pillows, blankets, a flashlight, and my stuffed bear, Broccoli. For the next several nights, I’d sleep in there; during the day, it was a house for play and a calm space when my emotions got big.

There is something magical about being in a kid-created space, whether it’s a pillow fort, a box, a closet, or a crawl space in the bushes outside. As the weather turns, we wanted to focus on saying yes to cozy kid creativity. So, pull out some blankets, tea, and maybe even light a fire. For Screen-Free Saturdays, let’s unplug to get cozy! 

Last month, the kids decided that we needed to build and sleep in a blanket fort in the living room. 8 chairs, 6 sheet sets, and a ton of clothes pins later, we snuggled up for a night of indoor camping. Even the dog loved it. While it would have been convenient to take it down the next morning, we ended up leaving it up for a while. The kids would go in to read, play, and even just to take a breather. Giving your kids a place to go throughout the week where there are no screens and cozy vibes is one solution to creating boundaries around screen time for your family. Check out our new resource with fun, fabulous fort ideas for your Screen-Free Saturdays and beyond!
Download the Full Resource

 

Kid-Friendly Soup Recipes

Warm up the whole family with these soup recipes that kids can help prepare! Find the recipes here.

 

Pandemic Time Capsules

Our friends at the National Association of Independent Schools offer this fun idea: making time capsules during the pandemic. Learn more here.

Community Connections

Ever wondered what teens think about their tech use? Or yours? Our brand new Dear Parents resource offers a new perspective, one backed by personal experiences as youth growing up in a digital age. In partnership with the Children’s Screen Time Action Network, two high school teens, Aliza Kopans and Celine Bernhardt-Lanier, created a resource to give parents more understanding, empathy, and skills around their children’s screen use.

Plus, check out the recording of out November 19 teen panel, Dear Parents: Messages from Tech-Wise Teens, moderated by Dear Parents creator Aliza Kopans and author Amy Crouch, with featured guest Max Stossel from the Center for Humane Technology.

And, share your stories with us. We’ll be highlighting stories of successful screen breaks this month, and we’d love to share yours! Reach out by replying to this email or tagging us on social media @screenfreeweek or using the hashtag #screenfreesaturdays (after Saturday of course!).

Happy unplugging,

Rachel

I'll go Screen-Free on Saturdays

Unplug to Discover: A Screen-Free Saturdays Guide

by | Oct 5, 2020 | Uncategorized

How is it possible that it is October? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for much these days, especially not cold weather. But, what I love about Autumn wherever I am, is that it invites us to notice change. Both adults and kids tune into the seasonal shift no matter where we live, whether it’s leaves shifting from green to red, new birds migrating, or (unfortunately for those of us on the West Coast) smokey skies. Our senses are reinvigorated. Our routines shift. There are new and different things happening around us daily.

This month, invite your family to become explorers of your own lives and your own communities. You’ll be amazed at how much your kids can learn about the world (and themselves) in the cracks of the sidewalk or in between the couch cushions. For Screen-Free Saturdays, we invite you to unplug to discover! Adventure awaits!

Being an Explorer of the World

It really doesn’t take a ton of effort to get curious about the world, and kids are naturally curious. Honestly, sometimes it’s just the act of unplugging and looking up that provides enough inspiration! Take the lead from the kids and make this month all about discovering (or rediscovering) something new- whether it’s a new alley nearby your apartment or a game you had buried in a toy chest.

If that doesn’t work, my favorite book to use in the classroom and in my personal life is How to Be an Explorer of the World by Keri Smith. 

This “Portable Life Museum” is a treasure trove of provocations for finding curiosities in every nook and cranny of our lives. With 59 explorations, ranging from people-watching to writing down 10 things you notice about where you’re sitting right now, there are so many ways to inspire kids (and adults!) to pay a little more attention.

When I’ve used prompts like this with young children, it has been helpful for them to have an “explorer journal”. Here’s a great tutorial on how kids can make and keep a journal. They become a collection of kids’ theories, ideas, and experiences.

Some of my own favorite prompts?

OUTSIDE

    • Tiny Spaces, Big Discoveries: Place a hula hoop on a small part of grass/dirt/concrete and really look. What do you notice? What’s living there? Are there any human-made objects hiding? Anything you didn’t expect?
    • New Roads: Print a map of your neighborhood. On your map, make notes of where you walk regularly. Then take the time to go down a new street as you walk. Mark interesting things you find, buildings with unique features, and hidden treasures.
    • Look Up: Lay in the grass/on the floor/on the sidewalk. What do you see? What changes when you look for a long time?

INSIDE

    • Furniture Finds: What’s hiding under the couch? In the cushions? Create a museum of all the fun (and maybe disgusting) things that have been out of sight.
    • Junk Drawer Diving: Have a junk drawer? Pull it out and sort things into different categories. What can you use to make junk-drawer inspired art? What’s the purpose of that one weird thing you found? Find out!
    • Stare Down: Find a member of the household (pets included) and just watch each other. What are things you notice about each other? Anything new? It’s amazing what you can learn. “I didn’t know you had a scar above your eyebrow!”

B.I.N.G.O.

Hearing “There’s nothing to do!!” too often lately? Our Screen-Free Bingo Card can help your kids to try something new! Download it in our resource library.

“I want to be…”

We love this resource from our friends at Get the Kids Outside! It gives kids technical vocabulary to describe their (oh so valuable) outdoor play. Download it here.

Community Connections

Have you watched The Social Dilemma yet? As if we needed more incentive to unplug, The Social Dilemma is a new film (out on Netflix) that explores the sometimes frightening systemsbehind social media and how it is guiding our day to day life.

Our suggestion? Host a ‘virtual screening’ by scheduling a time that older members of your family or your friend group will watch. Then, have a discussion. Ask yourself- what does this all mean for our kids?

Our very own Jean Rogers, Director of the Children’s Screen Time Action Network, has been engaged in these dialogues, too, most recently with Audrey Monke on the Sunshine

 Parenting podcast. Check out their discussion here.

Learn more about the film here.

 

Have you checked out our School Organizing Kit yet?

Children enrolled in school need real breaks built into their weeks. That’s why we’re partnering with school districts to help them to spread a simple message: go screen-free one day per week. Interested in promoting Screen-Free Saturdays at your school for the benefit of children, families, and educators?

Our new School Organizing kit features all that you need to build a campaign at your school, including a letter to parents, new SFS pledge cards, flyers, and more.

Download the full toolkit

Plus, share your stories with us. We’ll be highlighting stories of successful screen breaks this month, and we’d love to share yours! Reach out by replying to this email or tagging us on social media @screenfreeweek or using the hashtag #screenfreesaturdays (after Saturday of course!).

Happy unplugging,

Rachel Franz

 

P.S. Make sure to stay connected with all of our Screen-Free Saturdays ideas, resources, and fun by taking the pledge:

Take the Screen-Free Pledge

Unplug to LookUp: A Screen-Free Saturdays Guide

by , | Sep 2, 2020 | Uncategorized

In moments like this, it can be especially hard to unplug. Over the last three weeks, we’ve witnessed a historic movement for Black lives, all against the backdrop of a global pandemic. Staying informed is essential – but it’s also important to create space to reflect and decompress. Not only do we need it, but our kids do, too.

Our team at Screen-Free Saturdays acknowledges that we don’t have all the solutions. But we do know that technology is a huge factor in our mental health and relationships. So, this month, we’ve partnered with LookUp.Live to offer the LookUp Challenge in conjunction with our Screen-Free Saturdays for digital wellness, screen time management, and mental health while we all keep the momentum for social change going. Unplug to look within. Unplug to look around. Unplug to look for ways to help. Unplug to LookUp this month with the LookUp Challenge and Screen-Free Saturdays beginning July 18! MISSED THE CHALLENGE? CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE TO SEE OTHER LOOKUP OPPORTUNITIES!

What is a LookUp Challenge? LookUp Challenges are just that: challenges for youth and adults to look up from their devices and to create balance in relationship to tech. They are generally led by young people thinking critically about their relationships with the media and have been done all over the country! These young people, for example, have been supported by LookUp to take on tech-life balance for themselves and their peers:

  • Check out these 5 middle schoolers who challenged their whole school to think differently about their relationships with screens!
  • Watch this panel on Gen-Z on tech-life balance during LookUp’s Innovator Showcase!
  • And, check out these lessons by high schooler Haydn Wolfers who is using her passion for digital wellness to teach elementary schoolers in addition to hosting a LookUp club in her school!

Listening to Teens’ Stories about Screen Time

How often does bringing up screen time with kids cause a bigger battle than you expected? In many households, it’s most of the time. And, especially for parents of teens and young adults, the battle may feel like it’s already been won by your teen’s phone! But, when was the last time you actually sat down with the young people in your life to listen to their stories about screen time?

This month, we invite you to use your Screen-Free Saturdays to figure out how to help your kids become screen time ambassadors – to set boundaries with them, to understand the reality of their experience with tech, and to recognize how capable they are of setting an example for how your family can healthily exist with digital media. Here are a few tips for how to do that:

  • Listen to your teen/young adult. I mean, really listen. Don’t rebut. Take it in. What do they enjoy about their devices? What do they believe are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? Many teens will tell you that they are overwhelmed by how many things they are expected to check and that they feel tired after too much scrolling. But, the solutions can’t always come from an adult. What solutions do they have for the drawbacks?
  • Recognize the importance of social media right now. Many Black, non-Black POC, and White allies are using their social media accounts to uplift Black voices and to engage with an especially important moment in history. Help your kids process what they’re seeing and encourage them to post with purpose, taking breaks from the screen to try other types of actions or to engage in self-care.
  • Recognize that we need skills to cope without a device. As CCFC volunteer Celine points out in her blog post, nomophobia (the fear of being without one’s phone) is real. And it’s real because, as digital natives, many young people depend on our phone for socializing, avoiding difficult feelings, or just to pass the time. Even as an older millennial, I have had panic attacks before answering a phone call that wasn’t pre-planned with a text. So, unplugging might be challenging – and that’s okay! Talk to your teen about what skills you can work on as a family to help to replace that crutch – maybe it’s simply finding a common place in the house to plug in. Offer lots of empathy and take it day by day.
  • Provide kid-led examples of ambassadorship. There are so many young people out there who are figuring out how to live with tech better than adults- including parents, educators, and even experts! The examples from LookUp as well as our resources below offer some strong examples. Folks who use social media can follow @lookup_live for more about young peoples’ digital wellness movements.
  • Live by example. Kids of all ages need their parents to walk the walk. Check yourself out loud. “Ugh, I just got so stressed when I checked my phone. I need to take a little walk. Want to come?” And don’t get offended if they say no!

Need more info? We recently hosted a webinar on tween/teen video game overuse, which can be watched here. And, check out our resource library for additional support.

 

Are you a nomophobe?

In a survey of her peers, our summer volunteer Celine Bernhardt-Lanier, a rising high school junior from Bethesda, Maryland, found that most high schoolers believed that their peers spent too much time on their phones, but didn’t think they had a problem themselves. So, she created a challenge to help them really disconnect.

Learn about Celine’s efforts to help her peers navigate tech in our latest blog.

Celling Your Soul

Celling Your Soul is the inspirational story of how a group of young college students learned to appreciate the power of authentic human connection.  Listening to the stories of her students struggling to make the shift to digital socialization, communications Professor Joni Siani (also a Children’s Screen Time Action Network Advisory Board Member), empowered them with the skills and understanding that to get the feeling and fulfillment of emotional connection we all need. Now available to rent!

Community Connections

A recent study shows that when parents are stressed, kids’ screen time increases (as does parents’). And right now, we’re all feeling more stressed than usual, as we witness horrific anti-Black violence and even more police brutality in response to peaceful protests, all in the midst of a pandemic.  Our devices – both kids’ and adults’ – are flooded with reminders of the brutal practices of police and deep-rooted, systemic injustices. Constant exposure to videos of violence against Black people, police brutality, and violence against protestors – even if only through a screen – isn’t good for adults, let alone children. 

Yet, we need to stay in this fight. And dismantling 400+ years of systems that reinforce racism is not going to happen overnight. So, how do we take care of what our kids need from a developmental perspective, take care of ourselves (especially those on the frontlines) to make sure we don’t get burnt out, and maintain the energy and dedication needed to cultivate equity in our country?

There is no easy answer. But, what we can offer is an opportunity to build in self-care, grounding, and connection to keep us going for the long haul. We’ve also appreciated these resources to help us navigate the media in this moment:

Helping Kids Process Violence, Trauma, and Race in a World of Nonstop News and How White Parents Can Use Media to Raise Anti-Racist Kids from Common Sense Media

Talking to kids about George Floyd’s death and protests from Chicago Tribune

Teaching About George Floyd And Black Lives Matter from NPR

_______________________________________________________________________

We hope you’ll join us (and invite a friend) to our LookUp Challenge and to take the pledge for Screen-Free Saturdays! And if you can’t commit this month, see if there is a way that you can help someone else get the self-care they need in this time.

Happy unplugging,

Rachel

 

I'll go Screen-Free on Saturdays

Unplug to Help: A Screen-Free Saturdays Guide

by , | Sep 2, 2020 | Uncategorized

 

 

There are many ways we can organize to support one another via technology, but for young children, they need hands-on, concrete ways to help. Whether it’s chores around the house, making masks, or helping to deliver groceries for immunocompromised neighbors, there are so many unplugged ways to give to the community and build relationships with one another in a time when we need it most.

Unplug to help for Screen-Free Saturdays!

Kid-Friendly Ways to Help

 

Start with a book. I’m a huge fan of using books to start a discussion. Check out this list of  11 Picture Books to Teach Children about Giving to Others. Image from  Brightly.

Make masks!  Sewing is a fantastic activity to learn starting in preschool and extending into adulthood — not only does it help kids to develop their finger muscles, but it’s also a practical creative outlet! There are a number of tutorials for  hand sewn masks as well as using the  sewing machine , but if they feel more comfortable with glue than needle and thread, they can make  no-sew masks!  Make sure to print or write your instructions down before Screen-Free Saturday to avoid the pull of the computer!

Collect seeds!  Making sure everyone has access to healthy food is an important effort for kids to participate in. One way that some kids have been helping is collecting and saving seeds. Consider inviting your kids to  harvest seeds and to donate them to local food co-ops, seed shares, and community gardens. Or, have them plant their own food!

Help around the house! Empower your kids to make their bed, put their toys away, help with dinner, sweep the floors, and participate in your home community! Older children can help take care of their siblings by reading and playing together, or even planning fun family activities for Screen-Free Saturdays and throughout the week. 

Give blood! If your teen is comfortable, they can give blood, which is especially helpful during the pandemic! You can use  this website to find a donation center and schedule an appointment to  make a blood donation in your area.

Wash your hands and stay home! Of course, the best way to help right now is to slow the spread of COVID-19. So, follow your local guidance and the needs of your family!

Want more ideas? Check out this list from Self-Sufficient Kids.

LookUp to StepUp

Our friends at Lookup.live have been challenging teens and young adults to take on community challenges with their LookUp to Step Up campaign- a way to encourage teens to use social media for good, when they do use it. Check out their recent blog on using social media as a form of digital protest in support of Black Lives Matter.

 

New blog post!

Check out our recent blog post by teen Haydn Wolfers who is working to complete her Girl Scout Gold Award by teaching upper elementary schools about digital wellness! Find the post here: https://www.screenfree.org/haydn-wolfers-inspiring-teen/

Community Connections

As schools look to “reopen,” technology is a big part of the proposed plan. So, what do we need to consider to make sure our kids don’t get lost in the digital shuffle? Our 3-part series, “Back to School During Covid: The Case for Limiting EdTech” provides answers, inspiration, and practical solutions. Check out the recordings at: www.screentimenetwork.org/recording-archive.

The past several months have been difficult to say the least, exacerbating inequities and hitting each community in different ways. Scientists explain that in times of crisis, acts of kindness and helping others (wherever we’re at in our ability to help) can boost our own health and well being. So, spread the love however you can this month!

Happy unplugging,

Rachel

P.S. Share your experience with us! Email [email protected] or tag us @screenfreeweek on your social media (after Saturday, of course). Let us know what issues came up so we can troubleshoot together!

P.P.S. Don’t forget to share the pledge with your friends and family!

I'll go Screen-Free on Saturdays

Unplug for Back To School

by | Aug 4, 2020 | Uncategorized

It’s back to school season, which for many of us means that we are establishing routines and getting back into the groove of getting the kids ready for school each morning. Yet, going back to school looks different this year. Almost all schools have screen-based learning plugged in to their plan for the Fall. This means that the 7+ hours per day the average American kid spends on screen-based entertainment (playing video games, social media, watching shows, apps, etc.) could happen in addition to all of those hours of school screen time, plus homework!

It’s for this reason that we need offline time to be part of our weekly routines, too. So, unplug for back to school by making sure you get those breaks from screens one day per week.

Getting Back Into the Routine

This summer, I’ll admit that my Screen-Free Saturdays were a little less consistent than I would have liked. Sometimes they turned into a Screen-Free Sunday instead. Sometimes, little things slipped in and turned my screen-free time into screen-filled. For me, sometimes it was a board meeting or a last minute need to follow up on something via email or a big news headline that popped up as an ad while we were listening to music that I needed to check in on. For the kids, it was a spontaneous request from a friend to video chat, which turned into playing a logic game on the tablet until we would laugh and say, “Oh no! It’s Screen-Free Saturdays– oops!” Those little moments aren’t a big deal in the scheme of things, but I always felt like I wasn’t totally rested when I came back to the CCFC virtual office on Monday. And the kids weren’t rested either. 

Fast forward to next week when the kids start school remotely. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s going to be hard. One of my favorite first graders will be spending 5 hours on the screen with his classmates as part of their school’s plan. He told me, “I don’t want to go back to school. I don’t want to be just sitting at the computer all day.” For students who thrive in the bustling, active, social arena of school, online distance learning is tough, especially in this format. It’s more important than ever to make sure that we preserve some offline, active play for kids as they spend their days on screens without choice.

Our Getting Ready for Screen-Free Saturdays resource has all the language you need to {re}start the conversation. Then, revisit our activity suggestions, which have been published as guides for you:

Plus, our resource library keeps growing! Scroll down to see how to help promote Screen-Free Saturdays in your school or district!

Let Them Play

Our August 24th webinar “Back to School during COVID” for early educators produced some amazing advice for honoring kids in the time of distance learning. The online event featured Drs. Nancy Carlsson-Paige and Denisha Jones. Read these great tips for helping young children thrive while remote or in-person. 

Screen Breaks

Throughout the week, it’s also important for us to have screen breaks. Check out this toolkit from Yoga Ed., an organization that promotes mindfulness, movement, and social emotional learning for communities worldwide. The kit provides 3 breathing exercises, 3 chair yoga poses, and 3 brain breaks. 

Community Connections

Children enrolled in school need real breaks built into their weeks. That’s why we’re partnering with school districts to help them to spread a simple message: go screen-free one day per week. Interested in promoting Screen-Free Saturdays at your school for the benefit of children, families, and educators?

Check out our brand new SCHOOL ORGANIZING TOOLKIT! It features all that you need to build a campaign at your school, including a letter to parents, new SFS pledge cards, flyers, and more.

Download the full toolkit

Plus, share your stories with us. We’ll be highlighting stories of successful screen breaks this month, and we’d love to share yours! Reach out by replying to this email or tagging us on social media @screenfreeweek or using the hashtag #screenfreesaturdays (after Saturday of course!).

Happy unplugging,

Rachel Franz

P.S. Make sure to stay connected with all of our Screen-Free Saturdays ideas, resources, and fun by taking the pledge:

 

I'll go Screen-Free on Saturdays