| |  | “When I got home, my mom and dad said we weren’t allowed to watch TV, use the computer, or any electronics for the whole week. Surprisingly, my siblings and I barely fought because we had nothing to fight about. We did so many fun things together and learned a lot about each other in school and out. That week we had to make a lot of changes, but we made it, and had a lot of fun!” | | – Telan, age 11, Alaska | Read more here | | Find a fun Screen-Free Week – or plan your own! Here are just a few of the many exciting events happening across the country: - The Des Plaines Park District in Illinois will celebrate Screen-Free Week with a board game swap, an ice cream social, nature night, bicycle rodeo and ride, family golf night, and a campfire.
- In Granville, Ohio, community organizations are collaborating to host fun and free events for the entire family, including comic book day, a sports equipment swap, free admission to a school play, family board night, local history night, hikes, canoeing, and a kick-off festival at a local park.
- Students at Huckleberry Hill Elementary School in Lynnfield, Massachusetts will celebrate Screen-Free Week with a variety of activities, including dinner at a local restaurant, Mad Science night, game night, an author reading, and a dance party.
- Hundreds of bookstores and libraries will hold events to celebrate Screen-Free Week and Children’s Book Week together. For example, Village Books in Bellingham, WA will be hosting free events for children, including story time, a crafts activity, and a week-long scavenger hunt.
Find more events and register yours here! | |  | | Two Ideas for Celebration While Screen-Free Week starts on Monday, April 30, we encourage you to consider a Screen-Free Week kickoff event on Sunday, April 29. Past celebrants tell us they love bowling, having a barbeque or campfire, taking a nature walk or family hike, eating dinner out or dinner in (and cooking together), enjoying a family swim at the local pool – or any other activity to launch Screen-Free Week even more memorably! When you’re about to celebrate something really great, why wait? And here’s a thoughtful Screen-Free Week idea for families: National Teacher Day is May 8, just two days after Screen-Free Week concludes. Why not encourage our children to honor the teachers in their lives – including the very many teachers who organize Screen-Free Week celebrations for our children – by making a card or handmade gift for them during Screen-Free Week? | |  | | | Endorser spotlight: The Alliance for Early Childhood We’re thrilled that The Alliance for Early Childhood, which supports parents and professionals who care for young children, is endorsing Screen-Free Week. Says Director Liza Sullivan, “The Alliance for Early Childhood began its TV Tune Out Week in 1995. Since then, our ScreenBreak and CCFC’s Screen-Free Week have evolved to reflect the screen options and usage in children’s entertainment. Both organizations continue to focus on the importance of a yearly opportunity for families to evaluate the impact of screens on their lives and to explore other options. The Alliance for Early Childhood salutes the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and looks forward to many more years of providing screen-free weeks for families around the country.” Liza Sullivan raises an important point: Screen-Free Week runs for just one week each year, but how are families maintaining screen time balance the remaining 51 weeks of the year? We encourage families to keep the conversation going before, during, and after Screen-Free Week by exploring together why they unplug, their favorite screen-free activities, and what they can do to incorporate screen time balance into their lives all year long. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Family Media Plan tool can help families design a personalized media use plan that reflects their values and parenting styles. | | Tell everyone you’re celebrating! Get your networks amped now for screen-free fun. We’ve got sample Facebook posts, tweets, press release, and social media images (including our beloved “I’m unplugged!” image) on our website. You can also find fliers, handouts, pledge cards, activity logs, and certificates of achievement – in English and Spanish – so that the whole community can get in on the fun. Check out our resources here. | |  | | It’s also Children’s Book Week! If reading is one of your favorite screen-free activities, make sure to celebrate Children’s Book Week along with your Screen-Free Week! At Children’s Book Week events at bookstores and libraries, kids often have opportunities to meet their favorite authors in person. Find an event near you, or host your own. | |  | | | A note of gratitude We thank all of our endorsers, organizers, families, teachers, supporters, and fans for helping to make Screen-Free Week meaningful and fun for the children in their lives. It wouldn’t be Screen-Free Week without your hard work, creativity, and commitment. | | | | | | | Did someone forward you this email? Sign up and get CCFC updates directly to your inbox! Screen-Free Week is a project of CCFC. Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
89 South St., Suite 403
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ccfc@commercialfreechildhood.org | | | | | | | | | |
