Raising Smarties
Screen-Free Summer Smarts Keep your kids active and learning while school’s out.
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By Jennifer Kantor
plashing around in the pool. Riding bikes until dusk. Catching fireflies in jars. Throwing a screen zombie level 10 tantrum to play one more round of Roblox? Summertime and the livin’ isn’t quite as easy as it once was—not with so many tech temptations competing with old-fashioned outdoor fun. “We’ve just experienced an unprecedented year, and our kids have used screens as a lifeline to education and friends,” says Michele Borba, Ed.D author of Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine. “So now is the time to pull back and offer healthy alternatives. Ordinary experiences can make extraordinary differences in helping our children’s well-being.”
JUNE 2021 | NEW JERSEY FAMILY
Kids don’t need to be structured all summer long, of course. “Boredom is not a horrible thing,” says Ellen Frede, Ph.D., senior co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. “And having to figure out how to spend your time is a good thing.” Nor do they need to quit all screen time. She suggests parents set up a schedule with their child featuring age-appropriate fun along with some activities based on everyday routines with chores and responsibilities baked in. Daily physical activity balanced by quiet time and generous free play is also a must, and screen time should naturally be limited. Beyond that, there are endless opportunities for educational
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