As parents begin to look for additional creative ways to keep students busy and active, it’s important to keep a healthy balance of technology use and outdoor activity. To do so, keep these simple reminders in mind:
- Choose the Good Stuff: If you’re using it anyway, make technology use and consumption high quality and age-appropriate.
- Use It Together: Be engaged and see what kids are absorbing
- Walk the Walk: Set an example by modeling good media habits yourself
- Balance: Mix tech time with other education and exercise activities
- Watch the Clock: Establish time limits and tech-free zones throughout your home
To encourage outdoor activity while also allowing technology use, you can utilize these great ideas:
- Plum’s Photo Hunt: this free app, sponsored by PBS, is a great way to engage elementary-aged children and their parents in outdoor activity. Users are given a list of objects and observations that can be found in nature of which to take photos. Finding things like signs of animal life, tiny things in nature, and patterns found in nature gives children a sense of adventure while learning new exploratory skills and improving their observation skills.
- Geocaching: Geocaching is a great family activity that inspires outdoor activity in conjunction with family time. The app gives users a list of GPS locations where others have stashed hidden treasures, and provides hints and directions on locating it. While geocaching is a great family activity, it is suggested that users always have adult supervision and is not recommended for individual use by children.
For more information about these and other technology topics, please visit www.commonsensemedia.org.
