Screen-Free Week, where families with kids spend as little time with screens as possible, is the first full week of May every year.
The idea evolved out of TV Turnoff Week, pioneered in 1994, and posits that we could all use a break from the information overload that floods our day-to-day life from our TVs, computers, smartphones etc. Kids particularly need creative play to thrive, but it’s great for adults to take breaks from screens for mental and physical health as well.
Staying off screens can be hard without something else to do with our time, so if you’d like help giving your kids alternatives, look no further than Canton Public Library.
Drop In for Storytime
Storytimes are a wonderful way to spend time with your kids at the library and away from screens, with live reading, music, movement, and other activities to enrich your child’s day.
CPL offers drop-in Family Storytime for children ages birth to 5 years old and their families. Multiple days and times will be available during Screen-Free Week, and every other week during sessions, to accommodate as many families as we can. Be sure to show up a little early to get a good spot in line.
Not sure about the schedule for storytimes? Check the library's website or contact the library.
Check Out an Activity Kit
In addition to books and DVDs, CPL also carries activity kits for at-home fun and exploration. With everything from microscopes and fossil replicas to programmable robots and building toys, kids can learn about all manner of STEAM-related topics. We also have kits designed to help with social-emotional learning, such as learning to manage emotions or handle difficult situations.
Check this list to see what we have available and pick up a kit or two today from the shelves near the youth DVDs.
Read Along with a Wonderbook
Wonderbooks are picture books with built-in audio players that read the story along with you. These are great for independent kids who are still learning to read, busy parents who can’t read quite as much as their kids would like, and anyone else who enjoys picture books and wants something a little different.
These show up in the catalog as JREAD-ALONG, along with a few books that come with CDs. You can filter for them in the catalog by choosing the Preloaded Audiobook format from the filters, and you can browse the full list of them here. To find Wonderbooks in the library, look on the shelves behind the youth DVDs and video games, next to the kits we mentioned above.
Listen to a Good Story
For older kids and adults, audiobooks are an excellent alternative to screens and traditional reading. They can be enjoyed when reading is otherwise difficult or impossible, such as while driving or riding in a car. People with difficulty reading can also enjoy them more easily, as can anyone who simply wants to listen to a story.
CPL provides audiobooks as books on CD for adults and as downloadable or streaming e-audiobooks in Libby or hoopla for all ages. You can find them in the catalog by searching for “audiobook”, or filter for them using the filters under the “Audiobooks” header to the left of the results on any search.
Adult books on CD can be found on the shelves to the right of the single-person study rooms near the southeast corner of the building.
Play Pretend with Puppets
If you’ve spent time in the Children's Library, you probably know that we have an extensive collection of puppets. What you may not know is that these puppets can be checked out!
Puppets are a great way for littles to spend some creative time. Inventing stories and sharing them with you is always welcome in our puppet theater, but the fun can also continue at home.
You can find our puppets just past the Children's Desk, in the play area with the large windows onto the courtyard. In the catalog, you can filter for “Toy” under the “Other” heading or browse all of our puppets here.
Want More Ideas?
For more ideas or to learn more about Screen-Free Week, visit their official website. You can also read about why children need limits on screen time from the World Health Organization, or for a more detailed breakdown that covers more age ranges, you might want to see what the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry has to say.
We hope we’ve helped you with your goals of raising healthy, happy kids and cultivating a healthy relationship with technology.
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