My son came home excitedly with a piece of paper from his school and said, “Mom, sign this so I can get ice cream.” A bit perplexed, I read the paper and saw that the PTO was organizing a “No Screens for Ice Cream” week. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. For one week, your child and other family members do not use any screens unless it is for work or homework. This means no TV, iPads, iPhones, computers, video games, etc. If you solemnly swear that your child did not use a screen all week, he or she will get ice cream during lunch. I have to say, the motivation worked for my son.
So, if you find yourself wanting to take this pledge or doing something similar, here are five activities that you and your family can do together. Our week was during a rainy week, which made it extra challenging, but I have to say it was worth it.
Bring out the board games – Family game time was my personal favorite. We played numerous games of Uno, Connect Four, Monopoly, and Go Fish. We were able to practice following directions, basic math skills, and good sportsmanship. Check out this list of new family games.- Read – Many times “No Screens” is associated with a reading week, so of course it makes sense to do more reading as a family, whether it is reading the same book together or each family member reading his or her own book at the same time. Here is a list of suggested family read-aloud books.
Open up the craft box – Open up the craft box and do some crafting together. Even though it may not be the holiday season, get a jump-start on some upcoming holiday gifts with the extra time you have to spend together. Discover these quick and easy family crafts.- Have a dance party – Have each family member select his or her favorite songs and make a dance party play list and dance together. Things can get pretty silly! Need help getting started? Here are some song suggestions.
- Write together – Each family member can write a letter or create a story with pictures to send or keep for themselves. This can include journaling about your week, writing about a book, or thinking of 10 questions your child wants to know about a particular place in the world. You can turn this into a game by having every family member guess what the answers will be. Then go to the library to see who had the most right answers. Or check out this fun quiz about Which Country.
I’m happy to say we survived No Screens week fairly easily and that my son got his ice cream at school. No Screens week made me realize that I use “screen time” as a way to get things done or to keep my child still for a period of time. Now I have other things to try first, including the above ideas, and others such as taking the time to get outside, cleaning up or organizing toys, visiting a skating rink, or finding fun recipes to do together.
Will you accept the challenge of no screens for a week? Tell us how it goes and share your ideas for success.
Contributing Writer
Trisha Thomas is the mother of two and serves on the board of directors at a co-op preschool. She has also been a marketer of educational materials for grades PreK–8 for more than 15 years.
Bringing yoga to the classroom offers a new kind of education for teachers and students alike. Yoga in the school setting has grown at a fast pace over the past decade. According to Karma Carpenter, founder and director of the Association of School Yoga and Mindfulness, this is largely due to the collaborative efforts of child-yoga and mindfulness training organizations. These organizations are proving through research that yoga leads to academic achievement, positive behavior, and physical and mental well being of students. These groups form the 
Begin with breathing exercises—Bringing the focus to the breath is necessary to calm the mind. Essentially, yoga is the science of linking breath and movement to bring you to the present moment. If your students can begin to understand this basis of yoga, yoga can be done anywhere, at any time. For the purposes of this blog, sitting and standing will be the focus for incorporating yoga into the classroom. Yoga can also be adapted for children with disabilities, simply linking movement to breath.
Move to standing with feet apart—The students will begin holding their hands together over their heads.
Leslie Edsall loves to work with people to simplify the noise and develop healthier habits through nutrition, yoga and self care. She is a Certified Health Coach, Health Education Specialist and Registered Yoga Teacher. Leslie offers a variety of online and in-person health coaching programs, teaches yoga, runs workshops in the DC area and leads wellness retreats. To learn more about Leslie visit: 
Do set up a designated homework area.
British chef, Jamie Oliver, created a “food revolution” in the U.S. by revamping cafeteria lunches, one lunch tray at a time. He began by educating children on food, where it comes from and how it affects the body, and then served up healthy foods for school lunches—with positive results!
4. These science lessons from Evan-Moor help students learn about nutrition through hands-on activities:
Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.
End-of-the-Year Talent Show
Alice Evans is a forty-year veteran National Board Certified elementary classroom teacher and is a published author. She recently retired from the San Diego Unified School District.
Quinoa: Nourishing whole grains are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and cholesterol-lowering fiber. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is an ancient grain that is easy to make, high in protein and fiber, and a good source of iron. Quinoa also has plenty of zinc, vitamin E, and selenium to help control weight and lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. It’s available in most supermarkets. Tip: Quinoa is as easy to prepare as rice, cooks more quickly, can be eaten alone or mixed with vegetables, nuts, lean protein, and even served cold in yogurt at breakfast.
As a mother of two sons with autism, my friend Laura knows the challenges that children with autism face in the classroom. The difficulty sitting for long periods of time, the shrill sound of a pencil sharpener, the smells of a new cleaner in the classroom, or a sudden change in routine can send her bright 14-year-old son into sensory overdrive.
Most students cannot resist a good mystery—it brings out their natural curiosity and inspires creativity. Mysteries can serve as great story starters for celebrating “Tell a Story Day” or a creative writing assignment.
Patty Clark has been a classroom teacher for grades K-6, and District Librarian for grades K-8 for the past 25 years. She is passionate about helping others find and use information. Her philosophy is, “It’s not about the amount or the subject matter learned, it’s about the learner discovering the joy in the process that led them to it.”