Rutherford/Polk Smart Start Partnership is an official endorser of Screen-Free Week (April 18-24), an annual celebration in many communities across the nation where children, families, schools and communities turn off screens and turn on life.

Preschoolers spend an astonishing average of 32 hours a week viewing screens and older children spend even more. Excessive screen time is harmful for children – it has been linked to poor school performance, childhood obesity, attention problems and the erosion of creative play.

Screen-Free Week (formerly TV-Turnoff) is a way to help children lead healthier, happier lives by reducing dependence on entertainment screen media – including television, video games, computers and hand-held devices. By encouraging children and families to unplug, Screen-Free Week provides time for them to play, connect with nature, read, daydream, create, explore and spend more time with family and friends.

Anyone can participate in Screen-Free Week simply by refraining from using screens for entertainment during the week of April 18 – 24.