I am honored to bring you this post as a sponsored collaboration with The Genius of Play. All stories and opinions are, as always, my own.
At one point in my life I was sure my kids would never watch TV.
Then they wouldn’t use computers.
But as we all know, sometimes TV happens and keeping kids from tech is actually detrimental to their progress- children as young as kindergarten age are expected to use online learning programs in school!
The Balance is Real
When I saw The Genius of Play at the Type-A Parent conference in DC, I was drawn to them like a magnet. Their goal is to increase awareness of the social, emotional, and physical benefits of play among parents- plus encourage parents to tell their kids to go play.
How simple and perfect is that?
These Dear Parents videos are a great reminder that all play is created equal and all important, but thhat doesn’t make it all the same. Kids need variety, and the point-of-view of the child is magnified so that we can learn from the experts on what they need! Physical, social, emotional, communicative, creative, and cognitive benefits of play are electrifying our children’s futures!
So… how?
How is actually all a part of the fun, and one of the reasons I’ve begun hitting up The Genius of Play site a few times a week!
Millie is a super puzzle lover, so I worked backwards with her. As she learns the fastest way to complete a puzzle, separating the border pieces of the puzzle and working in, she is also learning how to sort things on a screen using different puzzle apps.
When she gets frustrated with one, we switch, until she’s ready for a different activity.
Addie loves shows with super heros, so after an episode or two, I can always count on her to want to write a story about what she watched, dress up and play my own little hero, or she gathers up all of her stuffed animals, gets them into a perilous situation and then saves them! She takes the lead on mixing up the screens and playtime… though she definitely needs redirection sometimes!
Through play, kids learn kids learn valuable skills they’ll use for a lifetime. The Genius of Play™ is your one-stop source for play ideas that build on these skills (with no prep time), expert advice and insights, and the latest research on the value of play.
Incorporate it into everyday!
Time is never plentiful enough. Not enough to get everything done during the day, or sleep it off at night. The easiest way for me to give them the enrichment of play is to work it into the day, instead of making it something else to do.
The kids know that dinner prep is going to be about reading recipes, working with knives (YES! even at age 3!), measuring ingredients, tasting and understanding creativity versus by-the-book. The kids don’t even know we’re working literacy, OT, math, outside-the-box thinking, AND spending time together!
They also know, when I am working, I will put music on so they can dance, or a show so they, too, can have some downtime. It’s all about finding your balance in that moment. Screen time, online learning, imagination, activities, crafts, sports. I am grateful, as a parent, that there are resources out there to back me up!
You can find more from The Genius of Play on Facebook, Insta and Twitter!
The Holidays…
are here and we’re all wondering: what are the best gifts for my child this year? Check out this list of suggestions, which will, undoubtedly stuff those stockings with imagination, laughter, and learning!
Here’s to finding balance between screens and building dreams… and having all the wine and pie after they go to bed!
Finding that balance is a tricky thing! My kids would MUCH rather sit there and watch YouTube gamer videos all day, but that’s not gonna happen!
I think it can be a bit tricky to find that balance. There are days that I just don’t care because I’m so tired and it entertains them. There are other days that I don’t want them on it at all so I guess in my mind it kind of balances out but I think I need to get a little bit better of a balance.
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That’s it right there! Balance. We have to have balance in all things to build strong, capable kids.
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These are not things I needed to worry about too much when my kids were younger. However, I see my kids with their kids struggling to find the right balance.
It’s all about balance in everything! Technology can be a powerful learning tool, unless you use it too much. Staying away from technology can also be a detriment to the kids.
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Everyone needs balance youneed towork play and too much of either is no good and the same goes for kids. Moderation always reigns supreme in our house and too many video games does not work.
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Balance is so important, for sure! My sister has three kids and is trying to find her balance with them now. It’s pretty tough! I love your ideas!
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I struggle with this balance too. I should have only introduced my kids to education games verses games like Minecraft etc.
I think we all need some balance. I try to limit the screen time with my girls. With their tablets, I love to let them play the learning games.
It’s always good to give children a balance in life. Too much of one thing is never good. Play is never a bad thing especially if they put in the work.
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I think it can be hard to find the balance when the kids are online for a good reason. We limit screen time of all types.
The Genius of Play is something I need to check out. I definitely think it is important to have a balance between screen time and real time.
I love this post so much, because I so agree there needs to be a balance! These are great tips!
I can definitely see how finding that balance is important. Educational play was always key for my kids. They liked their educational videos too!
Liz Mays recently posted…7 Reasons to See Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
You have me all types of intrigued about The Genius of Play! It sounds like exactly the right encouragement, support and resource for parents. Gotta admit that I want to play that PASS THE APPLE game I just spotted on their website!
Balance is so hard to achieve! I struggled what to get my kids for christmas because they wanted more electronics.
It is so important to balance screen time and real life play. I like how you incorporate on screen learning into everyday life.
Definitely a big focus point. But even schools are driving more electronic learning
Finding balance can be hard at times. It’s even harder when you have teenagers. It’s all about the electronics for them.
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My kids are all in college now, so they were among the first generation of kids to be born into the smartphone and online learning worlds. It really is a challenge to find a balance, but staying vigilant and guiding your child is definitely the way to go.
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The balance is so hard to manage! Kids even have homework and school projects online. Finding the right balance is always a juggling act for me.
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Finding that balance is really tricky and might be a struggle for little kids. These tips could be really helpful for parents!
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