MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Bundle of Joy Preschool Childcare will join thousands of schools, libraries, and community groups nationwide in a coordinated effort to encourage millions of Americans to turn off televisions, computers and video games for seven days and turn on the world around them.

Screen-Free Week, May 5 through 11, is a chance for children to read, play, think, create, be more physically active, and to spend more time with friends and family.

“Screen-Free Week is a much needed respite from the screen media dominating the lives of so many children” said Jean Goulart. “Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that we help children discover the joys of life beyond screens and get back to nature. Bundle of Joy never substitutes screen technology for play.”  

On average, preschool children spend over four and a half hours a day consuming screen media, while older children spend over seven hours a day including multitasking.

Excessive screen time is linked to a number of problems for children, including childhood obesity, poor school performance, and problems with attention span.

“You wouldn’t allow you preschooler to drive your car on their own because the consequences are obvious. Technology consequences are subtle. Technology hinders children’s natural and normal brain development. Brain research backs these facts,” said Goulart.

“I am advocating for the children as I educate families to embrace this precious age with reading aloud and conversations, watch the clouds with your child, and place limits on technology,” Goulart added. “Children learn from their observations; modeling the desired behavior not to text or call while you drive is key for your child to not text while driving when their turn to drive arrives.”

Screen-Free Week (formerly TV-Turnoff) is coordinated by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a national advocacy organization devoted to reducing the impact of commercialism on children.

Since the Week’s founding in 1994, it has been celebrated by millions of children and their families worldwide.

For more information, visit www.screenfree.org .