Take a Screen Break for Spring Break

CLEVELAND – Whether you’re planning a vacation or staycation, spring break is a great time to break your kids away from their screens and get moving – especially with childhood obesity on the rise.

“One of the big trends that I noticed during the pandemic was a lot of the weight, the growth charts, changed drastically and that is partially because people were inside. They weren’t able to do their sports and their normal activities,” explained Gina Robinson, MD, pediatrician for Cleveland Clinic Children’s.

Dr. Robinson said getting kids off their screens and outside gets them moving, and a body in motion tends to want to stay in motion.

If your child already enjoys riding their bike or scooter, it’s a great time to dust those off again. Just be sure they were a helmet.

She also recommends getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things to encourage imagination and creativity, like going for a hike, outdoor scavenger hunts or trying a new park or playground.

Research suggests spending time in nature may reduce stress, too.

“Feeling the sun just makes you feel better. Vitamin D we all know is important and having sunlight helps us to produce our own natural vitamin D supply,” said Dr. Robinson. “I always feel better when I’m getting some fresh air. I think it makes you feel energized. It makes you feel alive. It makes you feel motivated.”

She said the key to keeping kids off screens is to make an activity schedule and stick to it.

She reminds us that kids over the age of two years old should only have two hours or less of screen time per day.