Public Health issues screen-free challenge
Special week encourages children age 3 through eighth grade to go without devices
Share
Tweet
WORLAND – Challenge your kids to remain “screen free” for a couple of hours every day next week with Public Health’s “Screen Free Week.”
Washakie County Public Health is challenging families with children aged 3 to eighth grade to remain screen free from the week of Sept. 12 – 16 from 4 – 8 p.m.
Washakie County Public Health Nurse Manager Amanda Heinemeyer, RN, BSN, said they are starting the event because, “Being screen free is a fun way to reduce our dependence on digital entertainment, including television, video games, smartphones, tablets and computers. It’s a chance for children – and adults – to power down and reconnect with each other and the world around them.”
Willing participants can pick up a Screen Free Week Passport at Public Health to spend five week nights doing various activities and collecting stickers to put on their passports.
A child can receive up to four stickers doing various activities like biking, flying a kite, drawing with chalk on the sidewalk and playing hopscotch.
Designated stickers areas are the Worland Aquatic Center, Riverside Park, Newell Sargent Park and the Washakie County Library among others. A full list of areas is on the back of the passport
Once a child has collected four stickers (one from every night plus one “freebie” night where they can spend the night at home) the passports can be returned to Washakie County Public Health at 1007 Robertson Avenue by Sept. 22 to have their name entered into a drawing for prizes.
The grand prize is a bike and helmet from Larsen’s Bicycle Shop, which will be picked on Friday, Sept. 23 with the other prizes.
Washakie County School District No. 1 schools have agreed not to assign any homework requiring computers that week so children can participate in the challenge.
If any parent has a question, they can contact Public Health at 307–347–3278.
