Back to Basics Literacy
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Back to Basics
    • Contact Us
  • Reading Aloud
    • Research
    • Book Lists >
      • Ballet Books
      • Board Books
      • Alphabet Books
      • Number Books
      • Interactive & Sensory Books
      • Manners & Etiquette Books
      • Stories about Books, Reading & Libraries
      • Fables, Folktales & Fairy Tales
      • Nursery Rhymes & Poetry
      • Holiday Books
      • Graduation Books
      • Baking & Cooking Books
      • Gardening & Farm Books
      • Nature Books
      • Thankfulness & Gratitude Books
      • Pirate Books
      • Books Discussed in Our Handbook
    • Workshops
    • Literacy Events & Attractions
  • Bookworm Bakers
  • Blog
  • Shop
    • Toy Recommendations

 Back to Basics

Reading and cooking with kids

Unplug This Summer!

6/21/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Devices, devices everywhere...
Every single place you look.
In the hands of all the children,
Instead of puzzles, blocks and books.

Whatever happened to the days,
when children went outdoors and played?
Whatever happened to the times,
when they were hypnotized by rhymes?

What happened to carefree days of play,
running, skipping, jumping?
Now the children stay indoors,
clicking, tapping, swiping.

They sit and stare at flashing screens,
for hours without end.
No movement, no discovery,
no time spent playing with friends.

Let's all get back to basics,
back to childhoods of old.
Let's disconnect our kids,
and show them wonders to behold.

     Summer's here so let's get those kids unplugged! Get them out in nature to explore, imagine, and create. Take them out on expeditions; to parks, beaches, zoos, botanical gardens, fairs, festivals, farmer's market, etc. Doesn't have to be far from home nor expensive. These outings and excursions will help build background knowledge as well as memories that will carry into adulthood.
Picture
Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, Mchigan
     If your kids aren't receptive to the idea of unplugging, consider some of the following titles that are a fun read and highlight the positives of disconnecting and reconnecting with childhood the way it used to be.  Back to basics! Also, take a look at our previous blogs, such as Connecting With Nature and The Power of a Garden, for unplugged summer fun ideas!
Picture
Unplugged by Steve Antony
Blip loves being plugged into her computer. She can do all kinds of things, but then one day she gets disconnected and discovers a whole world outside of her computer that is filled with sunshine, plants and new friends!

Picture
When Charlie McButton Lost Power by Suzanne Collins
Charlie McButton has likes and like-nots. His likes involve all things electronic, namely battling bad creatures on his computer. When a storm blows through and knocks out power, Charlie’s technological world comes tumbling down. What is he to do until the power is restored? This book is a very fun reminder that there is plenty of fun to be had offline.

Picture
hello! hello! by Matthew Cordell
Lydia’s family is totally engrossed in their gadgets. Feeling restless and bored after her attempts to engage her family members in conversation fails, Lydia ventures outside and finds all kinds of things to say hello to: rocks, leaves, flowers, and more! But the best part of this new world? Sharing its wonders with the people she loves most. #DisconnectToConnect

Picture
Run Wild by David Covell
A boy sits inside on his device. A girl runs by his window and shouts, “Hey, You! Sky’s blue!” Intrigued, the boy heads outside, leaving his shoes and phone behind and enters a world of natural wonders and endless delights. This book perfectly captures the joy of connecting with the world outside your front door.

Picture
Goodnight iPad: A Parody for the Next Generation by Ann Droyd
"In the bright buzzing room, there was an iPad, and a kid playing Doom..."
It is time for all of the devices and gadgets to power down and recharge before another day. Older children and adults will especially appreciate this new take on a classic bedtime story.


Picture
If You Give a Mouse an iPhone: A Cautionary Tale by Ann Droyd
     As with Goodnight iPad, this re-imagining of a beloved story is set in our modern, ever-connected world.  What happens when Mouse is given an iPhone to keep him busy? Well, he misses out on all of the fun going on around him because he is staring at the screen! The lesson to learn from this story? There is so much to see and experience offline!

Picture
Tek: The Modern Cave Boy by Patrick McDonnell
     What happens to a little boy who spends all day, every day inside on his phone, tablet, television and video games? He loses touch with all of his friends and family, the great outdoors and even his language abilities! Another cautionary tale, shaped like a tablet itself, that reminds us of the importance to put down our devices and reconnect with the ones we love and the world around us.

Picture
Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair by Patricia Polacco
     Everyone in Triple Creek loves their televisions. They watch them while they are eating, playing, working, sleeping and even in school! But Eli's Aunt Chip is different. She doesn't own a television and never has. When Aunt Chip learns that the townspeople cannot read and only use books for furniture and to repair broken roofs, she jumps out of bed to make some changes. This is another delightful story about the need to limit screen time and the importance of books in our lives.

Picture
Blackout by John Rocco
     It's a hot summer night in the city. A boy is watching television, his sister is on the phone, his mother is working on her computer and his father is making dinner. Then the power goes out, plunging them into darkness and cutting them off from their various devices. They go up to the roof in order to escape the heat and discover the beauty of the stars and see all of their neighbors out and enjoying each other's company. This story shows the fun that can be had when we disconnect from our electronics and reconnect with each other.

Picture
Doug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino
     Doug is a robot. Every morning his parents plug him in for his information download before their leave for work. One day, after learning all about the city, Doug unplugs and goes on an adventure to the city to see what else there is to learn. By doing, touching, seeing, listening and interacting with a new friend, Doug learns far more than he ever did by just plugging in, showing that unplugging is sometimes the best thing to do.

Unplug this summer, reconnect with nature and each other and have unforgettable fun!

Happy reading and adventuring!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    We are mom Sandra and daughters Amanda and Kate, all with backgrounds in literacy and education, who want to share our philosophy of taking the basics of life; books, simple toys that encourage play, imagination and creativity, and using cooking and baking to teach math and real life skills to raise happy, inquisitive children. Join us in exploring the old and the new and sifting through the myriad of research to consider what is best for our children.

    Archives

    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016

    Categories

    All
    ABC Books
    Alphabet Books
    Arbor Day
    Autumn/Fall
    Background Knowledge
    Back To School
    Ballet Books
    Banned Books Week
    Board Books
    Book Advent Calendar
    Book Finds
    Book Quotes
    Books
    Book Sales
    Bookworm Bakers
    Boredom
    BTBL Rocks
    Bugs/Insects
    Calendars
    Censorship
    Children's Book Week
    Christmas
    Coloring
    Cooking
    Creativity
    Dewey Decimal System
    Dr. Seuss
    Early Literacy
    Earth Day
    Easter
    Environmental Print
    Extended Activities
    Fairy Gardens
    Fairy Tales
    Family Literacy Month
    Farmers Markets
    Flowers
    Gardening
    Get Caught Reading Month
    Gratefulness
    Halloween
    Hands-On
    Hanukkah
    Holidays
    Homeschooling
    Imaginative Play
    Inspiration
    Intellectual Freedom
    Kids In The Kitchen
    Kindergarten
    Kindness
    Kindness Rocks Project
    Language
    Learning
    Libraries
    Library Card Sign-up Month
    Magnets
    Manners & Etiquette
    Math
    Natural Playgrounds
    Natural Reader
    Nature
    New Year Resolutions
    Number Books
    Nursery Rhymes
    Outdoor Play
    Picture Books
    Play
    Poetry
    Puzzles
    Read Across America
    Reading
    Reading Aloud
    Reading Comprehension
    Reading Month
    Repetition
    School Libraries
    Screen Free Week
    Spring
    STEM
    Storytelling
    Storytime
    Summer
    Summer Slide
    Teaching
    Tell A Fairy Tale Day
    Thanksgiving
    Toys
    Unplug
    Used Books
    Valentine's Day
    Vocabulary
    Winter
    Winter Books
    Words & Word Play
    World Read Aloud Day

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Back to Basics
    • Contact Us
  • Reading Aloud
    • Research
    • Book Lists >
      • Ballet Books
      • Board Books
      • Alphabet Books
      • Number Books
      • Interactive & Sensory Books
      • Manners & Etiquette Books
      • Stories about Books, Reading & Libraries
      • Fables, Folktales & Fairy Tales
      • Nursery Rhymes & Poetry
      • Holiday Books
      • Graduation Books
      • Baking & Cooking Books
      • Gardening & Farm Books
      • Nature Books
      • Thankfulness & Gratitude Books
      • Pirate Books
      • Books Discussed in Our Handbook
    • Workshops
    • Literacy Events & Attractions
  • Bookworm Bakers
  • Blog
  • Shop
    • Toy Recommendations