National Unplug Day is Friday, March 9, 2018 and it is a day to take a break from all of social media and technology. The idea is from sun up to sun down your family disconnects from tech. You talk to each other, you look at each other, and you do other activities that are more personal and create memories. It is a tech – detox. I paired up with our friends at LEGO to share some National Unplug Activities that you can do with your entire family this post also contains affiliate links.
We not only paired up with our friends from LEGO but we asked some experts what ideas THEY had for activities that would require unplugging.
National Unplug Day Activities
LEGOS: Legos are great for STEM and encourage fun and creativity. My family finds unplugging very easy when we have LEGOS. We love to play and build. Try using legos to make your own LEGO box to hold your technology while you unplug for National Unplug Day! ENJOY! You will hear your kids use their imagination and asking, “what should we build next.” Start off with having your family make a case for their technology! Then be sure to unplug and play with more Legos! We love the Lego Classic Creative Builder sets!
Journaling: Janika Joyner a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Virginia and owner of Elevation Counseling Services, LLC suggests spending some time to unplug with your family by doing some journal writing. Besides it being therapeutic she suggests how it can boost creativity. “Writing in a journal helps can help boost memory and increases creativity. While writing down facts and details of their day, a person can actually strengthen their memory. A journal does not have to be structured. Writing in a journal is very different from writing an essay. It allows people to explore their creative side and imaginary worlds.”
Traveling or a long walk: Another good way to unplug is to get out and travel or go for a walk! Milana Perepyolkina best selling author of “Gypsy Energy Secrets: Turning a Bad Day into a Good Day No Matter What Life Throws at You” says, “Traveling together is the best way to unplug. Roads trips in an RV are a great way to travel because there is no rush. No time for a road trip? Take a long walk in the woods.”
Father and son enjoying a walk in the forest
Neighborhood Donut (do not) Get Stuck Behind the Screen Gathering: “In celebration of National Unplugging Day, take time to connect or reconnect with neighbors, friends or family in person. Host a coffee and donut gathering in the morning or a fireside wine chat late afternoon bringing together people that you usually only ‘talk to’ on social media. And, most important, phones must be left at the door,” suggests Justin Lavelle, a Chiefs Communication Officer at Been Verified.
Family Gardening: Michelle from Just Energy shared with us that prepping your garden with your small kids is a great activity to do on National Unplug Day! “A great family activity for unplugging is prepping your garden for spring! Especially if you have young children, learning how to grow your own fruits and vegetables is a valuable life skill—and a great hobby for when you just want to use your hands and get back to nature,” shares Michelle.
Random Art of Kindness : Julie Polanco from www.juliepolancobooks.com shares a really creative idea that he calls “Random Art of Kindness.” He say, “This involves decent sized, smooth stones, some water-proof paint, and your own imagination! The idea is to create small pieces of art that can be placed in almost any outdoor location. It is best if you use vibrant, bright colors that will catch people’s eyes. They should each have a positive picture or message, such as “You’re beautiful!” to bless people and brighten their day. Each member of your family should have his/her own smooth stone to paint. After all the stones are ready, take a walk around town together to find public places to set them so that others’ will see them and smile!” You can also score a freebie on her site called “50 Ways to Motivate Kids” and it has more unplugging ideas!