The Village Toy Shop in Port Moody is joining neighbourhood toy shops, schools, libraries and community groups in North America in Screen Free week April 30 to May 6 to encourage families to turn off TVs, video games and computers.
Screen Free Week is a chance for children to read, play, think, create, be more physically active and spend more time with friends and family, says Kirsten Anderson, toyologist for The Village Toy Shop.
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 poor health, school performance, social skills, and attention span. As screen time increases, hands-on open-ended creative play decreases.
Information about other activities or toys is available at www.villagetoyshop.ca and at The Village Toy Shop in Newport Village, Port Moody.
Anderson is the original Canadian Toyologist and started her toy career over 20 years ago. With two active boys under seven she shares her toy testing duties with the family. You can watch Toyologist Tips that air on Global Noon News monthly or on their http://www.youtube.com/user/TheVillageToyShop/videos You-tube channel. www.villagetoyshop.ca
