Pre-Teens, Screens and Yoga

Reading about the How Melissa & Doug captured the toy market, one wooden block at a time, I was struck by this excerpt:

“Kids ages 8 to 12 spend an average of four hours and 38 minutes on screens a day, while children 8 and under average two hours and 19 minutes, according to the safe technology nonprofit Common Sense Media. The AAP warns that the overuse of screens puts children at risk of sleep deprivation and obesity, and although it’s still too early to determine the exact effects screens have on children, there are researchers attempting to glean some preliminary insights. …A study commissioned by the National Institutes of Health, meanwhile, found that limiting screen time improves kids’ brain function and academic performance.”

Yoga can be incredibly helpful for older kids whose pre-puberty bodies and brains are preparing for big changes. It serves all kids academically with Mindset and Movement practices for the classroom to improve transitions and performance. Simple practices that take 2 to 10 minutes have increased positive classroom collaboration and test scores at our participating schools.