As we celebrate the 5th anniversary of Tamarack Times, I keep coming back to one of the most meaningful gifts we offer children at camp… the chance to unplug.
Many parents feel caught in a world that, as Jonathan Haidt describes in The Anxious Generation, has shifted from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood with astonishing speed. Devices are everywhere. Screens influence how kids socialize, relax and spend their downtime. Creating balance can feel like an uphill battle — one that many of us adults wrestle with as well.
Yet every summer we witness something deeply reassuring. Children do not simply manage without screens at Tamarack Camps. They flourish.
The concern about screens is not just about time — it is what screens have gradually displaced: movement, independence, face to face interaction, attention and sleep.
Thankfully, the solutions are not complicated. They center on restoring conditions that are deeply natural for healthy development. As Haidt names them, the “four norms” offer a practical framework:
- Delay smartphones (at least until high school)
- Delay social media (global trend is now 16 years)
- Prioritize real-world independence (building capable self-reliance)
- Protect sleep and attention
These ideas feel remarkably familiar within the camp environment, where they are lived daily. When campers unplug, attention widens. Play becomes more creative. Social confidence grows. Children settle into rhythms that support both emotional wellbeing and cognitive reset.
After a relatively short adjustment period, we often see meaningful shifts. Sleep improves. Mood regulation improves. Friendships deepen. Boredom becomes a spark for imagination rather than something to escape.
Families can begin supporting this transition well before camp begins and keep the momentum after camp. Small, steady changes can make a powerful difference:
- Creating device-free times or spaces at home
- Encouraging outdoor play and unstructured downtime
- Supporting age-appropriate independence
- Protecting consistent sleep routines
- Modeling balanced technology use — adults practice during camp too 🙂
This year, I invite Tamarack families to join a Tamarack Digital Time Off Challenge.
The challenge is intentionally simple and flexible. Choose realistic ways as a family to increase digital-free time each day or each week. Device-free dinners. Screen-free evenings. Outdoor play. Phone-free family time. The goal is not perfection. The goal is building awareness and reclaiming more presence.
For families looking for a shared starting point, The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price is a wonderful read for children and tweens. It offers an accessible and optimistic way to start conversations about technology, independence and attention.
The most important message is one we see confirmed at camp every summer. Children do not lose anything essential when they unplug. They gain connection, confidence, creativity and a stronger sense of themselves. Join the movement to reclaim the freedom of childhood.
Let us continue to experience camp’s magic all year long by keeping our minds mighty and making space for more unplugged time together.
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