Image Credit: Facebook / Kamloops Interior Savings Unplug and Play Family Literacy Week

By Jill Sperling

Unplug and Play

Unplug and Play event focuses on family connection

Jan 21, 2021 | 4:59 PM

KAMLOOPS — The annual Interior Savings Unplug and Play Family Literacy Week begins on Saturday (Jan. 23).

Some parents and children have relied on technology to get through the pandemic, but a week of family-focused activities for children may provide a short break from screen time.

“We need to be aware of finding that healthy balance between how much time we’re spending isolated and disconnected from the family on our own device and how much time we’re spending with each other,” said Literacy in Kamloops Outreach Coordinator Fiona Clare. “So we felt that promoting that concept of that healthy balance — active time, quiet time, family time, alone time — is important.”

Families will have a variety of activities to choose from and participate in, some requiring a bit more technology than they would have in previous years.

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“The organizations have come up with tons of creative ideas,” Clare said. “There’s a real variety of in-person and some events where you do have to plug in to get access to the activity, but once you are, it’s still about being active together as a family, playing and learning and having fun together.”

Among the organization involved, the BIG Little Science Centre is trying something new this year. Normally, children would gather at the centre in-person. While there will still be some on-site activities for families, the centre has also created take-home science kits.

“You can take the bag home and the kids can do the activity and follow the video or read the instructions,” said Executive Director Gord Stewart. “Those bags, we made a bunch up and they’re already gone. That was very popular, went really quickly so they’re all out there.”

There are also other take-home kit options for the week.

“You can pick up a kit at the museum to make an animal craft or the Kamloops Music Collective will actually deliver a little kit to make maracas at home,” Clare said.

Other in-person and outdoor events are listed on the Kamloops Interior Savings Unplug and Play Family Literacy Week Facebook Page.