How much do we rely on using technology and what can we do without it – that’s the challenge posed to children at Upton Junior School in Broadstairs.
After months of remote learning online using computers and tablets during lockdown, boys and girls across the school were tasked with spending at least an hour a day electricity-free, in the weeks prior to returning to school on March 8.
Teacher Billie Danson led the eco-project to highlight the benefits of spending time away from technology.
She said: “Having spent Term 3 completing online learning, I felt it was really important to give the children an opportunity to take a break from screens and enjoy some time doing the things they love outside of school.
“Not only is the beneficial to their mental health but also to their wellbeing.”
Among the ideas boys and girls came up with were indoor picnics, designing eco-play parks, litter picking, board games, family walks, performing music by torchlight, painting by the seaside, exploring the countryside and the foreshore, making Saxon weapons, and even an indoor family festival.
Head of Personal Development Izzy Reed said staff were amazed at the various activities the children enjoyed.
She said: “As well as encouraging children to move away from screens and computers for a break, the initiative highlighted our eco-awareness in many ways.
“We learn about the importance of sustainability and ecology in our world and we also encourage a range of wellbeing activities and skills – this task reinforced many of these aspects, and our pupils and families had great fun too.”