5 things to do for Screen-Free week in Summit / Short Hills / SOMA

It's Screen-Free Week! If you need some ideas about why or when you can go screen-free around your kids, check out my article from earlier in the year. I made it my New Year's Resolution to be as screen-free as possible around my children and set myself some parameters in the beginning of the year which I've been a little too flexible with lately. I'll definitely have to get back into my own guidelines, especially during Screen-Free Week!

If you're looking for some things to do to get out of the house and the whole family device-free, check out this list!

1. Visit one of our local playgrounds. Here's a guide to my family's current favorite local playgrounds!
2. Go on a hike. We have so many hiking options all around us! My personal favorite with kids is The Fairy Trail in Millburn. Check out my tips for hiking the Fairy Trail with kids. I also made a list of my favorite "winter trails" to hike with kids but all of these are great in the spring too!
3. Participate in a town clean-up. Just because Earth Day is over doesn't mean the Earth care should end! There are two clean-ups you can take part in this weekend: Madison May Day on May 4 and The Reservoir Clean-up in West Orange on May 5! You can also roll your sleeves up, put some gloves on, and head out into any of our public spaces to help beautify!
4. Ride the rails. One of our favorite low-cost activities is riding the train to another walkable town and making a day of it. A suggested itinerary: ride the NJ Transit train into Maplewood, walk to Memorial Park Playground for a few hours of play and exploration, head back into town for dinner or lunch (our personal favorite is Arturo's), grab some ice cream at Village Ice Cream Parlour, and hop back on the train to go home! To make it even more budget-friendly, pack a picnic lunch or dinner!
5. Check out our event calendar for more events! Some of my picks for this weekend: free workshops at Far Brook School for ages 2-8 (pre-registration required but the workshops look so fun!), Spring Celebration at Cora Hartshorn Arboretum, Fishing Derby at the Summit Muni (Saturday and Sunday!).