Screen Less Play More
Parenting doesn't have to feel overwhelming — especially when it comes to screens. Screen Less Play More is the podcast that helps modern parents raise healthy, balanced, and confident kids in a world dominated by technology. Hosted by Cynthia Dvorak, each episode blends practical strategies, expert interviews, and the latest child-development research on screen time, play, mental health, digital habits, and healthy tech boundaries. You'll learn how to reduce screen use without power struggles, encourage independent and imaginative play, and support your child's development from the baby years through the teen years. We will give you screen free activities to try, as well as book recommendations on the best parenting books about screen time. If you've ever wondered how to manage phones, gaming, social media, or kids' tech requests — or how to bring back more free play, outdoor time, creativity, and childhood joy — this show gives you clear, realistic answers. Discover why unstructured play and risky play boosts emotional resilience, how nature supports healthy brain development, and what parents can do to prevent screen overuse, digital addiction, and burnout. This is the place for busy moms and dads to learn about digital health, healthy screen habits, and how to manage kids and technology. We give you ideas for screen-free activities, screen-free Sunday, and family dinner. We cover topics from friluftsliv outdoor lifestyle, to critical thinking for kids, to screen free entertainment. We also cover EdTech and it's influence on modern schools, why you might want to opt-out, and how to manage Chromebooks and laptops in the classroom. Ed Tech is not technology education, and we explain the difference to you and how kids can learn valuable media literacy. We also stress the importance of bell to bell cell phone bans in schools, as well as why more play and recess can be the solution to slumping test scores. Cynthia uses her experience as a mom of two neurodivergent boys to help you manage screen time in regards to ADHD, autism, Asperger syndrome, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and other learning differences. She knows what works for her family, and will help yours too! You'll hear episodes on: Age-appropriate screen time guidelines The negative effects of too much screen time. Helping kids who are struggling with gaming or social media, including addiction. Building healthier tech habits as a family. What are the recommended screen time limits for children by age? Play-based learning, Montessori/Waldorf/Reggio Emilia and homeschool approaches. Encouraging outdoor play in all weather. Is social media safe? Can I make social media safe? What are the best parental controls for smartphones? How to make room for boredom, creativity, and independence How to reduce screen time without fights. Raising resilient, curious, emotionally healthy kids. Simple, screen-free activities toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids love, plus the screen-free toys you can use to get some rest as a parent. Whether you're parenting babies, toddlers, elementary kids, tweens, or teens, Screen Less Play More gives you inspiring ideas and relatable conversations to help your family thrive. If you're a busy parent wanting more connection, more play, and fewer tech battles — you're in the right place. Take a listen, screen a little less, and play a little more — your kids' childhood depends on it. Website: screenlessplaymore.com Instagram & Facebook: @screenlessplaymore screenless playmore YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScreenLessPlayMore Substack: https://screenlessplaymorepodcast.substack.com/
Episodes
Are you worried summer will turn into endless screen time battles? In this episode, Cynthia sits down with screen time expert and Better Screen Time founder Andrea Davis to share practical, realistic ways families can create a low-screen summer without stress, guilt, or perfection.
In this replay episode, Andrea gives parents the top 4 questions to ask your k...
What is social media really doing to kids — and why are even loving, careful parents losing children to online harms?
In this powerful episode of Screen Less Play More, Cynthia interviews the team behind the documentary "Your Attention Please," including filmmaker duo Sara Robin and Jack LeMay, along with parent advocate Kristin Bride, whose 16-year-old son Carson committed suicide ...
Are your kids melting down when screens turn off? Wondering how to reduce screen time without constant battles? In this eye-opening conversation, Michaeleen Doucleff (author of "Hunt, Gather, Parent" and "Dopamine Kids") explains why kids crave screens, how the dopamine loop works, and the 5-step method parents can u...
Does risky play make you nervous as a parent? In this episode, we explore why tree climbing, nature play, outdoor freedom, and healthy risk-taking help kids become safer, stronger, more confident, and better at judging real-world risks.
Welcome to Part 2 of the Screen Less Play More conversation with
Are screens, busy schedules, and modern life keeping your kids indoors? In this episode of Screen Less Play More, Cynthia talks with "Backwoods Mama" Josée Bergeron, author of Beyond the Front Door, about why outdoor play, nature connection, and even a little risky play are essentia...
Why is educational technology at school different, and potentially more dangerous than screen time at home? Emily Cherkin explains why edtech is not the solution it promised to be. Kids are getting on YouTube, Discord, and unrestricted internet access at school—and parents are being left in the dark.
Are your kids safe online? From social media oversharing to gaming chats and school apps, today's children are building a digital footprint from the day they're born. In this episode of Screen Less Play More, Cynthia Dvorak sits down with cybersecurity expert Chad Rychlewski of Cybersec...
What happens if kids don't get smartphones or social media growing up—will they binge later? In this episode of Screen Less Play More, Cynthia continues her conversation with Clare Morell, author of The Tech Exit, to debunk one of the biggest parenting myths about kids and technology.
Clare explains why delaying smartphones actually helps kids develop self-regulation, healthier habits, and awar...
Is a smartphone-free childhood the key to raising healthier, happier kids?
Author Clare Morell explains that we have a metaphor problem when it comes to digital technology. A lot of people think that time limits can mitigate the harms of screens and social media in the same way that moderation can mitigate the harms of guilty pleasures like alcohol or sugar. If you just do less of it you'll be ok, right?
But...
How do you keep tweens and teens safe online without tracking their every move or destroying trust? Parenting coach Megan Saxelby joins us to talk about online safety, managing gaming and social media, and why kids need real connection, independence, free play, and the freedom to get dirty to grow into resilient teens.
Megan is so funny and relatable, and gives us parents actionable ideas to ...
Are you struggling to connect with your tween or teen—especially in a world dominated by screens, attitudes, and shifting moods? In this episode of Screen Less Play More, Cynthia Dvorak sits down with Megan Saxelby, adolescent expert and longtime middle school teacher, to completely reframe the way parents understand...
AI safety for kids is key, and we have what parents need to know about chatbots, deepfakes, and digital literacy. Julia Storm of ReConnect debunks the myths around artificial intelligence and gives you the digital safety conversation that every parent needs.
Julia shares insights on how to guide children through the digital landscape while fostering critical thinking and self-awareness. She explains that
In this episode, we dive into Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff, exploring what modern parents can learn from the child-rearing practices of hunter-gatherer societies. Discover how less structured play, more independence, and strong parent-child connection can help ...
How do we raise boys in the age of Andrew Tate and other toxic masculinity influencers? Julia Storm explains what the Manosphere is and how we can protect our kids from it.
Host Cynthia Dvorak and Julia Storm discuss:
- The Manosphere includes various groups that promote misogynistic ideas.
What happens when kids don't get to move, climb, or play freely anymore?
In this episode, Angela Hanscom, pediatric OT and author of Balanced and Barefoot, joins Screen Less Play More to talk about the developmental, emotional, and sensory toll of play deprivation — and why restoring free play may be the best thing...
Kat Zilka was a high school teacher who realized that her students were in a real mental health crisis. She asked her students to write an essay about their relationship to their phones, and was shocked to read their confessions. "Honestly, if you were to read the essays and insert another substance, like alcohol or drugs into, in place of the phone or in place of social media, it would have been addicts crying for help."
Kat forme...
"Instead of doing what's best for the kids, we're doing
What if the biggest mistake parents are making with technology is believing parental controls actually work?
In this episode of Screen Less Play More, parenting educator and former middle school teacher Emily Cherkin...
Welcome to "Book Bites" by Screen Less Play More.
I know you're too busy stepping on Legos or driving to the grocery store to read a whole book. So I'm going to tell you the main takeaways of "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt. Now you can get smart, AND fold the laundry or drive to work!
In Jonathan Haidt's book, he explains "How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness." (And he recently te...
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