Orlando Health Bayfront promotes active play in schools

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When it comes to screen time, multiple studies point to kids needing a healthy balance.

The National Center for Health recently shared that one-half of teenagers ages 12 to 17 spent on average four hours a day looking at a screen. Kids who did this, had higher anxiety and depression symptoms.

These statistics are a big reason why Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital partnered up with GROW Healthy Kids to help promote active play in schools.

The partnership has allowed GROW to gift toys to more than 50 schools across Florida, including at Campbell Park Elementary School.

Many third graders were excited to see what gifts welcomed them on the playground. 

“We get to play with a lot of fun equipment, and I got to jump rope,” said student Ahighnes McPherson.

“They brought me jump ropes, tennis balls, cones and soccer balls,” said Anthony Wright, another student.

McPherson and Wright’s classmates spent the entire recess making up games and challenging themselves to throw farther, jump higher and run faster. 

This year, a new Florida law made it so elementary and middle schools are cell-phone free areas, but many of these eight-year-olds admit that they have access to cell-phones and other devices outside the classroom. 

“I think a whole class,” giggled Wright. 

Screens are part of our daily lives these days, but creating a behavior to step away from the screen is something doctors say everyone should develop. 

“It is so important just to have unstructured time to be outside and move our bodies, sort of exercise the muscles and the mind like it’s so important for a healthy development and growth,” said Dr. Katherine Wojnowich, Sports Medicine MD & Director, Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital.

Dr. Wojnowich is the Sports Medicine Director at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital. She said teaching kids early how to balance screens and play is vitally important. 

She is a mother of three young kids herself and says she gets this can be hard at times. 

“Everything that they do is online,” said Dr. Wojnowich. “And so it just changes the way our brains work. That’s the way they connect with kids. They’re not getting on the bicycle and running down the street to see a friend. They’re connecting on Roblox, right? And so we don’t want to take away that social engagement. We just want to give them additional opportunities.”

For McPherson and Wright, they said their parents do set limits with them when it comes to screens.

“I can’t play with it when I get homework,” said McPherson.