The Screen-Free Playbook: Build Creativity and Connection with Screen-Free Play

Tawanna Vickers

Jul 2026 · Tawanna Vickers

Ebook

275

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About this ebook

The Screen-Free Playbook is a detailed, practical guide to Screen-Free Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers for readers who want a clear path from understanding the topic to using it confidently in real situations. The book is designed as a structured learning companion rather than a shallow overview: it introduces the core ideas, explains why they matter, then develops them through realistic examples, guided practice, scenario-based explanations, and common mistakes to avoid. Readers are taken step by step from foundational concepts into everyday applications, with each chapter building on the previous one so the material feels progressive, usable, and easy to revisit. The main areas of focus include The Screen-Free Family Mindset, Playtime Starter Kit: Essential Materials for Endless Fun, Sensory Play for Little Learners, Build It Big: Construction and Block Play, Arts and Crafts Without the Mess, Make-Believe: Imaginative Play Ideas, Music and Movement: Rhythm, Dance, and Songs, Outdoor Adventures: Nature Exploration, Rainy Day Rescue: Indoor Active Games, Fine Motor Fun: Strengthening Little Hands, giving the book a concrete learning arc that moves from orientation and confidence-building to applied communication, problem solving, and independent practice. The writing style is direct, supportive, and accessible, making the book suitable for self-study, classroom reinforcement, professional development, or personal improvement. It emphasizes practical understanding over abstract theory, so readers can immediately connect the lessons to conversations, decisions, habits, and challenges they are likely to face outside the page. By the end of the book, readers should have not only a stronger grasp of the subject, but also a collection of repeatable strategies, useful language patterns, mental models, and practical routines they can continue applying after they finish reading.

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About the author

Tawanna Vickers is a parenting educator, child development advocate, and the founder of PlayItForward Parenting, an online resource dedicated to helping families build connection, creativity, and resilience through screen-free play. With over fifteen years of experience working with children and families in early childhood education settings, Tawanna has spent her career translating developmental science into practical, actionable strategies that parents can use in the chaos of real life.

Tawanna holds a Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Family Studies from Purdue University and a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from Arizona State University. She has worked as a preschool teacher, a family support specialist for a Head Start program, and a parent coach in private practice, supporting hundreds of families through the toddler and preschool years. Her approach is rooted in respect for the child, empathy for the parent, and a deep commitment to evidence-based practice that does not shame families for their struggles.

Tawanna is also the mother of two children, now ages six and nine, who provided the real-world laboratory for every strategy in this book. She knows what it feels like to hand over the tablet at 4:00 PM just to make it to bedtime, and she knows what it feels like to watch her children discover the joy of a cardboard box, a puddle, or a shared story. She writes and speaks from the messy, beautiful middle of imperfect parenting. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where her family spends as much time as possible in their backyard vegetable garden, hiking the trails of the Uwharrie National Forest, and building elaborate pillow forts on rainy Saturdays.

You can find Tawanna online at PlayItForwardParenting.com, where she shares weekly activity guides, video tutorials for setting up play invitations, and a free library of printable play mats and scavenger hunts. She also offers one-on-one parent coaching sessions for families navigating screen time challenges, sensory processing concerns, and the transition from early childhood to the school-age years. She speaks regularly at parenting workshops, early childhood conferences, and library story time programs across the Southeast.

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