Until the Streetlights Come On – How a Return to Play Brightens Our Present and Prepares Kids for an Uncertain Future by Ginny M.ed. Yurich

Until the Streetlights Come On – How a Return to Play Brightens Our Present and Prepares Kids for an Uncertain Future

by Ginny M.ed. Yurich

It may shock you to learn that we spend an average of 4-7 minutes outside each day--while we spend 4-7 hours using devices with screens. Needless to say, our physical, mental, emotional, and relational health has suffered. But there is a ready solution: get outside!

A homeschooling mother of five and founder of the global 1000 Hours Outside movement, Ginny Yurich explains how we got to this point--and how to get back to a healthier, more engaging relationship with the world outside. With a mom's heart and an educator's eye, Ginny shows you

· the importance of unstructured play for children
· what boredom actually contributes to our brains
· the value of sunlight and social play
· the role of play in lifelong learning
· how to make time outside more attractive to your child than screentime
· and much more

If you want your kids to grow up curious, resilient, and with a sense of adventure and community, it's essential to make outside play a priority. This book shows you why and how.

***

"Ginny didn't ask me to endorse this book. I asked her if I could because I'm such a big fan of her work. This is an important book today, but I believe it will be even more important tomorrow and next year. Why? Because it's going to get easier and easier to isolate inside as technology continues to give us avenues to hide from the great outdoors. What will you find in this book? An invitation to explore. An invitation to be brave. An invitation to be different. An invitation to answer that quiet voice in your heart that says, 'Could we go back outside?' You can. You should. You must! At least until the streetlights come on."--Jon Acuff, New York Times bestselling author of Soundtracks

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4.5 of 5 stars

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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Until the Streetlights Come On is a layman accessible and interesting monograph on outdoor play and positively counteracting kids' screen time, by Ginny Yurich. Released 14th Nov 2023 by Baker Publishing, it's 224 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. 

The author has a lot to say about play, and its importance to development and quality of life. She has a frank and open (often vulnerable and very honest) voice in writing and the end result is a readable, accessible, encouraging, and *real* book about play and development and how (and why) everyone needs more of it. 

The book is fairly well annotated throughout and the chapter notes and references will provide many hours of further/specific reading for engaged readers, educators, and parents. This would be an excellent choice for public or home library acquisition, for educational curriculum, and for activity group leaders and facilitators. The author/publisher have included sets of interactive questions at the end of each chapter for further learning and discussion.

Four and a half stars. The publisher is a Christian imprint, but there is no proselytizing at all in the book. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

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Reading updates

  • 15 February, 2024: Started reading
  • 15 February, 2024: Finished reading
  • 15 February, 2024: Reviewed