This is weekend we are more than ready to take a break from tech after a long year of political craziness, Facebook fights and Twitter wars.

For the last decade, National Day of Unplugging (NDU) has been celebrated the first weekend in March with thousands of in-person, unplugged events engaging hundreds of thousands of participants globally.  Plans for NDU during the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated a new approach.

As we are all restricted from larger-scale IRL experiences, the conversation about limiting screen time has to be more nuanced.  Unplug Collaborative, the team behind the awareness campaign, is careful not to add guilt or shame on top of the anxiety people are already feeling after a year of unprecedented chaos.

This year’s NDU efforts will focus on safe, in-home, and outdoor small group activities, along with contests and charitable partnerships aimed at amplifying social impact.  With a list of 50+ things that you can do on NDU ranging from the simple to the adventurous – there is an access point for any person looking to answer the collective call to unplug for 1 hour or 24 hours. Those looking to get outside can join one of the 40 no-contact, Little Free Library Scavenger Hunts scheduled to take place in neighborhoods across the globe. LFLs bring communities together and provide a cozy small-town feeling. Families get to work together to solve clues, figure out how to read a map and get exercise all at the same time.

San Diego is leading the way as a model community collectively unplugging with 5 neighborhoods organizing Little Free Library (LFL) scavenger hunts on March 6th!

• There are 57 San Diego stops combined: La Mesa (18), North/South Park (14), Santee (5), Clairemont Mesa (10) and Coronado (10).

• Clairemont Mesa and North Park – partnering with San Diego Family Magazine, the Special Needs Resource Foundation and the SD Bike Coalition (giving out bike helmets and safety gear while supplies last).

• Unique libraries – La Mesa (red outhouse), Clairemont Mesa (a trio of LFLs). Coronado (beach front library)

• Local authors (Richard Louv, Sebastian Slovin, Nick Carter) are partnering with Book Fairies, hiding their books (on digital wellness and nature) in LFLs.

• Addresses of the first stop of each hunt to be revealed March 4th HERE.

• Hunt kick-off is Sat March 6th, 10 am – 1 pm at all locations. People can pick up instructions and maps to all other stops at that time. Can’t make the hunt then?  Many stops will keep the clue up until March 12.

• Participants can register for this free event HERE.   Find an event flyer HERE

How does a LFL scavenger hunt work? A clue is taped to each Little Free Library. People will look for clues and if they feel comfortable, can pick up books and other goodies some stops will have available (book marks, bike safety items, dog treats, games and craft kits to take home etc).  A participant can visit as many stops as they like and at the end go to the NDU website to check answers and to get a link to a recorded story time by Nocturnal’s author Tracey Hecht.