Small Event Playbook

Welcome to Unplug Collaborative -- Home of National Day of Unplugging

You are now a part of a world-wide community filled with people from all walks of life who want to have a healthier relationship with technology. Once you get the bug to unplug, we know you will want more. This toolkit is a place for you to start. It is a living document that will be updated with new ideas for activities to make your small unplugged gatherings and events a success.

Whether you are looking to make this a one-time event or to turn your community into an Unplugged Village™, we hope the list of resources and tips below will get the wheels turning in terms of planning and options to consider. If you have questions or want to bounce around ideas, feel free to reach out to us info@nationaldayofunplugging.com.

Who we are

National Day of Unplugging is an awareness campaign that has been around for more than 10 years and is now a project of Unplug Collaborative, a non-profit, membership organization formed in February 2020. Learn more about the awareness campaign and Unplug Collaborative on our website at nationaldayofunplugging.com.

Why should I unplug, anyway?

We increasingly miss out on the important moments of our lives as we pass the hours with our noses buried in our devices. We chronicle our every move on social media and shield ourselves from the outside world, our earphones helping us create a bubble of silence. If you recognize that in yourself—or your friends, families or colleagues—join us as we unplug from our devices and reinvest in our lives.

Source: Common Sense Media

Have you ever checked your screen time? Most devices now have a feature that tracks how much time we spend per day overall and on specific applications. Thanks to countless studies, we now know that increased screen time directly affects levels of anxiety and cortisol in the body, quality of relationships and sleep, and overall productivity, creativity, and mood and can lead to behavioral issues, musculoskeletal and vision problems. Luckily, there are numerous ways to reverse these effects and take charge of your well-being.

What do I need for starters?

Where there’s a will there’s a way! All you need to start is somewhere to put your device. Our signature cell phone sleeping bag is a great resource but until you can get your hands on one of them an empty box or basket is a great place to start. Perhaps your first unplugged activity is making your own cell phone sleeping bag!

Personal habits

“I want to develop a practice of unplugging. Where do I start?”

Lucky for you, this isn’t our first rodeo with helping people liberate themselves from their devices. Below are some resources to get you started. Once you start, it’s hard to stop.

At Home

Not every dish needs a portrait

Meal times are a great opportunity to check in with yourself, practice mindfulness, or engage with food in a new way. Give tech free meals a shot and watch how your taste buds thank you!

Routine, routine, routine!

A great way to develop a healthy habit is to incorporate it into an existing routine. Unplugging for 30 minutes a day, every other day, or even once a week can shine light on meaningful moments otherwise missed.

In Bed

Snooze better when you snooze your phone!

Reducing the amount of tech in your sleep space greatly improves your quality of sleep. Use an “old school” alarm clock to help you wake up in the morning.

Why so blue?

Blue light from our phones, computers, and tablets disrupts our circadian rhythms and leads to less restful sleep. Try limiting your amount of screen time up to one hour before bedtime and see how it improves your zzzs!

At Work

Crunch that hunch!

Whether craning your neck to look down at your phone or slouching over your computer, your body takes the brunt of the burden. While stretches to relieve “tech neck” are extremely helpful, try to be mindful of your posture in the presence of technology.

One by one, not two by two.

Multitasking has major appeal in our go go go world despite it often leading to subpar work. Being in the present moment and not overburdened by multiple screens can greatly improve your quality of work. Instead of reaching for your phone to scroll through social media while on another call, for example, challenge yourself to take it one step at a time.

Unplug for your Relationship

Phones down, faces up!

Cell phones and other devices grab our attention so significantly. Research has show that even having a screen face down when you are with someone else reduces the quality of the interaction. Challenge your friends and family to a tech free interaction by putting devices in another room, for example!

Shared experiences despite distance.

Technology is a great resource for connecting with friends and family that we do not reside in close proximity to. Organize an activity that both parties will do on their own (e.g. walking, hiking, reading, doing a crossword puzzle, coloring) on a specific day and time. Come back together via video call, for example, and share your experience. Even better, write them a letter about it!

Connections Matter

Unplugged Event Planning: talking to your friends, family, co-workers or customers

Set the stage

Whether you are planning a small or big event, before unveiling your grand plans to have unplugged time together, it’s good to get an idea of where everyone is at and how best to tell them about your plans. If you are doing this with kids, it’s always important to be respectful and listen to their ideas and involve them in the process if possible. If you have a child who spends a lot of time on tech, prior to talking with them you might want to read this article from Today's Parent and check out Common Sense Media’s website for topics on Screen Time matters.

If you are planning a bigger family event or something for a group, you will want to give everyone a heads up as to what to expect. Think about if you will be asking people to not use their phones for all or just part of the event (maybe you want to allow attendees to take pictures at the end) . If you want to track your time spent offline and take a pledge to put tech aside for a certain period of time we have a pledge and paper tracker template you can use. Decide if you will be designating an area as a “Tech Free Zone”. Here are some sample sign templates.

If you are just having an event that encourages unplugging but you aren’t banning phones, you may not need to do more than adding it to your invite and having a sign posted when people arrive. You can add wording as part of the initial invitation (ie “Come unplug & craft with us!”) or for any social media event pages. Gentle suggestions rather than mandates often work better with people who may be averse to someone telling them they cannot use their phones. It’s best not to worry too much about if one person is sneaking a peak at their phone. Most will follow along. If you want a completely unplugged event, be sure to tell the guests ahead of time so you don’t catch them by surprise.

At your event, you may want to address it aloud at the start asking people to silence their phones for the remainder of the event. If you have our Smart Phone Nap Sacks, you can encourage people to put their phones in them during the event or give them out for use at a later time.

Fill the tech-void

People use their tech devices for comfort and connection so make sure whatever you plan, that it is of interest to the group so you don’t lose their attention at the event. Know your audience and have a gauge on what they might be most interested in. Do they like crafting, trivia, comedy or activities that require physical activity? Consider what will keep their attention and give them a positive experience while you are all unplugging together. Below is a list of activities to consider when coordinating for your group.

Unplugged Group Activities

Grow it - plant a garden - whether it’s an inside container herb garden or full fledged outdoor garden, it’s great to engage adults and kids in this process. Groups can find or create a Roots & Shoots community garden. Families can also choose from several options here or set up a butterfly garden to be an inviting place for the Monarch butterflies to migrate to. Growing veggies has many benefits. Many a kid has not liked a green bean until they grew it themselves. Give them a few choices of things that are easy to grow (pending space, season etc) and let them choose. Get kids to help water, tend it and then pick it, clean it and cook it.
Cook it! - Create a special meal as a group. If you are doing this with kids, it is a perfect activity as they need to learn how to cook, you need to eat, it all takes time and practice and is a perfect unplugged activity. Here are some ideas for simple recipes that will get you cooking in no time. Let kids be involved in as many aspects of the meal as possible from planning, shopping, prepping, cooking and serving. If you have picky eaters, start with something fun like baking. For meals, start with something easy that will be a shoe-in (mac and cheese, corn on the cob, green beans). Let younger ones set the table (don’t worry about things looking right) and make menus or fun signs. If they are older they may even make a special date night for their parents if you get lucky! Are your kids grown? Try something unique like inviting a group of College kids over to make a monthly meal together like Rachel and Tom Sullivan of Raleigh North Carolina.
Dine: Have an Unplugged Dining Night - Find a restaurant without TVs and that plays quiet music. Bring some portable table games along if there aren’t any available. Look for a place that offers Trivia, Game or Craft nights. Play the cell phone stacking game. Everyone puts their phones in a basket or stacked on the table and first one to grab theirs has to pay the bill. Perhaps go out for ice cream or a special treat after if you all leave your phones alone.
Get crafty: create something with your hands - Painting parties, macrame hanging craft classes, rock painting and wreath making classes are all pretty popular. You may find one you like from companies like Mint Studios. If you don’t have space at your home or office to do this, see if a local restaurant (or bar if an over 21 crowd) would let you have a craft class at their location. Many businesses like to have some guaranteed customers and will support this idea.
Give Back: volunteer or help someone in need - Since there are so many people who cannot leave their homes right now, bringing a little light into their lives can lift their spirits. A fun unplugged activity for adults or kids is to purchase paper lanterns at stores like Walmart, Michaels or the Paper Lantern Store. Get paint or markers and decorate it with colorful designs and uplifting words. Add a battery operated mini light or stuff a string of holiday lights inside. If you want to incorporate upcycling, use old milk cartons (many examples to be found on the internet). Consider bringing these creations to nursing homes, businesses who are struggling, or have a street gathering where neighbors make their own and then hang them outside windows or on porches unifying their community! Make this an Unplug for a Cause® event and your attendees can get credit for their time unplugged while giving back to a cause of their choice.
Getting Out!: Plan an Escape Room outing. These are lots of fun for groups and are a perfect unplugged activity as there are no phones permitted. People have to work together to solve the clues to escape a room decorated in a particular theme (an old saloon, a jail cell, china town). Can’t get to an Escape Room? Make your own at home! Check out this Youtube video by Marti Doktorchik of @homeescaperooms from Canada, or check this link for even more puzzle ideas.
Have a Board Game Night: Time to dust off Grandma’s board games and roll the dice. Games are totally back. They are great for strategy and bringing people together. Try the classic backgammon from BackGammonBaby or here is a list from New York Magazine with options for different age groups. Many restaurants are having game or trivia nights you can look for. Game on!
Plan a Party: host an unplugging block/neighborhood party - Bring your community together by hosting a party with games, food, beverages and more. If you give party-goers an activity to do with their hands it will help it be a fun unplugged event. Consider having a sidewalk art competition, or having everyone add an item to a time capsule or a story for a neighborhood memories book. Let people decorate something like paper lanterns they can hang in trees for the party and then take home (see Give Back above).
Plan an Evening of Laughter - Host a comedy night. For the 21+ crowd, if you are fortunate enough to have a comedy club in your town, consider going there for your unplugged night. It’s easy to forget about your phone when you are at a comedy night. You can also see if your city has Pop Up Comedy Nights such as www.donttellcomedy.com where you can see comedy in some unusual places like backyards, rooftops and boxing clubs.
Get Active Outdoors: hike, bike, skate, camp, sports- Take a bike ride or go hiking or camping to some cool place where you can wander where the wifi is weak. Let the kids pitch a tent in your own backyard. Want to try something different or need a little more comfort than sleeping on the ground? See if there are any Glamping companies like Alter Experiences for those who require a little more pampering (see the Bell Tent setup with a luxurious bed!) or something unusual like camping in a tree tent. Want some motivation to get your kids outside more? Check out 1000 Hours Outside, an organization attempting to match nature time with screen time.
Low-tech Gaming: Paintball or laser tag - Always a fun activity for a group if you like strategy, trying to hit moving targets and especially good for youth who enjoy video games.
Share Your Story: host a story slam! - Share stories of the sunset you experienced prior to cell phones, or emails or texts you wish you’d never sent, Facebook fights or Twitter wars that got ridiculous or tall tales of your digital addiction. Host an event and invite others to share their stories. An easy way to involve others is to ask everyone to share their “Six Word Memoir” on unplugging.
Ride a Bike - Remember the excitement you felt when you attached playing cards with clips to your spokes and it sounded like a motorcycle when you took off? Share those memories and experiences with your kids. Plan a bike parade with your family, a group of neighbors or friends. Here are tips to deck out your wheels. Make sure the kids get to do as much of the decorating as possible as that is sometimes the most fun!
Relaxation therapy: Make a spa day for a group of friends. Can’t get to a spa? No worries, you can make your own. Turn on some relaxing spa type music. Try making a body scrub or masks from products in your kitchen. Look for tips on DIY mani - pedi’s on the internet. Take turns pampering each other.
Search for It: Create a scavenger hunt with Little Free Libraries (LFL) in your area (www.littlefreelibrary.com). Located all over the world (over 100K in 108 countries), LFLs are ideal for a scavenger hunt for all ages. Some are mini houses while others are more unusual like repurposed wine refrigerators. Hide something in one (or better yet multiple libraries) and give people clues to find them. Contact the library owners to see if its ok to hide things in them ahead of time. None in your area…why not start one? Find kits you can buy or you can DIY with your own creative flare. A great project for a family to do together. HERE are our tips on how to set up an LFL Scavenger Hunt in your neighborhood.
Go on a Scavenger Hunt: Consider tapping into companies like Let’s Roam that have hunts set up in over 400 cities across the globe including digitally guided Scavenger Hunts, Bar Hunts, Ghost Tours and more. Can’t leave the house or want to do your own? Check out this list from Good Housekeeping for 22 DIY tips to set up your own hunt.
Set up a Gnome Hunt: Familiar with Elf on the Shelf? Plant gnomes (or some other creature) in your house or different outdoor locations and have family members seek out to find all of them. Give them fun names, put out clues and give a card to stamp when they find each one.
Build: Bring your group together to make something like a bench, shed, or fire ring. Maybe an elderly person needs something built and your group can help bring that to fruition.
Slip and Slide Anytime: Who needs sledding when you have Ice Blocking. It’s like sledding without the snow or sled. All that’s needed is a block of ice (think Smart & Final or some bigger grocery stores), some hand towels or rags and a grassy hill free from rocks and sticks. Teens and even adults can have lots of fun doing this and it brings out the kid in all ages.