Doug Unplugged

Picture book, 40 pages. Doug, a robot boy, unplugs from learning to explore the city outside his window. Published in 2013 by First Dragonfly Books

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More to Learning

The best way to learn about the world is to experience it - to live in it!  Doug's rebellion is a sweet story about how a boy-robot discovers he can learn from the real thing rather than being plugged in. The illustrations are bold, color-filled blocks with swooping, curving black lines - simple images with a great amount of movement to attract a child's eye.  Adults will see the book as a commentary on screen time, but children will simply see the power of fun and freedom in Doug's escapades!

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Ideas for Making It Real

An adventure day - or Doug-Day! - is intended do something a bit different than normal. These times are vitally important for children and adults' health alike!  And sometimes they don't even need to be a whole day! 

Here are a few questions to get your creativity flowing:

• Have you visited a fire station recently? Is there another community service or center your child might like to see? 
  
• What about counting the number of birds you see on your daily walk?  Or dandelions? Or how many times you can wave to a passing car.... endless ways to practice counting.
  
• Can you draw a map of your neighborhood or the building you live in? Or, if you can collect small boxes, paper tubes, etc., what about building a model of your neighborhood?
  

It's about taking - or creating - time to see and experience the world from a new perspective and showing our kiddos how to do the same.

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