Sunday, April 21 2024 is World Creativity & Innovation Day.

When Erick Zapata realized his three children, ages 10, 8 and 5 years old, respectively, where becoming increasingly addicted to “screen time,” He realized it was time to make some changes at home.

“I have such fond childhood memories of spending hours playing outside and using my imagination and being creative,” said Zapata, who lives in Valdosta. “I want my children to experience the same, but cell phones and the television can make that difficult.”

To raise awareness about the roles creativity and innovation play in human development, the United Nations designated April 21 as World Creativity and Innovation Day.

As the day draws near, many families are considering ways to infuse creativity into their daily lives to help support their children’s emotional, social, and physical development.

Mr. Zapata says that an article that has helped both him and his wife rethink their family’s entertainment choices and activities is “The Benefits of Creative Play” on jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“The Bible-based article outlines how imaginative play can benefit children and practical ways parents can encourage creativity in their home,” said Anthony Santana, spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

For example, parents can provide opportunities for creative play by allowing their children to spend time outdoors in nature.

Passive entertainment choices, such as a phone, tablet, or TV, should be limited for children. In fact, doctors recommend that children under 2 should have no screen use and children between ages 2 and 5 should have a one-hour maximum of daily screen use.

In addition, parents should carefully determine if too many extracurricular activities are depriving their children of free playtime and causing stress.

The article “The Benefits of Creative Play” can be accessed for free on jw.org, which features practical Bible-based content for families in more than 1,084 languages.

Anthony Santana is Public Information with Jehovah’s Witnesses United States of America.