A grassroots community organization helping tweens rediscover the joy of hiking, playing, creating, and simply being together—away from phones and social media.
A village for the in-between years.
Mission
Tweens Without Screens exists because something slipped away when smartphones arrived: the unhurried, unsupervised afternoon outside.
We create local opportunities for real-life connection so kids can laugh, explore, and grow together without devices. We believe the friendships that form in person, the confidence that comes from navigating the physical world, and the simple joy of being bored enough to invent something are essential aspects of childhood.
We also share research and journalism on free play, childhood independence, and the relationship between technology and well-being. Parents deserve real information, not just advice.
Our aim is to support tweens and parents as they build balanced, connected lives in a digital age.
Our Story
A few neighborhood moms started Tweens Without Screens when our daughters were about 8. We noticed that around this age, girls started to disappear from parks and playgrounds. Instead, they were spending more time inside and online. Given the research supporting the importance of free play, time outside, and face-to-face friendship, we decided to do something.
We started small: taking tween girls on monthly walks in the woods. Since then, our Washington Heights and Inwood community has embraced our vision. Ed joined our leadership team, and neighbors began to offer their homes and time. Now, tweens gather regularly for hikes, free play, game nights, knitting circles—you name it! All the while, we’re building a community and rediscovering the joy of being together in real life.
Have a Washington Heights or Inwood tween interested in attending our meetups? Reach out. Want to start a chapter of Tweens Without Screens in your neighborhood? We’re here to help you build what we built.
Leadership
Michelle Y. Burke
Co-founder · Teacher & Poet
Michelle is a teacher, poet, and Washington Heights mom committed to giving city kids lots of opportunities to connect with nature. As a professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology, she teaches creative writing and humanities courses that explore creativity and the intersection of technology and ethics. She loves to host free-play gatherings and pizza nights in the park.
Adria Cruz
Co-founder · Public Health Professional & Parent Advocate
Adria is a public health professional and Inwood mom committed to helping children grow up healthy, connected, and supported. She has led initiatives to connect families to nutrition, care management, wellness programs, and school-based health services across New York City. She serves on the leadership team of the New York chapter of the Distraction-Free Schools Policy Project (DFSNY) and co-steers Tweens Without Screens Advocacy. She enjoys bike rides, board games, nature hikes, and crocheting with her family and community.
Ed Boyak
Co-founder · Full-time Dad & Neighborhood Pied Piper
As a child, Ed offered his treehouse as a daily gathering place for the kids in his neighborhood. He’s been a host and an advocate for the outdoors ever since. He went on to become a Boy Scout, was voted most involved in high school, and has had a lifetime goal of learning as many hobbies as possible. This Inwood dad is a musician, gardener, outdoorsman, naturalist, organizer, and volunteer. He’s spent decades participating in adventure sports as well as working in the industry. He supports children’s growth and works to help kids become proactive contributors to their community. He’s been known to build quinzhees and host epic Capture the Flag gatherings.
Elyssa East
Co-leader of TWS Advocacy · Novelist & Activist
Elyssa is an author, editor, teacher, and mom living in Washington Heights. She’s passionate about engaging kids and adults in the world beyond screens. She’s a member of the A.I. Moratorium (AIM) Coalition Steering Committee and also serves on the leadership team of the DFSNY initiative. When she is not blowing bubbles biking backwards, you can find her reading kid lit, searching for the best black and white cookie in NYC, or working on a middle grade novel.
Calendar
Here’s what’s coming up in Washington Heights and Inwood. Please reach out before showing up the first time.
Prefer your own calendar app? Subscribe to the calendar.
Resources
The reading list
We share research and journalism on free play, childhood independence, and the relationship between technology and well-being. Here are a few of our favorite books.
- The Anxious Generation — Jonathan Haidt
- Balanced and Barefoot — Angela Hanscom
- There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather — Linda Åkeson McGurk
- 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World — Jean Twenge
Start a Chapter
You don’t need a budget or a fancy plan. You need a few neighbors who care and one afternoon to get started. Here’s what worked for us:
- Find your people. Begin by reaching out to families you already know and trust. It takes just a couple of families to get a chapter going.
- Plan one simple thing. A walk. A game night. Don’t overthink it. Get kids together; they’ll bring the magic.
- Keep showing up. Do it again. And again. Reliably getting together once a month is enough to start changing habits and build a community.
Reach out to us. Drop us a line and tell us how it’s going! We’re here to connect and support chapters as they develop.
Join Us
Whether you’re a Washington Heights or Inwood family looking to join a local meetup, or a parent anywhere who wants to bring these ideas to your neighborhood, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re a small, volunteer-run organization. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.