SHAMEION COLBERT

**Shameion Colbert** is a parent educator, former early childhood teacher, and the founder of the Unplugged Play Project, a community initiative that encourages families to replace screen time with hands-on, imaginative play. With over fifteen years of experience working with children ages three to ten, Shameion has developed a deep understanding of how play shapes a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. She holds a Master’s degree in Child Development from the University of Missouri and has served as a consultant for several school districts, helping them integrate unstructured play into their after-school programs.

Shameion’s work has been featured in *Parenting Magazine*, *The Huffington Post*, and on the *Today Show*, where she demonstrated simple, screen-free activities for busy families. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops, where she combines research with real-world, low-cost strategies that any parent can implement. Her first book, *The Unplugged Parent: Raising Kids in a Digital Age*, was a finalist for the National Parenting Product Award. *Unplugged Play* is her second book, born from the hundreds of letters she received from parents asking for a practical, activity-packed guide.

Shameion lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children, ages six and nine. When she is not writing or leading workshops, you can find her building forts in the living room, digging for worms in the garden, or reading a story aloud under a blanket tent. She believes that the best childhoods are built not with expensive gadgets, but with a cardboard box, a little imagination, and a whole lot of love.