Kids get paid for checking in their devices at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel

Since South Lake Tahoe is the perfect place to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, a local hotel is adding an incentive for guests under the ago of 17 to get out and explore.

The Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel has created a way for parents to get their kids to look up from their screens and take in the real world at Lake Tahoe. The new remodeled all-suite hotel will pay kids $5 if they turn in their digital device for a minimum of six hours a day during their stay. This offer is valid for guests who book their stay through the hotel’s website www.tahoeresorthotel.com.

The Kaiser Family Foundation Study found that children ages 8 to 18 spend more than 6 hours a day consuming media and more than 66 percent of that age group own a cell phone. The ubiquitousness of digital interference in daily family lives has given rise to organizations like screenfree.org and nationwide “screen-free” weeks.

The hotel’s latest offer to help kids go digital free for the day is part of the resort’s “My Tahoe” campaign that focuses on connecting guests with authentic Tahoe experiences and personal insights into seeing Tahoe like a local.

“As a parent I recognize that at times it feels like you are only seeing the top of your children’s heads and that is not what a family vacation should be,” said Bill Cottrill, Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel’s chief operating officer. “Helping our guests connect with each other and Tahoe in meaningful ways is what ‘My Tahoe’ is all about.”

Guests at the hotel are close to hiking, the lake, biking and exploring. Just down the road visitors can pick up the newest section of America’s Most Beautiful Bikeway and bike or walk to two of Tahoe’s most popular beaches, Nevada and Round Hill Pines Beaches. Guests of the resort receive a free pass to Round Hill Pines Beach as part of their stay.

Heavenly Village, next door to the resort, has a wide range of dining and shopping options as well as the Heavenly Gondola with access to Heavenly’s Epic Discovery park. The resort is also across the street from the newest retail and dining options at The Chateau.