> My children have a 2 acre backyard with woods and a treehouse.
Very, very few people have this. Sounds like you have your own "third place" that the neighborhood kids can leverage, and which provides a compelling alternative to screens.
I noticed this sort of thing as a child when my family moved to a slightly more dense suburb. We’d do more things on our own with our peers once there were spaces that accommodated this within walking distance (parks, shops, libraries, etc.).
In the earlier, more spacious location, there were nice spaces for grownups to decompress after a workday, but we had to be driven around if we wanted to play with our friends. Television (and learning how to pirate Game Boy ROMs) was novel and interesting when a peer group wasn’t available.
Very, very few people have this. Sounds like you have your own "third place" that the neighborhood kids can leverage, and which provides a compelling alternative to screens.