This week is T.V. Turn-Off week! Please try to go the whole week without television! Here is some general information for this project (provided by www.screentime.org):
WHY participate in T.V. Turn-Off week?
Television cuts into family time, harms our children's ability to read and succeed in school, and contributes to unhealthy lifestyles and obesity. Here are just a few of the facts:
* On average, children in the US will spend more time in front of the television (1,023 hours) than in school this year (900 hours).
* 40% of Americans frequently or always watch television during dinner.
* As US Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher said at the Kick Off of TV-Turnoff Week 2001, "We are raising the most overweight generation of youngsters in American history...This week is about saving lives."
What's So Great about TV-Turnoff Week?
Turning off the television gives us a chance to think, read, create, and do. To connect with our families and engage in our communities. To turn off TV and turn on life.
Benjamin Loxley, a second-grader, sums it up well, "I had a great time, and my only question is: If this is so great, why don't we turn off the TV for eight other 51 weeks of the year?"
TV-Turnoff Week Works!
According to hundreds of responses to our TV-Turnoff Week follow-up surveys, 90% of responding participants reduced their TV-viewing as a result of participating.
TV-Turnoff Week is supported by over 70 national organizations including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Education Association, and President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
What should I do instead of watching T.V.?
1. Go to the Library or a Local Bookstore
2. Start a garden
3. Write a Letter
4. Take a Walk, a Swim, or a Bicycle Ride
5. Ice-skate, roller skate or Roller-Blade
6. Get the news from the radio or Newspaper
7. Start a Journal or Diary
8. Make a Scrapbook or Photo Album
9. Cook a Meal with Family or Friends
10. Make paper bag costumes and have a parade
11. Play hopscotch, hide & seek, or freeze-tag
12. Learn about the native trees and flowers in your area
13. Play a Game
14. Watch the clouds
15. Look at the Stars
16. Attend Local Plays and Sports Events
17. Listen to Music
18. Do yard work or household chores
19. Make a friendship bracelet
20. Visit the zoo
21. Go to a museum
22. Study sign-language
23. Climb a tree
24. Call a friend
25. Paint or draw a picture
26. Put on a show for friends and family
27. Play with sidewalk chalk
28. Jump rope
- Go skate boarding
- Create an invention
- Visit a farm
- READ A BOOK
Visit www.screentime.org for a kids activity booklet, Facts and Figures about our T.V. habits, Turn off T.V. Turn on a Healthier Lifestyle, How to give T.V. the boot and more!