Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Myth: There aren’t good alternatives to get my family away from their screens.

Siblings staring at laptop screen
Answer: BUSTED!

National Screen-Free Week, May 5–11, is the perfect time for your family to celebrate being ‘unplugged.’ Here are some ideas for your family to consider as alternatives to watching TV or sitting in front of a computer or mobile device:

  • Plan and prepare meals together.
  • Visit a park.
  • Take a walk down your street and collect litter.
  • Plant a garden. Tend it daily. It’s great exercise!

As parents you can reinforce play for your children. Keep a toy box available. Or create an obstacle course in your backyard. Take steps like these to remind your children to play instead of watching TV.

For more ideas, see MU Extension publication Play More, Watch Less

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

1 comment:

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.