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Monday, April 29, 2013

April 29 - May 5, 2013 Screen-Free Week


Screen-Free Week (formerly TV-Turnoff, founded 1994) is an annual event in which parents, children, teachers and others across the country turn off screen media (TV, video games, computers, cell phones, etc.) and celebrate the magic of being unplugged. Screen-Free Week is a program of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

Screen-Free Week

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under 2 and less than 2 hours per day for older children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents create an electronic-media-free environment in children’s bedrooms.
 
The Benefits of Reduced Screen Time

• Reducing screen time can help prevent childhood obesity.

• Children who spend less time watching television in early years tend to do better in
school, have a healthier diet, and are more physically active.

Hazards of Too Much Screen Time

•Adolescents with a television in their bedroom spend more time watching TV and report less
physical activity, less healthy dietary habits, worse school performance, and fewer family
meals.

• Children with a television in their bedroom are more likely to be overweight.

Alternative Activities During Screen-Free Week
  • Prepare a family meal together.
  • Take a walk in the park.
  • Join a family fitness group.
  • Plant a vegetable garden or grow a fruit tree. 
  • Visit the zoo.
  • Plan a picnic or barbecue.
  • Go to a museum.
  • Take a nature hike.
  • Organize a scavenger hunt.
  • Learn yoga.
  • Go dancing.
  • Volunteer for a community or charitable organization

Resources

*American Heart Association, Limit Tube Time and Get Your Kids Moving
*Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood Screen-Free Week Organizer's Kit 
*Family-Friendly Things to Do During Screen-Free Week

*20 Alternatives to Television

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