Turn on the Fun Without Turning on the TV

By Lisa Marie Metzler

Kimberly and Kevin Kinnan from Beulah, Mich. don't subscribe to cable TV service. They're lucky if they can receive two channels off the antenna. "It was just never a priority to get cable," Kimberly Kinnan says. "We didn't have cable before we had kids and we're so busy now doing other things, we don't miss it."

Although the Kinnans rarely watch network TV, they did watch some of the Olympic games and occasionally watch videos. So, what do the Kinnans do with their free time instead of watch TV? "My kids really enjoy reading. We also play outside a lot and play board games together," Kinnan says. The Kinnans' children are also active in Scouts, Science Olympics and sports, to name a few. Their active lifestyle leaves little time for TV.

The TV-Turnoff Network is hoping families will discover results similar to the Kinnans, when they take part in the TV-Turnoff Week challenge April 22 through 28. The challenge encourages families to turn off the TV for one full week and discover alternatives to TV watching.

If your family isn't quite ready for this week-long challenge, consider evaluating how much you are watching. Professor Keith A. Alford, of Syracuse University's College of Human Services and Health Professions in California, believes there are two key questions parents should ask: "First, is television viewing being used as a substitute for family time spent together in more engaging activities? Second, are the programs being watched ones that parents have sanctioned? These are critical questions that families must explore in terms of child and family development and family cohesiveness in general," Professor Alford says.

Whether you decide to take the week-long challenge or are just looking for fun alternatives to TV, here are some great ideas to get you started!

• Photographer for a Week Purchase a disposable camera for the children. Don't worry about lighting or angles. Give the kids free range and develop the film and create a scrapbook.
• Lights! Camera! Action! A child's vivid imagination can make a great movie. Use a camcorder to tape their story. Or tape your own talk show and interview each other. You may discover something new about your spouse and children.
• Once Upon a Time
  Pages:  1  2  3  
  
  
  

  Want to see more?

  • Family Rituals and Traditions
  • Go Fly A Kite!
  • Recip es For Fun!
  • Too Much TV? Setting Limits on Television Viewing
  • Media Effects on Children: Television