National Turn Off the TV Week - 10 Ideas For Family Fun

The Novotny family is accepting the challenge once again this year , will you join us? For National Turn off the TV week beginning today April 18th  2011. We are going to unplug the talking boxes in our home and use our time to enjoy a variety of other things as a family.

National Turn off the TV week is an annual campaign to get us to reclaim those lost hours watching talking boxes and take that time to connect with our families, engage in our communities and do things we seem to never have time for.

MOM TIP: Make a plan for the week by creating a list of what you will do each day. Make it Fun. We created a list to help you get started.


10 Alternative TV ideas:

1. Family Game night - Choose a game the entire family can participate in, maybe it's a week long game of monopoly that you play for a set amount of time each night or that game your child received at Christmas you still haven't played.

2. Something New - Make a list of things you would like to learn or would like to teach your children. This can be anything from learning a new card game, crochet, to how to download music to your IPod or teaching your child to tie their shoes.

3. Family Read aloud - Children of all ages love to be read to. Check out a chapter book from the library or grab one off your book shelf that you have been wanting to read to your children and begin a nightly reading time together.

4. Creative Fun - From scrap booking to crafty creations allow the creative side of your family to shine as you do family projects or allow your kids time to just create with left over craft supplies.

5. Kitchen Time - Create a meal together or teach your kids to bake some yummy treats.

6. Volunteer - Choose a Church or Community project that your family can serve together in .

7. Exercise - This is a great time to start a daily /nightly habit of exercising. Start with 20 minutes and add 10 minutes each night to your routine.

8. Plant a Garden - Now is the time to get out and clean up your garden and flower beds. Begin planting so you will have plenty of fresh veggies come summer.

9. Start or finish a project - Begin or finish a project that you have been putting off due to lack of time.

10. Audio Fun - Before the television was invented families sat around a big radio and used their imaginations to picture the fun and adventurous stories that were told over the radio. Why not listen to a book on tape or Cd with your children and allow their imagination to picture what is taking place in the story.


What will you do with your newly reclaimed hours in your day?