Health Feature Articles
Play more, watch less
Sara Gable, Ph.D., State Specialist & Associate Professor, Human Development & Family Studies, University of Missouri Extension
Did you know?
- Average number of TVs per household: 3
- Number of TV murders elementary-aged children see: 8,000
- Percent of households with no TV rules: 53
- Kids who have a TV in their bedroom: 68 percent
- How much more likely these kids are to smoke cigarettes than kids who don’t have a TV in their bedroom: 3.5 times
Love it or hate, TV and other entertainment screens are part of American family life. Americans spend three to four hours a day in front of screens. This time includes watching prerecorded movies, playing video games and surfing the Internet, sometimes simultaneously.
We undeniably enjoy these activities, which can be relaxing, entertaining and educational. Like too much of any good thing, however, research suggests that the amount of time we spend in front of screens can have negative consequences.
We are more likely to snack on high-calorie foods while watching TV and less likely to be physically active.
No other waking activity burns fewer calories than watching TV — not even other sedentary activities like playing video games, reading and talking on the phone.
Adults who watch three hours of TV a day are far more likely to be obese than adults who watch less than one hour. The same goes for children. The risk for becoming and remaining overweight before the age of 9 increases with the amount of TV time.
National Screen-Free Week, April 18 to 24, 2011, is a good time to take a look at your family's screen-use habits. How many hours are spent using a screen compared to doing other activities? Here are some ways to break these habits:
- Create screen-free zones in the home.
- Gather the family and come up with a list of alternate activities to sitting in front of a screen. Jot down lots of ideas and post them on the refrigerator. (See suggestions below.)
- Make changes gradually. Set limits. Experts recommend no more than two hours a day of recreational TV, computers, video games and DVDs for kids.
- Know what your children, of any age, are watching on TV or doing on the Internet. Ask them open-ended questions about what they're seeing and doing.
- Take TVs out of bedrooms. Sleeping with the TV on, even with the sound off, can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to fatigue. Kids who have sets in their bedrooms also score lower in math, reading and language arts than kids who don't.
- Turn off the TV and other distracting media during meals, and talk about everyone's day.
- Keep the TV and other screens off unless someone is watching them.
Instead of sitting in front of a screen...
Families
- Plan and prepare meals together.
- Visit a park or public library.
- Go on a picnic.
- Play charades or board games.
- Take a walk down the street and collect litter.
- Dance and sing to music (check your library for music CDs).
- Have a family talent night.
- Plant a garden, and tend it daily.
- Plan a dream vacation or party.
- Walk around the neighborhood and talk about different houses, trees and gardens.
- Catch up at mealtimes (“Share one good thing and one bad thing about your day…”).
- Assign everyone a housekeeping chore, schedule a time to do them and celebrate when they're done.
- Catch up on letter writing, cards and phone calls.
Adults
- Read a book or magazine. Find an author you like and read everything she or he has written.
- Look for and try new recipes.
- Do stretching exercises or yoga.
- Clean out a closet, the garage or the basement.
- Find a new hobby or dive in to a neglected one.
- Plant flower seeds indoors. When they have sprouted several inches, transplant them outside.
- Volunteer in your community.
- Clean under the refrigerator and stove.
- Hand-wash woolen sweaters.
- Set up an easy-to-use recycling station.
- Read a local newspaper.
- Organize family photos and write picture captions.
- Start a scrapbook about your family.
- Gather and give away old clothes and household items.
Teenagers
- Think about future careers or jobs. Write a story about yourself being successful in that career or job.
- Volunteer.
- Interview your favorite relatives and record their stories.
- Write poems or short stories.
- Plan and plant a vegetable garden. Create a weeding schedule for the family.
- Sing along to your favorite music. Try writing down the lyrics and understanding the song’s meaning.
- Do stretching exercises or yoga with friends.
- Find a cause, such as saving the earth, that interests you and get involved with a friend.
- Make a list of things you want to learn. Visit the library for books on those subjects.
- Find a recipe that your family really likes and practice making it so that it becomes your specialty.
- Take up a new hobby or sport that interests you.
- Dance or exercise to music.
6 to 12 years
- Play hide and seek indoors or outside.
- Make a list of what you like about yourself.
- Play flashlight tag in the dark.
- Play board games, cards or memory or dictionary-based games.
- Crafts: Make greeting cards or wrapping paper, bead necklaces or bracelets. Weave friendship bracelets. Macramé a hanging plant holder, necklace or bracelet.
- Learn to play a musical instrument and practice every day.
- Set a goal to learn something new or to save money for something you want. Create a plan to achieve your goal.
- Write letters to a grandparent or favorite relative.
- Write a play for family members to act out.
- Stand on one foot and try to keep a balloon in the air using your hands and other foot.
Under 5 years
- Practice spelling new words, including names of family members.
- Play with water with bowls, cups and spoons on a protected surface in the kitchen.
- Make a tent out of blankets and "go camping" indoors.
- Have a parade with simple musical instruments.
- Practice writing letters, numbers and your name.
What parents can do
- Create toy boxes that can be rotated by day or week (adds an element of surprise).
- Make available plain paper, old magazines, safe scissors, markers or crayons, and tape.
- Keep a dress-up basket full of clothing and safe accessories.
- Put a long line of masking tape on the floor to use as a balance beam.
- Create an obstacle course in the yard.
- Have lots of books available (board books and picture books). Visit your local library.
- Provide puppets and encourage children to put on a puppet show.
This article can be downloaded for free as a PDF through MU Extension publications at http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=f280.
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Last Updated 04/18/2011
