What would we do without TV?

I get the draw of television…I really do. I’m a stay-at-home mom, also trying to work from home a few hours each day. I’ve turned on the television so that I could squeak out another half hour on the computer, or so that I could get dinner started in peace. I get it!

The purpose of Screen-Free Week is not to burden families or to cause mayhem at home…quite the opposite, really. The purpose is to spend a week tuned-in to family life, to do just a little more connecting than you may normally do when the screens are lit up.

One of my biggest complaints about television is that it displaces moments of engagement. Couples could be engaged in conversation, children engaged in art or dramatic play, families engaged in hobbies or other pastimes. During Screen-Free Week, we are going to take those moments back!

Now this is the fun part! Make a long list of all of the wonderful screen-free activities your family might enjoy. Evening strolls, picnic in the park, dance parties, family game night… write down whatever comes to mind. Be sure to include the experiment you’ve been meaning to show the kids, and the long-lost hobby you say you never have time for. With a little bit of planning and perhaps some voting at a family meeting, this list will keep you going screen-free all week long!  And who knows? By the end of the week, your family may end up wondering how you ever had time for TV!

Need a kickstart? Here are some of my favorite activity lists!

Creative Kickstarters for Families from Mamascout


More Things To Do Instead Of Turning On The TV from Childhood 101


10 Ways to Make Today Magical from A Magical Childhood


120+ Activities for Ages 1-4 from Play, Create, Explore


 50 Things to do before you’re 11 ¾ from the UK National Trust

Screen-Free Week begins April 30th!  Will you pull the plug?