100 Alternatives to Television, Video Games and Internet

Here are 100 tips for turning the TV, computer and video games off during Screen-Free week. Even if you don’t go “cold turkey,” try to at least keep the television and screen devices off in the evenings and spend that time together as a family.

At Home
1.  Ask your child 5 things he/she wants to do instead of turning on a

     screen.

2.  Go do them.

3.  Take a family walk.

4.  Have a Family Read-a-Loud.
5.  Write a Family Story together.

6.  Paint a family collage.
7.  Have your child write to the President.
8.  Read BOOKS!
9.  Teach your child how to fix something.
10. Build a birdhouse.
11. Keep a journal – log your day.

12. Make cookies, bread or jam and share with a neighbor.
13. Have a lemonade stand.

14. Have your children go through closets and toy chests and donate to 

      Goodwill.

15. Let your children sell their old items at a garage sale.  They can keep

      keep the money.

16. Play cards.
17. Family Game Night.
18. Make a craft.
19. Study a different culture.  Have an international dinner.

20. Make homemade pizza.

21. Invite the neighbors over for dessert.

22. Teach your child chess or checkers.

23. Make a Mother’s Day and Father’s Day card.
24. Play charades.
25. Have a treasure hunt.
26. Make hot chocolate and have fun conversation.
27. Wash the car.
28. Make a wooden flowerbox.
29. Put a blanket out on the grass and gaze at the stars with binoculars. 
30. Write a family poem.

Outdoors
31. Go on a scavenger hunt.
32. Plan a picnic or barbecue.
33. Go bird watching. Learn the names of local birds.
34. Walk the dog. Wash the dog.
35. Plant a garden. Work in your garden.
36. Take a nature hike.
37. Go fishing.
38. Dig for worms.
39. Learn to use a compass.
40. Take photographs and then organize them into an album.
41. Do yard work.
42. Go camping.
43. Take an early morning walk.
44. Climb a tree.
45. Watch a sunset; watch the sunrise with a friend.

Around Town
46. Attend a religious service.
47. Visit the library. Borrow some books.
48. Visit a local bookstore.
49. Visit the zoo.
50. Visit the countryside or town. Travel by bus or train.
51. Listen to music or attend a community concert.
52. Walk/Bike to work or school.
53. Attend a live sports event.
54. Look for treasures at a yard sale.
55. Attend a play.
56. Collect recycling and drop it off at a recycling center.
57. Learn to play a musical instrument.
58. Go to a museum.

On the Move
59. Go roller skating.
60. Go swimming. Join a community swim team.
61. Play tennis at the local courts.
62. Organize a game of touch football, baseball, or softball in the local

      park.
63. Go running.
64. Learn yoga.
65. Play soccer, softball or volleyball.
66. Play Frisbee.
67. Fly a kite.
68. Go dancing. Take a dance class.

In Your Community
69. Organize a community clean-up or volunteer for charity.
70. Organize mom’s night out.
71. Join a choir. Sing!
72. Start a bowling league.
73. Visit and get to know your neighbors.
74. Start a book club.

With the Kids
75. Make paper bag costumes and have a parade.
76. Design a screen cover poster for Screen-Free Week.
77. Look through old photo albums.
78. Blow bubbles.
79. Draw family portraits.
80. Build a fort in the living room and camp out one night.
81. Research your family history and make a family tree.
82. Invent a new game and teach it to your friends.
83. Play Hide & Seek outside.
84. Play hopscotch or freeze-tag.
85. Organize a neighborhood scavenger hunt.
86. Play board games with family and friends.
87. Clean up or redecorate your room.
88. Make puppets out of old socks and have a puppet show.
89. Write a play with friends. Perform it for your family.
90. Construct a kite. Fly it.
91. Go on a family trip or historical excursion.
92. Create sidewalk art with chalk.
93. Create a collage out of pictures from old magazines.
94. Shoot hoops with friends. Play a round of H.O.R.S.E.
95. Make a friendship bracelet.
96. Create a meal calendar for the week with everyone’s favorite recipes.
97. Tell stories around a campfire.
98. Write a letter to your grandparents.
99. Have a play date.
100. Everyone!!! Have a huge party to celebrate a Screen-Free Week!