Over the winter months it is easy to get into bad routines with the kids, allowing more and more screen time and less physical activity.
DID YOU KNOW: Canadian kids spend an average of seven hours and 48 minutes a day in front of screens – that’s almost a 40-hour work week.
But with spring setting its roots, it is time to get back outside and get active.
We are loving these videos from Participaction that provide a little inspiration to help us parents wrestle control back from the “screen time” our kids are so accustomed to .
You ca visit www.participACTION.com for downloadable tools and resources to enable others to reduce screen time and make room for active play at home, at school, or in the community.
Try these tips to help balance screen time with active play time:
- Avoid making television watching part of your regular daily routine.
- Make family rules that limit how much screen time your kids are allowed each day.
- Eliminate background TV as it’s likely to draw your child’s attention. Instead, turn on music.
- Kids naturally play more actively when they’re outdoors, so head outside with them every day.
- Set a good example and limit your own screen time.
- Unplug for a day. Designate one day a week or month as a screen-free day for the whole family.
- For younger children, avoid using screens as an “electronic babysitter”.
- For older children, after-school is a key timeslot for activities, so register them in active after-school programs in the community.
- For older children, don’t allow a TV, computer, or cell phone in your child’s bedroom.
- For older children, explain to them that decreased screen time is not a punishment, but a healthy choice.
DID YOU KNOW: Canadian kids spend an average of seven hours and 48 minutes a day in front of screens – that’s almost a 40-hour work week.