Turn Off Your TV and do Something More Interesting Instead!

TV Turnoff Week is April 24 to 30

Don't think you're addicted to TV? Then why not prove it by going cold turkey for a week? You'd be surprised how difficult it can be to disconnect – and what a profound week of self discovery it can be.

Kaiser Permanente invites you to join in the fun and pledge to turning off your television (and videogames) for a full week. We support national TV Turnoff Week for one good reason: your family's health.

More TV Than School Time?

These days, the typical American child spends about 900 hours per year at school, and about 1,023 hours watching TV. That's more TV than school time! All this TV time can have a big impact on your child's health.

When compared to kids who watch little or no TV, kids who watch a lot of TV do more poorly in school and have lower reading scores. These kids often weigh more and are less fit. They are also more likely to use tobacco and alcohol when they get older.

Good News – It's Easy to Unplug!

There are many things you can do to reduce your child's TV time and encourage healthier activities. In fact, you and your family can find TV-free activities starting today.

Reduce TV time by:

• Turning off the TV during meals, which encourages everyone to eat and talk together.
• Limiting access to television by removing them from children's bedrooms.
• Avoiding use of the television as a reward.
• Designating certain days of the week as TV-free days.

Start up other activities:

• Exercise as a family by taking walks, riding bikes, or learning a sport.
• Play games with family and friends, such as chess, checkers, charades, and other board games.
• Plan and cook a family meal together.
• Take the dog for a walk, or borrow a neighbor's dog.
• Read a book, listen to music, or try writing a story for some quiet, down-time.
• Visit the zoo, the library, a park, the museum.

Additional Tips

Here are a few activity sheets to help your child reduce TV time.
Break Free of T.V. - A pledge and coloring sheet for your child to write down ideas for reducing TV time.
Break Free of T.V. (Español)
Get Active! Be a Healthy, Active Kid! - A list of activities and ideas for kids to be more active. Includes a TV viewing log.
¡Muévase! ¡Sea un/a niño/a saludable! (Español)

Online Resources

Here is an online resource to help you find healthy alternatives to TV (keep your visit brief).
TV Turn Off - Learn more about reducing TV time and finding healthy alternatives from kp.org.

We hope your visit here was short and you and your family are ready to enjoy a week (or more) of TV-free activities.