Thursday, 2 May 2013

Tackling Screen Free Week? Break Out Some Books to Pass the Time

Turn off the television during screen free week
This week is Screen Free Week in the USA when families attempt to turn off the television and other screens and find some alternative entertainment for seven days.

The idea is to promote less time in front of the TV and more time doing other things indoors or out.


 I'm not really against screen time as a whole, and in fact my kid has learnt a lot from television and using my iPad. In many ways I agree with Geek Mom when she writes that the conversation should be less about "screen bad - non-screen good" and more about focusing on balance in general.

But, for some it takes a push to engage in other activities so if you are using screen free week to kickstart a reduction in viewing, don't forget to include reading as part of your non-screen related activities.

 This is a great time to introduce reading to young children, re-ignite the passion for books in reluctant readers and generally teach youngsters that not all characters were created by the Disney Channel.

Remind Children that Television Isn't the Only Source of Creativity.


Teach them that before he was the cuddly rotund bear on television Winnie the Pooh was a delightfully illustrated book character. That before Noddy chugged around the screen in his little car, he chugged through the pages of a book, and that before Jake and the Neverland Pirates came about, JM Barrie was imagining a wonderful world in which Peter Pan and his friends never grew up.

 It is recommended that you spend at least 15 minutes a day reading with or to your young children, or encourage them to read by themselves for at least this amount of time each day. Screen free week is a great excuse to schedule time for reading which will hopefully become a habit.

Searching for Inspiration


 If you are stuck on what to read, I collect lists of great books for kids on Pinterest. Visit The Books on My Shelves: Kids Edition to find some ideas. Many of the pins have themed lists while some have more than 100 suggestions. You will find everything from first picture books to chapter books for older readers.

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