5 Signs Your Child Needs to Unplug and Go Play

April 5, 2011

Love at first site :)

With tongue firmly planted in cheek, I offer you the following…

You know it’s time to unplug your kids when:

#5. The couch waits by the door for them to get home from school instead of the dog.

#4. Their TiVo/DVR list rivals the word count of War and Peace.

#3. When you tell them to go play they reply, “Is there an app for that?”

#2. They’ve taken to having their play dates on Facebook.

#1. Thanks to excessive texting and hand-held game play, they can bench press 25 pounds. With their thumbs.

In all seriousness, April is Children and Nature Awareness Month and those clever nature lovers at the Children and Nature Network are saying, Let’s G.O.! (Go Outside), and I couldn’t agree more.

So let’s unplug those kids (and ourselves!) and get outside! Mother Nature is waiting, and she has so much more to offer than any screen could ever dream of. And then some.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

Creative Commons License photo credit: AForestFrolic

By Bethe | Posted in nature, parenting, Perspectives | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (67)

7 Activity Ideas for Turnoff Week

April 20, 2009

Watching the post-New Year's Eve entertainment from Times Square

April 20-26th is Turnoff Week. That’s right…it’s time to cut the cord, folks. Just for a week. Give it a try…

Let the TVs and video systems go dark for the week. Limit computer use to necessary work and school activities whenever possible. Join people across the globe as they take back the enormous blocks of time that our plug-in devices are stealing from us — that we are GIVING THEM all too willingly! Instead, spend time reconnecting with family and friends in meaningful, face-to-face ways.

We’ve discussed screen-time here on several occasions, and it is without a doubt one of the chief barriers to unstructured play and outdoor time in the lives of today’s children. (And we grown-ups, too!) So here are a few ideas to get you started. Of course, you are only limited by your imagination. Make Turnoff Week your own!

An Idea a Day to Keep the Screen Away:

  1. Have a cookout! Still snow on the ground where you live? Have an indoor picnic.
  2. Have game night. Break out the cards and boards games and have some old fashion fun. Or, if the budget allows, pick out a new family game to master.
  3. Go for a nice long walk after dinner. Stop and chat with neighbors you might not have seen all winter while we were all holed-up.
  4. Take a trip to the library and everyone pick out a book. If age appropriate, get a book that you can read together as a family.
  5. Visit a local nature center for a program. They often have evening programs on stargazing, night hikes, and nocturnal wildlife.
  6. Take a day trip! Go hiking, biking, or to visit a nearby museum. Just get out there! (Weekend)
  7. Start a backyard garden or container garden, or spend time in one you already have. (Weekend)

No matter what you do, make a real effort to unplug and reconnect. See if you notice any difference in your mood, or those of your children. Or changes in their behavior or sleep patterns. Don’t worry — the TV isn’t going anywhere. And you all know that thanks to TiVo and web-streaming, you can catch-up on just about everything you will miss. But who knows, you just might find that you don’t MISS a thing!

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

Creative Commons License photo credit: dionhinchcliffe

By Bethe | Posted in Activities, parenting | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (37)

The Sound of Silence?

March 29, 2009

In the stillness of a gray and damp Sunday morning, I am contemplating quiet. Silence. Stillness. We’ve talked about silence briefly here before, and it has come up in some great comments from readers. I think it’s a topic really worth exploring.

Are kids today able to learn to appreciate silence, or to feel comfortable with it? Do they get ample chance to experience silence in a world filled with video games, computers, iPods, and ever-increasing television viewing?  As more and more children have cell phones and text or instant message, do they get enough time to NOT react to things, but simply reflect? And what are the true long-range implications of all of this? In this brave new world of ours, is silence at the top of the endangered species list?

skyline-drive

Skyline Drive - Shenandoah National Park

I would love to know what you think, and I’m sure many could benefit from suggestions. How do you make room for silence and stillness in the lives of the children in your world? Do they have access to stimulation-free time? Do you see a value in this?

I know adults who are aggressively uncomfortable with silence. You can see their discomfort—it’s almost palpable. I wonder what it looks like when they are alone? What it feels like? I can’t imagine it feels good.

I also can’t imagine not being able to welcome silence — to not relish it and benefit from the peace it gives me. The time to recharge my batteries and simply be. I would be lost without it.

I look forward to your input. Now, speaking of silence, it is time for me to go seek some. I always find the outdoors to be a perfect place to be still. Silent. How about you?

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

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By Bethe | Posted in Perspectives | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (21)