Screen time. Kids today have more distractions than ever, with computers, video games, phones and TVs. We encourage kids to limit their screen time to a maximum of two hours a day and offer fun ideas for being active indoors.
Resources and Printables
Kids Staying Active
With computers, video games and TV, it's a great time to be a kid. You have more entertainment choices than ever before, but too much screen time can be bad for your health.
Don't worry, no one expects you to give up screen time entirely. We know you use a computer for homework assignments. We also know how much fun video games and TV can be after a long day at school.
All we are asking is that you limit your time on the computer, watching TV or playing video games to two hours a day or what your parent allows. Too much screen time can lead to obesity because you're less active and may snack during this time.
Even if you are a skinny kid, you should step away from the screen for a while and get outside and play. It will help you grow up to be healthy and it will make you feel better right now.
To be as healthy as you can be, you need be active. Try to get 60 minutes of activity each day. If that's too much for right now, it's OK. Start with 30 minutes and work your way up.
There's a lot to do both indoors and outdoors, but today let's focus on things you can do inside:
- Bounce a ball or yourself. Take a parent with you and go play basketball at a Boys & Girls Club, YMCA or a school gym. Visit a bounce house. Show mom and dad your moves, but be sure to have them show you some of theirs too. Set up a Nerf hoop at the house, just don't crash into the wall.
- Dance party! It doesn't matter if you are a great dancer or not, the point is moving your body. Put on some music and be as serious, or as silly, as you want, just move! Play some of your tunes, but also dance to mom or dad's music. Then dance together.
- Hide and seek. If you feel like you are too old to play a good old fashioned game of hide and seek, hide toys around the house. Make it a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt, but run from one place to the next. For an added challenge, time yourself and your friends to see who can go the fastest.
- Ruff house. Do you have a dog or a cat? Play with them. Toss a ball and as your pet goes to chase it, follow close behind. This gives your pooch or kitty some exercise too.
- Take a commercial break. For a little added bonus, during commercial breaks or while you are taking a break from your video game, do some jumping jacks or pushups. Every bit, even a little, helps.
- Video games aren't just for watching any more. A lot of video game systems today allow you to get up and move, instead of just sitting on the couch. Find a game like boxing or one where you can work out. If you are going to play video games, you might as well make them count.
Parents Staying Active
While there are many ways kids can use the Internet, television, video games and cell phones, the most important thing to remember is to monitor their screen time and be aware of what they're viewing and doing.
Watching too much TV is strongly linked to obesity because kids are sitting still and tend to snack during this time. They see commercials that promote unhealthy fast food, which can lead them to want those foods more.
"The good news is that there are numerous programs and approaches to prevent and treat childhood obesity," said Joel Steelman, M.D., a Cook Children's endocrinologist. "Most every approach has common elements of food choices, balanced with an active lifestyle, limiting television and computer time and eating together as a family."
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests no more than one to two hours of total "screen" time per day for children over the age of 2.
Here are some suggestions for you and your child to be more active indoors, including tips for when you're hanging out at the house:
- Bounce a ball or yourself. Go with your child and play basketball at a Boys & Girls Club, YMCA or a school gym. Visit a bounce house. Set up a Nerf hoop at the house.
- Dance party! Even if you're not a great dancer, you and your child can just move. Put on some music and be as serious, or as silly, as you want, but move around the house. Play some of your tunes, but also see if you can dance to your child's music. Then dance together.
- Hide and seek. If you feel like you are too old to play a good old-fashioned game of hide and seek, hide toys around the house. Make it a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt, but have your child run from one place to the next. For an added challenge, time everyone to see who can go the fastest.
- Ruff house. Do you have a family dog or a cat? Toss a ball and everyone go chase after it. It gives your pooch or kitty some exercise too.
- Take a commercial break. During commercial breaks or while your child is taking a break from playing video games, have everyone do jumping jacks or pushups. Every bit, even a little, helps.
- Video games aren't just for watching any more. A lot of video game systems allow your child to get up and move, instead of just sitting on the couch. Find a game like boxing or another one that makes working out fun. If you are going to have screen time, this is the way to go.
There are steps you can take to limit TV, computer and video game usage, including:
- Set a daily limit and make sure your children stick to it. Set the example by limiting your own viewing.
- Keep TVs and video games out of bedrooms. Place them in common areas so you know when and how they are used.
- Offer fun alternatives to TV and video games, such as dancing around the house or playing outside.
It's important for your child to get away from the screen and be active. Make it even better by joining in on the fun. Go outside and play catch. Jog, walk or bicycle together. Just take the opportunity to enjoy being with your child and while you are at it, enjoy being a kid again for a little while.
Leaders Staying Active
This week's focus is on screen time. Kids today have more entertainment choices than ever before with computers, video games and TV. But too much screen time can be dangerous to your health.
Too much TV is strongly linked to obesity because kids are sitting still and tend to snack during this time. They see commercials that promote unhealthy fast food, which can lead them to want those foods more.
"The good news is that there are numerous programs and approaches to prevention and treatment of childhood obesity," said Joel Steelman, M.D., a Cook Children's endocrinologist. "Most every approach has common elements of food choices, balanced with an active lifestyle, limiting television and computer time and eating together as a family."
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests no more than two hours of total "screen" time per day for children over the age of 2. We know it's unrealistic to expect kids to give up screen time completely, but the goal is for them to become more active.
We encourage kids to be more active with their parents too. Talk to your group about going outside and playing catch, jogging, walking or bicycling with friends or their family members.
Here's a list we suggested to the kids in their handouts this week:
- Bounce a ball or yourself. Go with your child and play basketball at a Boys & Girls Club, YMCA or a school gym. Visit a bounce house. Set up a Nerf hoop at the house.
- Dance party! Even if you're not a great dancer, you and your child can just move. Put on some music and be as serious, or as silly, as you want, but move around the house. Play some of your tunes, but also see if you can dance to your child's music. Then dance together.
- Hide and seek. If you feel like you are too old to play a good old-fashioned game of hide and seek, hide toys around the house. Make it a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt, but have your child run from one place to the next. For an added challenge, time everyone to see who can go the fastest.
- Ruff house. Do you have a family dog or a cat? Toss a ball and everyone go chase after it. It gives your pooch or kitty some exercise too.
- Take a commercial break. During commercial breaks or while your child is taking a break from playing video games, have everyone do jumping jacks or pushups. Every bit, even a little, helps.
- Video games aren't just for watching any more. A lot of video game systems allow your child to get up and move, instead of just sitting on the couch. Find a game like boxing or another one that makes working out fun. If you are going to have screen time, this is the way to go.
Checkup Challenge checklist
Day 1
- Talk to your kids about limiting the amount of time they spend on the computer, watching TV or playing video games to two hours a day.
- Too much screen time is strongly connected to obesity because kids are sitting still and tend to snack during this time.
- Offer alternative activities they can do to avoid excessive screen time.
Day 2
- Discuss how being active can help kids feel better. Let them know that being healthy means they need to move more. If possible, try to get 60 minutes of activity in a day. If that's too much for right now, it's OK. Start with 30 and work their way up.
- Talk about ways to be active indoors with your kids and ask them what they enjoy doing most.
Day 3
- Explain how exercise can be broken into segments. They can play with friends for 30 minutes. Walk the dog for 15 minutes and play a game of basketball for 15 minutes. Ask the kids what activities they like to do and how much they do it. Show how it wouldn't be difficult to get between 30 and 60 minutes in a day.
Day 4
- The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests no more than one to two hours of total "screen" time per day for children over the age of 2. Explain why it's important. The more time spent on screens, the more time they are on the couch, not being active and probably snacking.
Day 5
- Discuss ways to be active over the weekend and encourage the kids to try to get the whole family involved with a bike ride or walk. Remind them to avoid spending too much time over the weekend on the computer, watching TV or playing video games.
