By Amy Baskin

Austin Public Schools Director of Community Education and Communications

Children today are spending more time with TV and computer screens than in any activity except sleeping. On average, preschool children spend more than four and a half hours a day consuming screen media, while older children spend over seven hours a day including multitasking. Excessive screen time is linked to a number of problems for children, including childhood obesity, poor school performance, and problems with attention span. Children who spend less time watching TV in early years tend to do better in school, have a healthier diet, be more physically active and be better able to engage in schoolwork in later elementary school.

According to the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, President Barack Obama has urged limits on some kinds of entertainment screen media because of their impact on learning, urging parents to read to their children instead. A story in the Chicago Tribune on Feb. 7, 2011, ran a quote from President Barack Obama to parents. “There’s one sure thing parents can do to help their kids learn, regardless of financial means: Forbid them from watching television on school nights.”

Early Childhood Family Education will join thousands of schools, libraries, and community groups nationwide in a coordinated effort to encourage millions of Americans to turn off televisions, computers, and video games for seven days and turn on the world around them April 30 – May 6. Screen-Free Week is a chance for children to read, play, think, create, be more physically active, and to spend more time with friends and family.

Screen-Free Week is a much needed respite from the screen media dominating the lives of so many children. Now more than ever it’s imperative that we help children discover the joys of life beyond screens. One of our ECFE families that participated in this event last year told us “They stopped watching life and started living it.” We think you will discover new activities and reconnect as a family by participating with us this year.

Ideas for spending time without the screen include:

—Paint, color, crafts or sidewalk chalk

—Read a book, make up stories or songs

—Talk together

—Bake and cook

—Play a game

—Go to the park, nature center or library

—Do yard work, climb a tree, watch a sunset, smell the flowers

We hope you and your family will join us in going screen free the week of April 30 and discover the wonders of the world around you. For more information, visit www.screenfree.org.