Top 10 Things to Do in Place of Television
I'm linking up with Angie from Many Little Blessings to join in her Top Ten Tuesdays meme. Hop on over to join the fun or just get ideas about crafting, date nights, apps for your kids, etc. If you love lists, than you'll love this meme!
#2 Check out Books from the Library
...with Freddy the Frog Classroom Pet and wearing our very own 100-day necklace! ;)
#3 Ride Bikes
Two of our three are now independent bike riders. Which means mom can push #3 in the jog stroller while the older two get some fresh air.
#4 Build Puzzles
We are avid puzzle makers in this house from about 18-months on.
#5 Bake Something from Scratch
We love to check out children's books from the library and then create something delicious to eat! We love Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel's Cook-a-Doodle-Doo and tried our hand at making "from scratch" (strawberry) shortcake!
#6 Plant a Garden or Work in the Garden
Every year our garden has grown bigger and bigger. We've invested in wood for several planting beds and have added new veggies to our palates! I find that my kids are much more adventurous when we eat things that we grow ourselves. Last year we tried our hand at growing lettuce. It was super easy and my 8-year old loved clipping lettuce, washing it, and making her very own salads. What can we say...she's part rabbit! :) (We also planted 3 different types of apple trees for future harvests.)
#8 Family Prayer Time
Sometimes, with the television off, we just take the opportunity to engage in family prayer. Sometimes this involves reading from our family Bible, the childrens' daily devotionals or praying a rosary.
#9 Crafting/Art/Sewing
I find that with background noise off, my children discover and encourage their artistic sides. Picassos they may not be, but their love of color...fabric...chalk...etc. comes out. Sometimes it is simply coloring books and other times it might involve a sewing machine...for both my daughter and my son! (Below: Mary Catherine in her St. Kateri costume that she helped create for the All Saint's Day party at her school.)
#10 Chores
Nothin' glamorous about this one, yet oh so vital to the efficient running of a household...I'll spare you pictures of dirty toilets or bedrooms in mayhem! Whether your philosophy is to pay your kids for chores or not, I firmly believe that all members of a family should participate in caring for a home. I find, even when I'm home alone with our toddler, that if I don't turn the TV off, I easily get distracted and household maintenance takes way longer than necessary.
So, there you have it. Our families Top Ten list of things to do in place of TV watching. What do you like to do with your family when the TV is off?
Our Family's Top Ten Things to do in Place of Television
#1 Go on Nature Walks
We either go to Ernie Miller Nature Center, close to the kids' school, or in our very own subdivision.
We either go to Ernie Miller Nature Center, close to the kids' school, or in our very own subdivision.
#2 Check out Books from the Library
...with Freddy the Frog Classroom Pet and wearing our very own 100-day necklace! ;)
#3 Ride Bikes
Two of our three are now independent bike riders. Which means mom can push #3 in the jog stroller while the older two get some fresh air.
#4 Build Puzzles
We are avid puzzle makers in this house from about 18-months on.
#5 Bake Something from Scratch
We love to check out children's books from the library and then create something delicious to eat! We love Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel's Cook-a-Doodle-Doo and tried our hand at making "from scratch" (strawberry) shortcake!
#6 Plant a Garden or Work in the Garden
Every year our garden has grown bigger and bigger. We've invested in wood for several planting beds and have added new veggies to our palates! I find that my kids are much more adventurous when we eat things that we grow ourselves. Last year we tried our hand at growing lettuce. It was super easy and my 8-year old loved clipping lettuce, washing it, and making her very own salads. What can we say...she's part rabbit! :) (We also planted 3 different types of apple trees for future harvests.)
#7 Play Board Games
This past Christmas my kiddos received Trouble. We had so much fun while vacationing out in Colorado teaching our kids to play a game that my husband and I both loved as kids.
Sometimes, with the television off, we just take the opportunity to engage in family prayer. Sometimes this involves reading from our family Bible, the childrens' daily devotionals or praying a rosary.
#9 Crafting/Art/Sewing
I find that with background noise off, my children discover and encourage their artistic sides. Picassos they may not be, but their love of color...fabric...chalk...etc. comes out. Sometimes it is simply coloring books and other times it might involve a sewing machine...for both my daughter and my son! (Below: Mary Catherine in her St. Kateri costume that she helped create for the All Saint's Day party at her school.)
#10 Chores
Nothin' glamorous about this one, yet oh so vital to the efficient running of a household...I'll spare you pictures of dirty toilets or bedrooms in mayhem! Whether your philosophy is to pay your kids for chores or not, I firmly believe that all members of a family should participate in caring for a home. I find, even when I'm home alone with our toddler, that if I don't turn the TV off, I easily get distracted and household maintenance takes way longer than necessary.
So, there you have it. Our families Top Ten list of things to do in place of TV watching. What do you like to do with your family when the TV is off?
We enjoy spending time outside,
ReplyDeletereading, crafting, blogging and
putzing around the house.
M :)
great post my sweet friend. we love doing most everything you do too. I so often leave the tv off.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet post. You and I have much in common but my 4 daughters are grown now. I think you are on the right path. We did so many of the things together that you are doing with your family and it's a pleasure now to have grown children who are my friends. They are well rounded and interesting. I love to see how you are nuturing your children.
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking about having a No TV week! I like your ideas of activities to do instead of watching TV. Our favorite game to play right now is scrabble it has really helped Bradley with spelling and vocabulary.
ReplyDelete