ALTERNATIVES TO TELEVISION

Ideas for both adults and children on what to do after you turn the television off, unplug it or give it away. Shut down the computer for a while and .....

Go to the beach; Find seashells, check the rock pools, swim, float, walk, draw in the sand, build a sand castle, etc.

Play your favorite board games; Chess, Draughts, Backgammon, Snakes and Ladders, Life, etc.

Play card games; Old Maid, Go Fish, Crazy Eight's, Snap, Magic, Gin Rummy etc.
Read a chapter book out loud; Charlotte’s Web, Anne of Green Gables,
The Chronicles of Narnia, Winnie the Pooh, etc.
Colour a large poster (Doodle Art).
Get some chalk and do pavement drawings or draw a hopscotch and play on it with friends.
Work on a puzzle.
Listen to music or story tapes.
Play musical instruments together. Be your own family band.
Dance; Hula, jazz, ballet, rock 'n roll, African, hip hop, ball room, etc.
Exercise; Stretch, weight lifting, sit ups, skipping, use exercise equipment, trampoline, etc.
Do yoga.
Bake something together; Cookies, pies, cupcakes, bread, casserole, pizza, etc.
Cook a special meal together.
Go for a walk, go slow and look at everything. Listen.
Work in the garden.
Sing songs, old favorites or make some up.
Act out a play or skit.
Have a puppet or marionette show.
Act as a favorite 'hero' or family member.
Go for a drive.
Go for a bush walk then spend some time sitting in the bush and listening to the sounds of Nature

Watch the sunset or sunrise. Especially beautiful to watch a sunset on Good Friday and a sunrise on Easter Sunday and then have breakfast and an Easter egg hunt on the beach
Do crafts together.
Make gifts for others.
Work on scrapbooks or journals.
Do art projects.
Invite friends over.
Have a picnic.
Meditate.
Play charades.
Play twenty questions.
Work on your hobby: Sewing, knitting, stamp collecting, cubby building, wood burning, whittling, building model cars or airplanes, jewelry making, train set, stone carving, paper airplanes, weaving, etc.
Write letters.
Work on the photo album or look at old ones.
Take special trips: Miniature golf, museums, fire and police stations, arcades, parks, zoos, etc.
Unclutter your house, clean out the closets. Give stuff away or have a garage sale.
Sports; Tennis, soccer, baseball, basketball, skating, running, skiing, swimming, volley ball, horseback riding, golf, etc.
Dress up in costumes and role play.
Study: Learn a foreign language, drawing, a musical instrument, different cultures, herbology, correspondence school, self growth, basket making, get your degree, etc.
Celebrate the holidays and festivals.
Attend a church service.
Volunteer; Work at a soup kitchen, visit the home bound, be a big brother/ big sister, visit nursing homes, become a Youth leader, etc.
Visit different church denominations. Buddhism, Jewish, Bahai, Catholic, Mormon, Baptist, Adventist, Missionary, Lutheran, Gospel, etc.
Work on your family tree.
Interview family members, about their life, advice, how it used to be, family stories, etc.
Work on fixing up your house; do projects, remodel, landscape your yard, etc.
Recycle, reuse, compost. Care for the earth.
Paint faces.
Visit the airport and watch the planes land and take off.
Go camping.
Go bowling.
Play pool or darts.
Go on a train, bus, boat or taxi ride.
Go to open houses.
Learn pottery.
Go on a bike ride.
Train your pet.
Have a bon fire and toast marshmallows.
Get the kids involved in an art project and be romantic- make love.
Listen to a public radio show (Newstalk ZB, Car Talk).
Visit an elderly person and just sit and chat to them.
Relax- do nothing at all.