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.