Consider this: in the average American home, there are 2.7 people AND 2.9 TV sets, according to Nielsen, the company that provides television ratings. A 2007 study found that in Delaware approximately 39% of youth watch more than 3 hours of television per day and just over 28% use a computer more than three hours a day for non-school related activities.

Use of screen media, specifically TV, is one of the few behaviors we find consistently linked to obesity in children. This is why the "2" in the 5-2-1-Almost None formula for a healthy lifestyle is so important: limit screen time to spend no more than two hours per day. Screen time includes more than just television. It also means video games, texting, and recreational computer use (not associated with school work).

Can you survive with less television in your family's lives? We think you can...and we'll help you get started! Just click through to the many resources above and find tips for success, fun family activities, how to make a TV budget, and more. Turn off the TV, and discover all that you've been missing—one-on-one time with your kids, outdoor activities, reading a good book, or enjoying a family meal! 

Below is a great list of idea starters, fun things you can do as a family that does not include any type of screen!

Alternatives to Screen Time: Ways to Unplug

Indoor Activities

1. Create a family play with everyone acting out a scene or character
2. Build a huge fort utilizing all the furniture, blankets, and pillows you can find
3. Play games--board games, cards, or make up your own
4. Arts and crafts--let everyone do their own project or work on one together
5. Play dress up
6. Dance to everyone's favorite songs
7. Dust off that old hula hoop and give it a whirl
8. Finally repair or re-finish that furniture
9. Put on a magic show
10. As a family, volunteer. You can do a one-time event like a community clean-up or do a weekly visit to a soup kitchen or animal shelter
11. Learn to sew, knit, or make your own jewelry
12. Go bowling
13. Plan and cook dinner together
14. Research your family history and then draw a family tree
15. Play basketball indoors with a trash can and use scrunched up paper as balls or make an indoor obstacle course utilizing every room in the house

Outdoor Activities

1. Go roller skating, skate boarding, roller blading, or ice skating
2. Play kids' games like Duck, Duck Goose; Mother, May I; Simon Says; Hide and Seek; Hopscotch, and Red Light, Green Light
3. Take the dog for a long walk
4. Make a scavenger hunt for your kids or play follow-the-leader while walking in your neighborhood or a local park
5. Use sidewalk chalk and bring out your inner artist
6. Blow bubbles
7. Watch the sunset in your backyard or star gaze
8. Plan a family hike, swim, or other activity at the local park or community center
9. Wash the family car, learn to change the oil or the tires
10. Organize a game of softball, volleyball, etc. with friends or extended family members
11. Plant a tree or work in the garden, even the little ones can help pull weeds or dig up the dirt
12. "Go camping" in your own backyard
13. Have a family picnic
14. Jump rope
15. Ride bikes