Host a Screen-Free Event: Hold one or more evening events during Screen-Free Week to get families off the couch. Consider a game night, an open gym night, or a group outing to a local sporting event. For events at school, invite organizations to set up booths promoting alternative activities such as sports leagues, outdoor games, and theater programs.
Sponsor an Essay Contest: Have students write about the role TV and computers play in their lives, why they watch TV and spend time online, and why they will or won’t participate in Screen-Free Week. Encourage students to be honest about their habits, and welcome a variety of viewpoints regarding screen time. Display the essays at school and award prizes.
Offer Incentives: Ask local businesses to offer discounts for students who sign a pledge card. Have classes log the hours they go without watching TV, playing computer games, or logging onto Facebook, and the activities students chose to do instead. Reward the classes with the most participation with a field trip to a nature center or another fun activity. Offer a gift card to a local bookstore to kids who go screen free for the entire week.
