If you’ve followed this blog for a year or more, the ad above might look familiar…
You see, every year I challenge my class; I challenge them to turn off their TVs sets, video games, and all gaming systems along with abstaining from attending movies for one full week. In the place of these electronic diversions, I challenge them to spend more time with others: playing outside, reading, writing, and enjoying the company of their friends and families.
We call this the “Turn off the TV and Get a Life” challenge—an idea I picked up a few years ago from John Bytheway. This will be the 10th year of my class taking this challenge, and the great thing is this challenge has now spread to the entire fifth grade at my school.
However, what I’d like to know is if you’d like to take part in the challenge with us.
Would you do it?
Could you do it?
One full week devoid of video games, movies, and all forms of television…
Now, I’ll be honest with you…there are a few day when I come home from school, beaten and tired – wanting nothing more than the brainless eye-candy of the tube, but for this week, no matter how badly I want to watch a movie, I won’t.
Those students at my school who are successful with this endeavor, we will celebrate their accomplishment on Friday next week with a par-tay. So, what IS the party? It will be afternoon fraught with board games, teamwork activities, and things one can do without the aid of a television or any type gaming system.
If you are successful, you are more than welcome to join our entire fifth grade at our celebration; whether it is with us physically in our classroom—or from afar in spirit.
So, now comes the big question…will you do it?
27 comments:
I would rather go without food, Diet Coke, and The Hoff, than without TV.
I think this is awesome!! Especially for the kids because this young generation is just so used to coming home and turning on those video games, etc....!!
I could do that right now since it is only baseball season.
Aww come on TF! Is that the best you can do? Is that the hardest thing you can come up with?
We. Will. Smash. This. Since we pretty much go without anyway.... :D Except on Friday night and Sat... Missing two days worth..... poo poo. Not a problem.
I participated last year and I'm in again this year. It may be easier this year as I am going on vacation this next week and will spend my days reading books on the beach.
We will do a modified version... The really little kids have a hard time understanding but can be easily swayed for a while. I will do the best I can with them. My twins.. No prob at all. They have enough other stuff that they love to keep them busy. My younger son will have a LOT of issues with this challenge.
Looks like we'll be building a LOT of blanket tents and forts over the next week. LOL!
I would never survive this, and I'm ok with that. This is precisely why I will be a terrible school mom...
I wasn't around last year, but I think it's a great idea. I'm in.
Except...I need a reprieve on Saturday because I have a date to see Thor, which I set before I read about this challenge. But other than that, I'm in.
What about my Mac? My Blog? Facebook? My iphone? I'm not sure I'm strong enough :) Television, X Box are total non issues. Easy peasy.....
Child's play. I'm totally IN.
Facebook (minus the games), texting, blogging, and working on stuff on your computer are totally fine...just games, movies, and television.
i could do this if i lived alone because i could spend that time reading plus hey there is DVR after all no missing my favorite show but with hubby and son they would totally freak out if there was no tv or computer
I would rather get beat up and drug behind a truck. I'm old. And pathetic. And I need a life. Would it make me sound less pathetic if I told you I'm addicted to the History channel? No? I didn't think so.
Brave brave soul that you are!
Nope. Not gonna do it. Not even interested. I am such a tv whore.
But in my defense it's 99% news
I need to challenge myself to watch TV. I'm lucky if I sit down and watch one show in a week. I don't take the time to just relax and veg out. I know there are a lot of people that can't go a day without TV...so good luck to all those that join in!
So glad you added the disclaimers.
I could probably do w/o TV (after all, there's my DVR) but I couldn't/wouldn't want to do w/o my iPhone. Thinking about it is giving me hives.
Hehehe, I'm in only if it stops raining here. Which so far, it has rain every day of May and predictions of rain every day this week. Yes I need a life but nothing much to do when the weather doesn't cooperate....
Who came up with the lousy timing? Mother's day weekend.... for a school mom??!!! NOT a good idea. My kids get really LOUD when the tv and games are off. NOT a relaxing environment for me. Grrr!
Sweet! I love this idea. I will take this challenge. I usually only watch Glenn Beck. But that dang Angry Birds calls my name at night. Sigh. I think I will give this challenge to my kids.
Whew...I'm so glad I read this after movie party last night or I'd be out already.
I told my oldest what week it was and asked if he was going to do it, he said, "Nope. Gotta watch the shuttle launch on the 10th." So I'm sorry, but you got beat out by NASA.
But I will see what I, myself, can do.
Do you care if I steal this idea?!
Teacher question for potential usage: What do you do with the kids that didn't make it? It would be funny if they stayed in the classroom and watched TV.
Steal away, Abe...as for the kids who don't make it, we have them work on regular 'school day' stuff while everyone else does the other activities. If we did make them watch TV, it would have to be shows with Tony Danza in them as a punishment...
Too late for me to do it this week since I am seeing this late. Sounds like a great idea. Our schools have participated in this before and I love it.
For a second I thought you were going to say you would celebrate with a movie. That would have been funny....
We moved last week and didn't have internet for a week, so I'm going to say I already went a week without T.V. I got a ton of stuff done, so it was productive time. That being said I am so glad to have my internet back. I already win, last week totally counts.
well CRAP! ummm, I'm pretending that if I had seen this post earlier I totally would have joined in...
now let's pretend together that last week I was doing exactly that...
and let's never admit that I really spent WAY too much time in front of a teeny little screen.
but I don't actually watch TV much... it's just this addictive little laptop of mine :)
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