Parents, especially those with young children, often rely on those screens to provide distraction for the little ones - a few minutes to get a task done, or just take a breather. However, despite the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation of no screen time for children younger than 2, and less than two hours per day for older children, many spend much more time staring at glowing boxes. On average, preschool children in the U.S. spend 32 hours a week with screen media, according to The Nielsen Company. In addition, 40 percent of 3-month-old babies regularly view screen media, according to a 2007 article in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Those statistics were cited by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the folks behind Screen-Free Week, which begins today. The CCFC, along with about 60 health, education and child care organizations, hopes everyone will "turn off screens and turn on life" for the next seven days. Not only do studies show that too much screen time is associated with childhood obesity, poor sleep patterns and lower school achievement, but the more time children spend in front of the television means less time they spend interacting with others, actively playing, reading or using their imaginations.

A week-long break from television and computers is certainly a great start. Hopefully, though, everyone, especially parents with young children, will see all that there is to do away from the tube and make an effort, at least once-a-week, to go screen-free. Here are some things to do with children 0-5 instead:

• Have children help prepare meals, and have a picnic on the back porch or the living room floor.

• Get outside: fly a kite, play tag or "Follow the Leader" or, simply, take a walk.

• Play a board or card game, or do a puzzle or color together.

• Find ways to be active inside: create a scavenger hunt, play "Simon Says" or build a fort with pillows and blankets.

• Keep handy a box of household materials, like toilet paper rolls and egg cartons, along with tape and kid-friendly scissors to see what they'll create.

Chief Executive Officer
First 5 LA

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