First 5 Sacramento offers the following tips to help parents, caregivers and children limit TV time, which can be rewarding, fun and relaxing for the entire family:
• Read aloud to your child every day
• Draw with your child
• Play outside together
• Exercise as a family by taking walks, riding bikes or learning a new sport together
• Take trips with your child – visit the local library, park or museum
• Work on craft projects such as picture frames made from Popsicle sticks
• Sing songs and dance with your child
• Dig around in the garden together
• Tell stories and encourage your child to ask questions about what they liked most
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends television time for young children be limited. In fact, the AAP advises children under age two not watch television and preschoolers spend no more than an hour a day in front of the TV. Despite this, the average child in the United States watches approximately four hours of television daily.
Since a child’s brain develops most dramatically in the first five years, watching too much television can have negative impacts on young viewers. These include less family time together, lower reading and academic performance, shorter attention spans and lack of physical activity.
About First 5 Sacramento
California voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998, adding a 50 cents-per-pack tax on cigarettes to support programs for expectant parents and children ages zero to five. First 5 Sacramento distributes approximately $17 million a year in Prop. 10 revenues to programs and services that meet local needs. For information on First 5 Sacramento programs call 916-876-5865 or visit First 5 Sacramento’s Online Parents Resource Center at www.First5Sacramento.net.