TV-time substitutes

Lately, I have noticed a disturbing trend in my house. My kids are watching WAY too much TV. Most mornings, the first thing my one year old daughter says after she gets up and toddles into the living room is, "On, on, on!" My two older daughters beg to watch movie after movie. Enough is enough! It doesn't matter how good the program is, my kids don't need to watch more than 2 hours of TV per day - tops. Here are my ideas for more worthwhile activities to replace TV time.

1. Read a book. My girls never get enough of my reading to them. Reading is a great way to develop the imagination. I love to read and hope that they will, too. Someday they will be old enough to read to themselves.
   
2. Play a game. One of my girls' favorite games is simply chasing each other around the house. It's doubly fun when Mom joins in! We all have fun and get some much-needed exercise at the same time.
   
3. Bake or cook together. This is one of the basic life skills I think every child should learn. After all, they will have their own home someday, and I certainly do not intend to cook for my children for the rest of my life!
   
4. Have craft time. My girls love to make something on their own ... well, with a tiny bit of help. My oldest daughter displays her creations by taping them to the wall.
   
5. Help them learn something new. This does not have to be formal like school. Collect leaves and determine from whence they came. Creat a volcano using baking soda and vinegar. Explore color creation by mixing paint.
   
6. Have song time. Kids love to sing and don't care if you're off-tune. Have fun singing silly songs. One of my girls' favorite songs is made up of only their full name.
   
7. Pass along your faith. Read a Bible story and pray with your child. Show them how a certain Bible character's experience is relevant to their life.
   
8. Have "mountain climbing" time. This is easy for the parent: simply lie down on the floor and let the kids climb and tumble all over you. They love it!
   
9. Take them somewhere special. I despise the trouble involved in loading all 3 kids into their car seats so we normally don't go anywhere, and it is a real treat when I take my babies to play at the park. Rarely, we will go out to eat afterward.
   
10. Go for a walk. My girls get really excited when I get out the stroller and we head out the door. The weather is turning chilly, and now is a great time to get this form of exercise while we can.