Did you know that, this year, the average American kid will spend 1,500 hours watching TV…and just 900 hours in school? Or that, this week, the average American kid will spend 1,680 minutes watching TV…and less than 40 minutes in meaningful conversation with his or her parents?

All in all, the average American watches 4 hours of TV a day, adding up to 250 billion hours of TV watched by Americans every year. Is it any wonder that 5 out of 10 Americans say they watch too much TV? Or that more than 7 out of 10 parents say they’d like to limit how much TV their kids watch?

While it may sound enticing to sit on the couch and catch-up on all your favorite television shows during the lazy days of summer, television watching may harm your brain instead of help it. Here we list some ways to turn off the TV and improve your brain heath!

SOME ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
  1. Volunteer in a school to teach reading, math, computer skills.
  2. Learn to play the guitar or other musical instrument.
  3. Attend community concerts.
  4. Organize a community clean-up.
  5. Put together a puzzle.
  6. Visit the library. Borrow a book. Attend library activities.
  7. Go ice skating or roller skating.
  8. Listen to the radio.
  9. Visit the zoo.
  10. Paint a picture, a mural or a room.
  11. Attend a high school sporting event.
  12. Find out about your area’s community center or park’s activities.
  13. Go swimming. Join a community swim team.
  14. Read a book aloud to your younger sister/brother.
  15. Plan a picnic or barbecue.
  16. Go bird watching.
  17. Volunteer for a community organization or charity.
  18. Play with your pet.
  19. Go dancing.
  20. Write a letter to a friend or relative.
  21. Learn to cook.
  22. Plant a flower, vegetable or herb garden.
  23. Read magazines or newspapers.
  24. Plan a slumber party.
  25. Start a neighborhood basketball, soccer, or kickball game.
  26. Go camping (even if it’s just in the backyard!).
  27. Join a choir.
  28. Go through your closets and clothes. Donate surplus items to Goodwill, the Salvation Army or a local rummage sale.
  29. Start a diary/journal.
  30. Go to a museum.
  31. Take a nature hike. Collect seeds and leaves. Make a collage with the materials you collected and post it on the refrigerator.
  32. Play cards.
  33. Start a community exercise group that power walks, runs, or bikes.
  34. Read a story to your younger brother or sister.
  35. Get out the family photo album. Research your family history.
  36. Go listen to a local band.
  37. Make crafts to give as gifts.
  38. Make up a story and write it down.
  39. Learn to say simple phrases in a few different languages.
  40. Ask an older family member to tell you a story about his or her childhood. Write about it.
  41. Learn some new riddles or jokes.
  42. Bake two batches of cookies; one for your family and one for a neighbor.
  43. Watch the night sky through binoculars; identify the different constellations. Observe the moon.
  44. Visit a local bookstore.
  45. Go to a movie with your family or friends.
  46. Walk to work or school.
  47. Start a kids bowling league.
  48. Train for a 5K race.
  49. Teach a neighbor about a computer program.
  50. Go fishing.
  51. Begin a family project.
  52. HAVE A PARTY TO CELEBRATE A TV-FREE WEEK.