Make the Most of TV and Music

by Sherry Holetzky | More from this Blogger

17 May 2006 05:11 AM

While you probably try to limit the number of hours your children watch TV, they will likely watch more during summer vacation than they do throughout the year. In order to exercise their brains a little while they watch, try making up your own trivia games.

Watch a show with your children and write down questions that pertain to the show during commercials. Have your children do the same. For small children, make up simple questions, but make the questions challenging for older children, such as asking for direct quotes, asking what color socks one of the characters was wearing, or anything else that isn't real obvious.

Encourage your children to make up challenging questions as well. The person who answers the most questions correctly wins. The prize can be choosing the next show to watch, or choosing another activity that the others must participate in with him or her, such as playing a board game or going outside for a while.

You can try similar games with music. Turn on some music that everyone likes and sing along. When one song is over, each person will prepare questions regarding the song. The one with the most correct answers gets to choose the next CD to play or gets to choose the radio station.

Turning on some music is also a great way to keep kids more active. Make up silly dance steps and have fun getting up and getting moving with your kids. You can also put on a mini talent show. Have each child pick a favorite song and then perform it complete with dance moves for the rest of the family. If you are willing to put on your own performance first, your kids are more likely to play along. It's good to be silly sometimes, so just go for it. Laugh at yourself and with each other and just have fun.

Learn more about Sherry Holetzky

Sherry Holetzky is a work at home mom and freelance writer. Married to her best friend, Sherry and her husband are raising their family in a quiet rural setting in the beautiful Ozark Mountains.

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