CRAIG CO. – Could you go without watching TV, using your phone or playing on the computer for a week?
Students at McCleary Elementary in Craig County are pledging to be "screen free" this week.
The event was organized by the school nurse, Michaela Crawford. Students write down what they did every day by themselves, with friends or family.
The school points to studies showing children who watch less TV are more likely to read well and be physically fit.
"Screen free week is a great way to jump-start our kids into more reading, learning, and active play. It's also alot of fun!" Crawford wrote in a note sent home to parents. "Many parents choose to join their children in forgoing screen-based entertainment all week long and engaging in other fun activities."
"What we've done is created a log, instead of that screen time, what they're doing. So let's say we played outside, what activity they've done instead," said Gerri VanDyke, the school's principal.
"We decided that we're all going to do it. My family owns their own business so it's going to be really, really hard, but we're going to really, really try to get screen free week to be a good week," said Aiden Zimmeroan, a fifth-grader.
Friday screen free students will get the chance to win gift certificates, bicycles, scooters, fishing poles and more.
"Screen-free week" is a nationwide event sponsored by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.