In May I entered my 11-year-old cousin’s bedroom to see big black X’s on his calendar. He explained that he was counting down the days until summer vacation. When I asked him what he was most looking forward to doing during his break from school he replied: “Sleeping late, playing basketball, and watching TV.” (Though, not necessarily in that particular order.)
How many kids do you know who have opted to lounge in front of a TV instead of by a pool? Well, if their channel surfing lands them on the cable network Nickelodeon they’re in for a rude awakening. The cable channel that features an inspired line of children’s programming is telling kids to turn off their TV sets and play outside.
Shocking! It was to me anyway. The network tells TV Guide that the televised urgings are part of a summer promotion called “Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge.”
“Our whole mantra is about a balanced lifestyle,” Nickelodeon executives tell the magazine. The network execs go on to say: “Part of a balanced lifestyle is not to spend all of your waking hours watching TV.”
Which is not to say that the TV network is discouraging young viewers to completely shut off their programs. Rather, Nickelodeon is encouraging children to tune in when they’re not playing outside. Naturally, they are asking kids to watch the “Lets Just Play Go Healthy Challenge” special programs, which air on Sunday nights.
One of the show’s segments is being produced in cooperation with the American Heart Association. It looks at the progress made by four children from around the nation who have taken the network’s fitness challenge and succeeded. The network provides these examples:
Fourteen-year-old Wes from Alabama got involved in the program and has lost nearly 30 pounds by switching from junk food to a healthier diet. Meanwhile, Chris from San Francisco convinced his school to change the cafeteria menu. And, Bianca from New York persuaded her relatives to join her at the gym for daily workouts.
The network says it has signed up as many as 100,000 children to take the challenge at home while watching the progress of other kids on TV.