Nickelodeon Will Go Dark on September 26

Nickelodeon wants to send a healthy message to kids again this year with its annual Worldwide Day of Play on Saturday, Sept. 26, when its TV channels and websites will go off the air and offline from 12 to 3 p.m. (ET/PT). Nickelodeon, Nicktoons Network, NOGGIN, The N, Nick.com, Noggin.com, Nicktoonsnetwork.com and The-N.com will all participate in the blackout with a goal of inspiring kids to get up and engage in healthy activity.

The NFL will also participate this year, encouraging kids to "PLAY 60" by going dark on NFLRUSH.com on Sept. 26, and Nickelodeon reports that 1,000+ local events are scheduled worldwide, some with support from organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City (partnering with Nick to present Race for the Kids in NY), the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the The National Environmental Education Foundation (in conjunction with their National Public Lands Day).

I have no idea what the cost is to Nickelodeon to shut down those stations and websites for 3 hours, but it would be interesting to find out. I have to commend the company for trying to help kids understand the importance of being active for at least 60 minutes a day. Nickelodeon will continue driving home that point with messages from stars like Keke Plamer and Victoria Justice that will air throughout the day after the channels turn back on.

If you want to host a Worldwide Day of Play event, visit the WWDP website for details. Or, keep it simple and just get started with your own family fitness plan. What we do in our own families every day will have more impact on our kids than what TV stars say anyway. How do you encourage your kids to turn of the TV and get 60 minutes of active play a day?