There are several things we can do. Start by turning off the TV or very selectively monitoring its use. Even good videos should be viewed on a limited basis. Try to watch the shows you have chosen with your children whenever possible. Children can learn numbers, letters, shapes, how to treat others, facts about the world, etc.
Some programs even encourage creativity.
However, one critical element is missing. You see how it is done, which is extremely beneficial, but the actual playing takes trying it yourself again and again-and again and again. Couch potatoes may learn the alphabet, but reciting letters doesn't automatically make them good writers or thinkers. Consider limiting the number of activities in which your children participate. A child who takes piano, saxophone, and dance lessons, sandwiched in with soccer practices, school play rehearsals, scouts and church activities may be exposed to a large number of opportunities, but is little more than a spectator, without time to excel in any of them.