Screen Time in the Early Years

Screens are part of everyday life, and for many families they can be useful for entertainment, learning, and keeping in touch with others. However, it can sometimes be difficult to know what healthy screen use looks like for young children. 

Play, conversation and movement are particularly important during the early years. Children develop key communication, personal and social skills during interactions with others, especially their care-givers or other close adults. When screens begin to take the place of these important experiences, children can miss valuable opportunities to talk, play, explore and connect with the people around them.

Healthy Screen Use Tips

• Creating clear and consistent boundaries around screen use can help children develop healthy habits from an early age. 

• Simple routines, such as keeping mealtimes screen-free and putting devices away before bedtime, can help make sure there is plenty of time for other activities, too. 

• It is also worth thinking about our own screen habits, as young children learn a great deal from watching the adults around them.

Try it at home

Choose one regular part of your family routine to make screen-free this week. This might be mealtimes, the journey to school, or the hour before bedtime.

Want to find out more?

The UK Government has recently released screen-time guidance for under 5s. You can read more about it here.