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Child Care Basics
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Screen time in childcare
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Screen time in childcare
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I think is better to not have screen time for young children unless it is used as an (occasional) aid that will help with some activity. But other than that I believe that person to person interaction will always be more nurturing for children.
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I believe that there needs to be a balance of screen time. I would limit short time to an educational tool for music and maybe stories but then follow it up with. For the youngest little ones, I would not allow screen time at all and let their creativity and curiosity for learning through books, art, and arts and crafts instead.
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Great insights, Vi! Balancing screen time with hands-on activities fosters creativity and supports holistic development in young learners.
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My opinion no more than 30 minutes would be fine to me, but only educational videos.
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Great point, Lizbeth! Limiting screen time to educational content supports learning while ensuring a healthy balance for children.
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Screen time for children in childcare should be very limited. Young children learn best through play, talking, and hands-on activities, not by watching screens. When screens are used, they should be short, educational, and supervised by adults to help children understand what they see. Too much screen time can slow down learning and social skills.
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Great insights, Poojitha! Emphasizing play and supervision aligns with best practices for fostering healthy development in young children.
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In my opinion if used wisely, screens can support learning and access to information. But they should never take the place of the real-world experiences and human relationships that are essential for young children’s development. I believe that screen time should only be used for educational purposes and for a short period of time, I love seeing kids play outside and experience the world by themselves and not through a screen.
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Evelyn, your insights on balancing screen time with real-world experiences are spot on! Prioritizing outdoor play is essential for development.
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I know that this is a different answer than is expected, but screens CAN be useful in childcare if used appropriately. Additionally, it can lead to finding ways to accommodate for children’s various needs and create a learning environment where student’s goals are individualized and interactive through well selected and cultivated media. Media can be used effectively for young children in a variety of ways. For the youngest, having song play to engage in finger play or action songs can be incredibly interactive. They can help young children practice fine motor skills (Itsy Bitsy Spider) or gross motor skills (Laurie Berkner, We are the Dinosaurs or Goldfish). For bigger kids, educational videos that let them explore natural habitats they wouldn’t get to see normally, or experience cultures they are new to are other good ways to incorporate media. For second and third graders, helping them learn how to navigate technology in safe ways is very important.
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Personally, I am against screen time for young children. It is much better for the family or child care professional to work with the children physically in their environment because it provides a better learning experience and brain development. I think that once the kids are much older, it can be used for math games and things like that. However, I think it should not be allowed in a childcare center because the parents can give them screen time outside of a learning environment, if they wish.
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Hannah, you make a compelling point about the importance of hands-on learning over screen time in early childhood settings!
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I believe that screen time should be minimal. There are better, more hands on ways to teach children than through a video.
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Great points, Róisín! Emphasizing hands-on learning fosters creativity and active engagement in young children.
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I think that screentime has no place in childcare. You might not be able to control what goes on at home but you can control what goes on in the classroom. In childcare, caregivers tend to see the children more than their own parents. When some kids are with their families, it includes alot of screentime. You can help (in your own way) these children developementally, by not allowing them to use screens at your care center.
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Mila, you make a strong point about the role of caregivers in promoting healthier habits. Screen-free environments can foster meaningful interactions and development.
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I do not think screen time is a good idea for children. In a world of technology it may be difficult to limit it but I think that children, especially young children do not need it. It can negatively impact attention span, and other cognitive function, as well as socio-emotional skills.
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Great insights, Maria! Balancing screen time is crucial for fostering healthy development in young children.
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Screen time in childcare should be very limited or avoided, especially for children under two, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Excessive screen use can harm executive functions like attention, impulse control, language, and social skills, which are crucial for healthy brain development. Videos that claim to make babies “smarter” often delay intellectual and language growth because young children learn best through real interactions with people and their environment, not passive watching. Providers should focus on creating engaging, responsive, and interactive experiences instead of relying on screens. Limiting screen time helps protect brain development and supports better learning, behavior, and long-term health outcomes for children.
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Lliane, your insights on screen time are well-articulated and align perfectly with developmental best practices. Great job!
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Screen time is a controversial and difficult to navigate topic. What is good for one child may not be for another. Keeping this in mind is crucial to see if screen time would be appropriate for all children in your care. While I agree screen time can be helpful in terms of representation, when it comes to enhancing learning I struggle to come up with a standard scale of what is considered enhanced learning that can’t be done solely without screen time. It’s definitely something each educator needs to look at the children in their care to see if it would be appropriate, while also really digging in to see exactly how screen time benefits the children beyond what is normally done in the class.
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Great insights, Tabitha! Your emphasis on individualized approaches to screen time in childcare is essential for fostering effective learning experiences.
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I think screen time is good, but only in moderation. Excessive use can disrupt normal brain development and can impact the child’s outcomes in adolescence and adulthood.
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Great insight, Takiyah! Moderation is key, as balance helps support healthy development while utilizing the benefits of technology.
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I am not surprised and aim to minimize exposure to/ and too much screen time for myself. I am not sure we can really afford to lose cognitive function in any capacity these days… it seems foods AND several other factors now inclusive SCREEN TIME have actually been proven to have an effect… i am glad there is an option to opt out of// or almost entirely reduce screen time in a learning center. if the science tells us to avoid it, why not go with the recommendation. There are plenty of other skills areas to work on developing for children in facility learning. Learning to practice sitting in front of a screen does not have to be one of them.
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Great insights, Marie! Prioritizing hands-on learning and minimizing screen time can significantly benefit children’s cognitive development.
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I don’t think screen time should be used in childcare, likely children get enough screen time at home, early learning programs should focus on learning and give opportunities to childeren who may not have opportunities to learn certain things at home.
