How Much Screen Time Is OK for Toddlers? A Simple Guide for Ages 0 to 5

Phones, tablets, TV, video calls with grandparents… screens are everywhere, and little ones love them. So how much screen time is actually okay for babies, toddlers and preschoolers? It is one of the most searched questions by parents, and the answer is simpler than you might think.

Here is what the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend for children aged 0 to 5, plus easy, real-life tips to cut back without the tears.

Screen time guidelines by age

The WHO also suggests that children under 5 should not be kept sitting or strapped in (in a pram, high chair or car seat) for more than an hour at a time, and that 1 to 4 year olds should be active for at least 3 hours spread across the day.

Why do the experts want less screen time?

Screens themselves are not “poison”. The bigger issue is what they replace. The first five years are when children learn the most through:

• Talking and listening with real people, which builds language far better than watching a screen
• Moving their bodies: crawling, climbing, running and jumping
• Hands-on play: stacking, sorting, squeezing and building, which strengthens little fingers and problem-solving skills
• Good sleep, which screens close to bedtime can disturb

Every hour on a screen is an hour less for these things.

Not all screen time is equal

• Video calls with grandparents or family who live far away are interactive, and even the AAP is fine with them for babies.
• Watching together beats watching alone. Ask questions, sing along and talk about what you see.
• Slow, gentle shows are better than fast, flashy, noisy ones.
• Background TV playing all day is worth switching off, even if your child is not watching it.

8 easy ways to cut down screen time

1. Start small. Cut 15 minutes a day this week, then a little more next week.
2. Make screen-free zones. No screens at the dining table or in the bedroom.
3. Create a “play basket”. Keep a few favorite toys and books in an easy-to-reach basket and rotate them every week so they feel new. Our wooden puzzles and shape blocks work well.
4. Use a timer. “When the timer rings, the show ends and we go to the park” helps children know what to expect.
5. Have a calm “after screen” activity ready. Coloring is a lovely way to wind down. Try a big coloring book or a printable activity book.
6. Keep screens away from meals and bedtime. Aim for no screens in the hour before sleep.
7. Be a screen role model. Children copy us. Try putting your own phone away during playtime.
8. Get outside. A short walk, a trip to the park or playing in the garden beats any app.

What if my child has a tantrum when the screen goes off?

That is very normal! Give a warning (“Two more minutes, then it’s bath time”), stay calm and offer something fun to do next. Consistency is the key: after a few days of the same routine, most children protest much less.

The takeaway

You do not need to be perfect. A little screen time on a busy day is okay. Aim for no screens under 18 months (apart from video calls), and about one hour or less a day for ages 2 to 5, ideally watched together, and fill the rest of the day with talking, playing, moving and sleeping well.

Sources: World Health Organization, Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep for children under 5 years of age (2019); American Academy of Pediatrics media use recommendations (2016).