Children who watch TV spend less time playing and interacting with others. Screen time cuts down on time spent talking, which affects language development and how well a child gets along with others. Children need lots of “eye-to-eye” contact with a parent or caregiver to learn how to talk, listen, and how to read emotions on a person’s face. These skills are important for getting along with others.
Research shows that learning from the real world is better than from a screen, especially for kids under three. While preschoolers can learn from some educational shows, screen viewing for kids under two can have lasting negative effects. It can decrease language development, reading skills and short-term memory. Even when TV is on as “background noise,” it can cause parents to spend less time talking with their children, and children to be less focused on play. In homes where the TV is on most of the time, children spend less time reading or being read to and are more likely to not be able to read.
| Here’s a list of 25 “screen free” activities to help your child develop their brain and build healthy relationships. Pick an activity below and get started today! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Read a book out loud | 2. Play a game | 3. Do a puzzle | 4. Build a tower of blocks | 5. Blow bubbles |
| 6. Look at photos | 7. Play some word and rhyming games | 8. Sing a song or tap the rhythm of a song together | 9. Play dress-up | 10. Draw, color or paint on paper |
| 11. Have a picnic | 12. Make some handmade gifts | 13. Go to the park | 14. Go to the pool, the beach, the lake, or the river | 15. Cook dinner together |
| 16. Go outside and play | 17. Lie down and look at the clouds | 18. Throw or roll a ball | 19. Take a walk | 20. Dance |
| 21. Make a fort out of blankets | 22. Make puppets out of old socks | 23. Have a puppet show | 24. Make homemade play dough | 25. Play hide and go seek |
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