Reducing Screen Time

Summer is a beautiful time for kids to be active and promote physical movement. The outdoors with fresh air and open spaces for moving freely. Being outside promotes time for kids to be screen free.

​Screen free moments are not always possible and sometimes necessary for both the kids and parents. However, summer is a great time to limit those screen time moments to certain days or only certain times during the days. Too much screen time in a day can not only affect the brain, but your child's eyes and their hearing (depending on the use of headphones/volume).

​Activities that typically have no screen time can include summer camps, swimming lessons, sport teams, etc. All of these activities are done outside and away from screens. These activities also promote movement, social skills, etc.

​However, screen time can be used as a reward. Screen time can be earned through help around the house/chores. For example, picking up sticks in the yard earns 2 minutes of screen time or helping to mulch the flower beds earns 5 minutes per flower bed! These tasks are outside encourage your children to help.

​Helping around the house can be used all the time to earn screen time, for both indoor and outdoor activities. Especially during extreme heat or rainy days. As a parent, having go-to sensory activities ready for your child can help to reduce that automatic screen-time activity. Some great ideas for your kids might be reading using a book light in a cool/quiet room, napping, swimming, making chilled foods like smoothies or fruit kebabs, hiking near water, or playing with glow-in-the-dark darts in a dark room. These activities can be great tasks to keep in mind when your child needs a break.

​Reducing screen time can be difficult if your child is reliant on it. But with small steps and taking it day by day can slowly introduce new activities/ideas to do with your child. Once new routines can be established, your child will forget all about their screen.