How to limit your toddlers screen time

Tired of too much screen time for children? Ever since the pandemic arrived, the span of screen time has escalated more in children. From lockdown to the e-learning phase, kids have been massively exposed to screens as there were fewer options of activities for them. During this period, children spent a lot of time on the screen watching cartoons, playing games, and also for learning purpose. Spending hours on screen may be a source of entertainment for them. However, excessive use of screens could also lead to serious problems. Being a parent, it is important to monitor the content your kids are exposed to. As per experts, plenty of screen time may lead to sleep problems, slow metabolism, and low learning ability. If you are worried about how to limit your little one`s screen time, we have listed some cool ideas for you below:

Involve your children into physical activities

Physical activities are essential for the early brain development of kids as summer is the best time of the year for kids to enjoy outdoor activities, plan a camping, pool activity, or any adventurous game for them. Take them to playgrounds or parks for cycling or even let them run freely. Cycling is also a good activity to enjoy for the whole family. Depending on the child`s age, you can introduce different sports. Children love to play soccer, tennis, or even basketball, as these games encourage team-building skills from an early age.

Exposure to nature

Children are always curious to explore the world around them. Instead of wasting their precious early years on screen, make them explore the mother earth to the fullest. Exposure to nature from an early age is good for a kid`s physical as well as mental development. Nature creates a positive impact on children`s emotions, hearts, and minds. If you can afford it, then save up and spend on your children`s travel exposure as it reflects many benefits on their personality. Secondly, it is also a good idea to make them interact with animals. Being around pets can also help develop communication, compassion, and empathy in kids.

And if there could be anything more amazing about nature exposure, we would call it gardening! Children love to learn about soil, plants, water, and seeds. Spending time planting or gardening can have numerous positive effects on children`s development and keep them engaged for hours. You can also involve them in fun games that include plants and trees.

2.      Art and Craft

Engaging in art and craft is a fantabulous activity for children. The more they invest their time in art, the less they worry about watching a screen. Art and craft are a great way of building kids` creative skills and thought processes from an initial phase. It also helps them express their emotions and feelings freely. Being able to reflect their thoughts through art will boost their sense of self-worth and confidence and benefit them in all spheres of life.

3.      Reading Books

One of the most important activities to avoid screen time is engaging your child in book reading. There are many books available for infants, like touch and feel textured ones, that can have positive effects on their brain development. Books can be introduced to babies from three to six months of age when they are able to develop a focus on objects. Reading books to your kids can also help them learn to speak quicker. 

Once your child reaches toddler age, they would like to read books of their own choice. If you are thinking about involving your children in this activity but do not know where to find out the best collection of books, then Hugendubel is your place. With a wide variety of books from the endless genre, you can shop something favorite for your kids online and in-store. Most interestingly, if you want to keep your little ones busy for hours, the store also offers a vast collection of music books for them to enjoy. It is a wonderful idea to let your little readers explore the books in ways that excite them. This habit enhances their communication and motor skills and makes them independent learners from an early childhood phase. 

Final thoughts

When you engage your kids in these activities, do not forget to compare and contrast the negative effect of excess screen time on them to the positive effects of the activities mentioned above. Physical activities and book reading is much needed, especially in today`s era where technology has taken over everything else, combined with screen addiction in young children – which is obviously not good for their development. Though screen time is necessary for things like virtual learning or staying in touch with your friends and family, reading books energizes your brain more than screen activities.