WHAT IS SCREEN TIME?

                                          

Screen time is a very addictive activity that requires very low energy and involves sitting down and playing video games,streaming video games,streaming videos,browsing the Internet,scrolling to social media or even doing homework online,etc.......

Screen time can be spent on smart phones ,tablets,computers,gaming consoles and has its own pros and cons.

                                                   

                                         

                                                         BENEFITS OF SCREEN TIME:

PROMOTES SCHOOL READINESS:

Some educational apps are highly recommended as they encourage reading ,spelling ,writing and maths skills such as Reading eggs,Study ladder etc.....I remember that I also used few apps for my kids when they were little to introduce shapes,colours and numbers for about  15 mins and they learned things in a fun way with limitations too;)

  

                                           

LEARN DIGITAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

Screen time can help kids with different skills such as video editing,video animation,graphic designing or 3D designing by using Tinker Cad to design an object.It also helps with different coding programs  such as Java,Scratch,Python,HTML etc....

WEALTH OF INFORMATION:

Children get access to vast information on everything and they are learning alot if they find the right websites and apps.Some platforms such as Wikipedia,National Geographic,Animal planet,TED,Khan Academy,Science daily etc are great source of information and are beneficial if they are spending time on those.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

Screen time us useful for children to help them learn a new language .It also helps them to have chit chat with friends and family if they live abroad through normal or video calls .

                                            DISADVANTAGES OF SCREEN TIME

 Screen time has its advantages as well as as well as its disadvantages and some of which are:

PHYSICAL HEALTH:

It can leas to many health problems such as obesity,neck and back problems,headaches,eye problems etc....

MENTAL HEALTH:

Excessive screen time whether it's on smart phone,gaming console,apps,television can lead to bad mental health such as depression,anxiety brain fog especially when you are using screen near bedtime or during daytime without breaks.Research showed that children who used screen seven hours a day were twice as likely to develop anxiety or depression than children who used screen for an hour or less.

SLEEP DISTURBANCE:

Many people,adults as well as kids have a habit of using phone or laptop before going to bed which makes them harder for them to go to fall asleep.The blue light exposure from the phone or laptop slows down the production of melatonin which us produced by our brain can lead to insomnia. 

LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:

When more time is spent in screens the less likely that person is going to be engaged in healthy physical activity.

   

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT:

Excessive use of screens can also effect the cognitive development negatively in children .They have less concentration when trying to solve some challenges,brain teasers, puzzles,etc....and have decreases analytical thinking abilities .

                                            

EYE PROBLEMS:

Longer hours of screen time causes strain which leads to dry eyes,headaches and also blurred vision .Taking breaks in between our screen time can lower this strain.These days many children get glasses at a very young age and most of them are the ones  using screens from very young age.

                                              

                                              STEPS TO REDUCE SCREEN TIME

Various steps and measures can be taken to control and limit screen time in kids and we can actively plan it by creating an example with our own screen usage especially when they are around us.

Here are some simple steps which can be taken to have a smooth and healthy routine. 

1)Screen free zones:

Dinner tables and bedrooms should be screen free zones.Many families have a habit of watching television while having meals or even scrolling channels before bedtime and this can be avoided.

                                              

2)Use parental controls:

All devices come with a setting to limit access to certain games ,apps and YouTube. We can change the setting and turn on the parental controls and also set up time limit for our children.

3)Encourage active time:

Plan outdoor activities with your child such as nature walk,garden scavenger hunt,sports ,hopscotch,driveway chalk drawings etc....and try to be involved with them in outdoor activities.

                                                   

                                                

4)Keep alternative activities for them:

Try to keep kids books ,puzzles,board games,legos etc within their reach and maybe in your living your living room so that they can easily access these .I enjoy sitting with my kids  at tea time and help her solve puzzles or maybe do craft or maybe build with duplos with her while the other one  does her homework and in that way both are getting my  time and plus the activities are done  in the living room so I'm always around and they are easy to access.

Hobbies such as reading ,drawing?building with legos,craft,solving puzzles, baking is healthy as well as a good alternative.

5)Set a good example:

We are a role model for our kids.If we want them to use less screens then we ourself should be limiting our screen time and instead spend time with them doing something fun and healthy.

Great Learning Toys For Preschoolers

 Great Learning Toys For Preschoolers 

Educational and Learning toys play an important role in a child's growth and development .If a child has access to the learning material and knows the correct use of those toys with the help of an adult, can easily get used to learning activities. Spending a quality time in such games and activities and make huge difference in their initial years as well as later on......

In this post I've compiled my kids favourite toys which are beneficial for their mental development as well and great for interaction too!

Fisher Price Shape Sorter:

These are brightly  coloured  blocks which come come along with a bucket for easy storage ,They are chunky and provide a good grip for little hands .the shape sorter is a great source of hand -eye coordination and also good for practicing problem solving skills.

            photo credits:Aiza Junaid

Fisher Price Stacking And Nesting Cups:

This is a set of 10 numbered cups .These brightly coloured cups can either stack, nest or snap together into a ball for kids to roll. It's fantastic for their fine motor skills as well as for thinking and problem solving skills.

Wooden Chunky Puzzles:

Wooden puzzles are great to entertain children as well as toddlers to strengthen their hand muscles .These are also useful for good eye hand coordination. Wooden puzzles come in wide varieties including peg puzzles, chunky puzzles which have 2-3 pieces, alphabet puzzles, animal puzzles, vehicles etc....

These are outstanding learning toy for problem solving as kids practice and find the right piece by flipping and moving until it fits correctly and they also learn patience at the same time.

photo credits:Aiza Junaid

GALT First Puzzles:

Cardboard puzzles are also great for younger ones especially if they are big in size and try choosing simple ones if they are 1.5 year old with big pictures and those which come in 2-3 pieces. Once they master their puzzle solving skills then gradually get the ones with more pieces. GALT  puzzles are thick and of great quality .They have Farm animal ones, Alphabet ones,Pets,Jungle Animals etc....

These type of 2 piece puzzles are good for beginners.

Photo credits:Aiza Junaid

Rubber Blocks: 

 

Rubber Blocks come in wide variety .There are some with different embossed textures, numbers or alphabets and there are others that can be stacked together. These improve sensory development and fine motor skills .There are perfectly sized for little hands to squeeze, hold and stack.

   Photo credits:Aiza Junaid

These blocks enhance baby and toddlers colour cognition and visual development.

Photo credits:Aiza Junaid

Mega Blocks Building Bag:

This is 80 piece blocks set with different colours and shapes. Kids can construct houses ,buildings, castle and different animals or monsters with these. These are easily stored in the zipped carry bag and the big size of these blocks are great for kids from 1 year onwards. These are compatible with all mega blocks building toys to extend the playtime for hours.They also come in different colors for boys and girls.

                                                           Photo credits:Aiza Junaid

Magnetic Tiles:

These brightly coloured magnetic tiles come in different shapes to form a variety of  2D and 3D shapes.These are perfect for classrooms ,kindergartens as well as home and these are perfect STEM  approved toy.These help with the kids fine motor skills,colour and shape recognition abilityYoung kids as well as older ones enjoy creating structures with these tiles and these are a huge hit in our home and we all just love being creative with these 😀

Fisher Price Pretend Tablet:

This interactive toy tablet has light, music, sound and three different levels of learning. Babies press the buttons which strengthens eye hand coordination and it also helps them to learn words. It also introduces letters from A to Z as well as animals. Its ideal for babies 12-36 months and is great for carrying along on road trips.

Leap Frog Number Oven:

Number Oven is another popular educational toy which is great for teaching kids counting as well as sharing. It comes with pizza slices,cupcakes,bread, plates etc......and kids are also learning about fractions while cooking as well as sharing when they are serving food while playing. Its easy to carry along and everything fits in it as well.

 

 Snap cards:

This wonderful farm snap is great educational game by Orchard Toys which is suitable for 3-6 years. Toddlers use this game to make matching pairs of animals .Its good for building farm animals vocabulary and also develops observation skills. The chunky cardboard  cards are also of very great quality and can be easily given to younger ones independently.

                                                             Photo credits:Aiza Junaid

Magnetic Play sets:

Magnetic play sets come in tin case as well as magnetic cardboard box. These are easy to carry along on road trips or easy to take on play dates. The tin cases come with different background scenes along with mix and match sheets of magnets. Kids can get creative and make perfect stories with it .Some magnetic boxes come with different pattern cards and kids have to build what is shown on the card or they can even create their own. These are useful for teaching them problem solving skills, good for eye hand coordination and great for developing spatial awareness. The kids love to do such magnetic play .These are perfect gift for toddlers and pre schoolers.

The World Of Eric Carle one is a popular one based on his stories and and kids can relate to the very hungry caterpillar or maybe the brown bear or even the grouchy lady bug story.

Photo credits:Aiza Junaid

Lacing and Threading Activity Beads And Cards:

Lacing activities come in wide varieties such as lacing the cards, lacing simple wooden or plastic beads, lacing wooden cards or wooden shapes or animals etc...You can also print your own lacing cards for kids. These are ideal to improve their eye hand coordination as lots of concentration is required to insert the tip of the lace or string into the holes. It also teaches  the child early math skills and also helps children practice shoe lace tying and sewing skills. Some good brands that have this lacing activity are GALT, Melissa &Doug, Anko ,Bigjig Toys etc....

                                                                Photo credits:Aiza Junaid

Magnetic fishing game:

Fishing games are popular classic games that are easily sold in shops .The game consists of fishing rod with magnetic end and comes with a playing board or even a wooden puzzle board. It helps develop motor skills as well as counting and social skills. It also develops patience in kids and is ideal for engaging them in learning activity!

Doodle Mat:

Aqua doodle mat is a wonderful gift for toddlers as its a mess free activity and can be done independently by them. Toddlers can draw anything they want with water filled pen and once the water is dried they can draw again with it.Its ideal for ages months onwards and is also great to entertain younger ones on car trips.

Magnetic Rods:

These high quality magnetic rods are fun and easy to assemble and create different 3D models. It develops problem solving skills and sparks kids imagination by building wide variety of geometrical designs. Some magnetic sets come in vibrant colours while others come in pastel shades. This is an excellent STEM toy and my little one loves creating 3D masterpieces with it!

Cube Puzzles:

Cube puzzles are challenging for toddlers.They try to rotate the cubes in order to complete the pictures which improves eye hand coordination and is good for their tiny hand muscles .These come in wooden material as well as hard cardboard material.

                                                            Photo credits:Aiza Junaid

Crayola Jumbles:

These crayola jumbles are non toxic safe toys for 6 months onwards babies.They are fun to stack and spin .They are perfect for their motor skills as well as colour teaching.They resemble the shape of molecule and have round edges which are safe for little ones even if they are taking it in their mouth. I love the way they spin aur bounce when we throw them are also a fidget toy I must say!

     Leap Frog Scribble and Write:                

This is a very handy educational toy which is easy to carry as well as interesting for little hands to learn the numbers and alphabets along with the phonic  sounds. It teaches kids how to write alphabets and numbers with easy grip stylus and is ideal for 3+ years.

Fisher Price ABC Book:

This is a wonderful first book for babies to teach them the alphabets as well as poems.When the child presses ABC button the puppy will read each letter and object that starts with that letter to the baby .Its also easy to carry along to keep little one entertained!

             

Jack and Jill Plugging Flowers:

These colourful interlocking flowers or snow flakes are fantastic for their fine motor skills. The young engineers can create different structures, countless patterns which boosts their creativity and thinking skills. My kids still love these flowers and enjoy creating different structure and its ideal for giving as presents.

photo credits:Aleena Junaid

Art Activities For Toddlers

 Art is important in everyones life.The early you start the better they get in this skill.Its great for early childhood development as it improves fine motor skills,concentration,their creativity,expressing emotions,confidence,eye hand coordination,language development as well as decision making.They experiment with different clours,textures and materials and create unique masterpieces.

What Age Should Young Kids Begin Art?

Art is a great skill and learning activity.Ithink it should be started as early as 6-8 months.In my opinion the early you start ,the more creative they are in later years and have some interest to do crafty work.I introduced finger paints ,crayons and stamps from 7 months onward and my children started to show more and more interest in arts and craft and are still enjoying it during their free time.

What Sort Of Art Activities Are Best For Toddlers?

There is a long list of activities that you can do with your toddlers.In the begining you will have to sit with him/her a couple of times to do the activity  and also try  reinforcing it so that they develop interest and also know how to do it indepenedently when the same activity is given to them a couple of  days later .Activities that toddler can enjoy are:

1)Pasting (it could be pasting crepe papers,newspapers,ribbons,leaves etc...)

2)Finger painting

3)Nature collage(you can ask them to collect leaves,grass,twigs,gum nuts,beans etcc)

4)Stamping(stamps with ink pads are great other wise you can cut our different shapes from potato and other vegetables for stamping)

5)Drawing with chalk(use your drive way for this activity or maybe a stick on chalk sheet would do great outdoors!!)

6)Dot markers (these are great when you dont have much time to clean up the mess and are easy to use)

7)Paper plate craft(you can help them create animal masks,or maybe flowers,a scene from paper plates.

8)Recycling paper cups(dont throw away your bobba tea or greeno cups instead recycle them to make pencil holders or maybe a herb planter)

9)Egg carton craft(cut out and let them paint egg cartons to make caterpillar,or maybe flowers or a turtle)

10)Stickers(give them different stickers to create greeting  cards or scenes)

11)Cotton bud painting

Must Have Art Supplies For Toddlers:

There are some basic supplies which you can add to your craft trolly or art caddy and gradually build it up according to his/her needs.Some supplies that i stocked up for my kids are listed below.

1)Toddler scissors

2)Glue stick 

3)Washable paints

4)Art smock

5)Colour pencils

6)Thick crayons

7)Crepe papers,construction papers,newspapers,cellophane sheets

8)Paint brushes

9)Foam stickers

10)Chalk 

11)Washable markers

12)Pompoms

13)Cotton buds

14)plastic mat(to spread it on the floor or table )