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.

EDUCATIONAL APPS FOR 0-5 YEAR OLDS

 KIDS EDUCATIONAL APPS

In these days technology is a necessity of our lives.Most of the school work and projects are done through online Apps and google.During Covid time kids as well as parents were getting hold of  new Apps for online learning or even submitting their assignments .

Ive always wanted my kids to use screen time but to a certain extent and had set some time limit for them when they were young.They knew that when the Timer would ring they have to stop whatever they are doing on screen .I also wanted them to spend time on screen to, watch something creative or learning and downloaded some learning Apps for them to boost their brain rather than just sitting and watching random you tube videos or playing violent games.

While searching for some good Alphabet Apps for my four year old who is now 6:)I came across some great Apps  which she enjoyed and which are listed below for you to try out with your little one!!

Reading Eggs:

This is an interesting App which makes reading fun and interesting for kids.It has personalised one on one lesson designed according to childs ability.It is suitable for 2+ years and it covers phonics,phonemic awareness,vocabulary,fluency as well as comprehension.My kids used this app in their primary years and did some extra reading at home with reading eggs book set .Kids move on to different levels and they recieve golden egg to collect which makes it exciting for them.you get a free 30 day trial and then if you like it you can pay for its subscription.This App is widely used in overseas school as a part of schools curriculum.

ABC MAGIC PHONICS:

This is a free App and easy to use .It also has a pronounciation option ,when you click on the letter it pronounces it.This App even has a fun matching game to match the picture with its begining sound and also some other pictures that begin with same sound which helps to improve childs vocabulary.

Spelling&Phonics :Kids Games:

This app is great for teaching CVC words and kids can easily memorize the spellings in a fun way.I introduced letters gradually to my daughter when she was 2.5 years old.Sometimes kids  aren't interested in books  and want to learn concepts in a form of a game.In this App they also get to choose stickers once they spell the words and have a collection of them at the end.

Homer Reading:

This is an interesting App that can personalize a plan for your child according to his/her age and interest as well as different reading stages.It includes lessons on phonics,sight words and ABC's.Homer has a 30day trial and then you can get a discounted subscription for limited time.The great advantage of this app is that you can track the progress of your child as well as download printable worksheets for your child.It focuses on reading,thinking skills,maths and creativity

Laugh and Learn by Fisher Price:

This one is an interactive app which features kids favourite laugh and learn puppy character .Its great for teaching Alphabets ,nubers,shapes and colours along with some fun animations and is suitable for 0-5 years.My daughter really enjoying using this when she was around 2.5 years old .

ABC kids games:

This one is all time favourite App loaded with fun activities such as upper and lower case letter tracing ,matching alphabets with pictures ,puzzles,upper and lowercase letters matching and much more. Its suitable for toddler to kindergarten age kids.

Khan Academy Kids:

This is a fun App which i have explored recenly while writing this post.Ive heard of this App alot but didnt get a chance to explore as we have other Apps installed.It is a perfectly designed App for those who are homeschooling as it covers thousands of lessons,activities,games,phonics,writing,yoga and alot more to explore!!!

What are your favourite educationals Apps???