The results are out, young children have been having longer screen times since the pandemic began two years ago. While limited research also shows there are both positive and negative associations between screen time and early language development, caregivers can play a huge role in weaning young children away from their devices and re-discovering the delights of being more physically active and engaging with their peers.

Prepare activities that require them to move around.

Whether it’s obstacle courses, dance parties, time in the sandbox or craft time, having children actively moving around helps them exercise and develop their gross motor skills. After almost two years of mostly sedentary screen time activities, giving young children to rediscover the outdoors and the freedom of running and roaming around helps them jumpstart their young bodies back into action.

Work with a routine.

Going back into childcare means a chance to settle back into a routine that’s more balanced in terms of physical activity, creativity, naptime and screen time. Childcare providers have an immense opportunity to get young children back on track and used to a routine that supports their early childhood development.
Sharing with parents your routine and/or schedule in the program can also help parents mimic it when the child is home. This allows the child to have a sense of normality even while the pandemic is still happening, albeit at a much more controlled pace.

Use timers to help children get used to the routine.

A recent parenting lifehack that has gone viral has helped a mother in her potty training. Using timers helps young children be more aware of the things they need to do according to the time.

Get toddlers talking.

As young children’s vocabulary development showed negative associations with longer screen times, childcare providers can pivot toddlers into getting back into interacting more frequently with and among their peers. Activities such as circle time, singing, storytelling, and play-acting can all help toddlers get back on track in terms of their language development and verbal skills.

Play games that highlight interaction, communication, and cooperation.

Whether it’s an obstacle relay course, building a lego fortress, or hunting and gathering objects for their plays, having cooperative games that put children in groups and have them interact and work together in order to achieve the goal of the game can help them regain the joy of being active together with their peers.
It also exercises their verbal and interpersonal skills in dealing with their friends, peers, and adults.

Young children may have spent way too much time in front of the screens during the first two years of the pandemic, which has have negative effects on their early childhood development. However, with the expert guidance from early childhood educators along with parents and peers, these children can easily be on track again and catch up on their early childhood development milestones.