Digital & AI literacy · 2026-10-27

The Little Hourglass on the Sofa

WHO guidelines recommend no more than one hour of screen time daily for young children. The real key is understanding what those screens replace.

Many parents feel a familiar twinge of anxiety about screen time. Tablets, televisions and phones are tightly woven into our daily lives, leaving us constantly wondering: "Is my child watching too much?"

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) released guidelines for children under five. The recommendations are straightforward: no screen time for infants under one year, and no more than one hour a day of sedentary screen time for two- to four-year-olds—and less is better 1. But if we look closely at this document, we realise the guidelines aren't just about screens. They are about everything else a child needs to fit into a healthy 24-hour day.

What Do Screens Replace?

We often view screens as the ultimate enemy, but developmental scientists look at the issue slightly differently. The primary concern isn't just that the glowing rectangle is inherently bad; it’s what the screen replaces.

Every minute a toddler spends sitting passively in front of a cartoon is a minute they aren't running, squishing mud through their fingers, making eye contact with you, or turning the thick pages of a book. Young children's brains are designed to learn through real-world, multi-sensory experiences. When they grasp a wooden block or chase a dog across the grass, their brains are busy building complex neural pathways. Heavy screen use quietly trades away these irreplaceable opportunities to explore the physical world.

Little Bodies Built for Moving

The WHO document is actually titled the Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. It focuses less on banning devices and more on celebrating moving bodies.

The guidelines recommend that young children get at least 180 minutes of varied physical activity every day. That might sound like a huge mountain to climb, but it breaks down easily. It doesn't have to mean structured sports. Stomping in puddles after the rain, helping you carry potatoes from the shopping bag to the kitchen counter, or just dancing to music in the living room all count as high-quality movement.

In Switzerland, children in forest kindergartens (Waldkindergarten) spend hours outdoors every day, no matter the weather. This all-weather outdoor play not only burns off boundless energy but naturally reduces the urge to sit in front of a screen. Nature provides its own captivating, slow-paced entertainment.

Busy While Sitting Still

Of course, parents get exhausted. There are moments when you simply need to cook dinner in peace, and the television feels like a highly necessary babysitter. That is completely normal, and there is no need to feel guilty. The goal is overall balance, not punishing perfection.

The WHO suggests replacing "passive sedentary screen time" with "quality sedentary time." When a child needs to sit quietly, we can offer a basket of picture books, a simple jigsaw puzzle, or some crayons and paper.

Even asking big questions doesn't require a screen. For instance, when a tired, sweaty child plops onto the rug and asks Sparkie, "Why do we sweat?", the interaction is stationary, but the mind remains wonderfully active and engaged. Quality companionship, storytelling, and hands-on quiet play are the most nourishing ways to fill the gaps when screens are turned off.

Things to try at home this week

  • Notice the trade-off: The next time you reach for the remote or tablet, pause and ask yourself: "If we don't watch a screen right now, what would my child be doing instead?" If the answer is sleeping or playing outside, you might want to rethink the screen.
  • Create a "boredom first-aid box": Keep a special box near the sofa filled with a few books, drawing pads, or stickers that your child doesn't play with every day. When you need 15 minutes of quiet time, offer this box first.
  • Protect the hour before bed: The blue light emitted by screens suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep. Try turning off all screens an hour before bedtime, replacing them with stories or gentle chats to build a calm, reliable bridge to sleep.