Screen Time and Young Children: What We See at Nursery

Screen time comes up a lot in conversations with parents at drop-off and pick-up. It is one of those topics that carries a fair amount of guilt, a lot of conflicting advice, and very little middle ground in the way it tends to be discussed online. I want to offer something a bit more grounded here, based on what we actually see with children aged 16 months to 5 years at our nursery.

What we notice in the children we care for

We work with young children every day, and we do notice differences in how children arrive at nursery. Some come in full of energy and curiosity, ready to dig into the sand tray or head straight outside. Others take longer to find their footing, particularly if they have had a lot of passive screen time before the session starts.

That is not a judgement on parents. Mornings are hard. Life is busy. Sometimes a tablet or a bit of television is what gets everyone out of the door. We understand that completely.

What we do find, though, is that children who have had time to talk, play, or simply potter before nursery often transition into their day more smoothly. Their attention tends to be a little more settled when they arrive.

Why unstructured time matters so much at this age

Between 16 months and 5 years, children are building some of their most important foundations: language, attention, physical coordination, social understanding, and emotional regulation. These things develop through doing, not watching.

At Little Starlings Nursery in Balham, a big part of our day is outdoor play, in all weathers. We take children out into the garden, walk to the local library, explore nearby green spaces, and visit places like the fire station and local theatre. These outings involve children using their whole bodies, navigating real situations, talking to each other and to adults, and making sense of the world around them.

None of that can be replicated on a screen. And the more time children spend in those real, hands-on experiences, the more we see their confidence, language, and social skills grow.

So how much screen time is too much?

We are not here to put a number on it. Every family's circumstances are different, and rigid rules rarely help anyone feel supported.

What we would gently suggest is thinking about the quality and context of screen use, not just the minutes:

• Watching together and talking about it is very different from passive solo viewing
• Content that prompts questions (animals, nature, stories) tends to be more useful than fast-moving, highly stimulating programmes
• Screens as a wind-down before bed can make it harder for young children to settle, since the stimulation stays with them longer than we expect
• Replacing physical play or conversation is where we most often see an effect on children's readiness to engage

The EYFS statutory framework that guides everything we do in early years emphasises the importance of active learning, play, and real-world exploration. It does not mention screens, and that is rather telling.

What helps at home

Parents often ask us what they can do at home to support their child's development alongside nursery. Here are a few things we genuinely find make a difference:

• Reading together, even for ten minutes, builds vocabulary and attention in ways screens simply do not
• Talking about the day: what they saw on the walk, what they ate for lunch, who they played with
• Simple, open-ended play at home: duplo, playdough, drawing, den-building. Nothing fancy required
• Getting outside, even briefly. A walk to the park, a trip to Tooting Bec Common, or just kicking leaves on the way home all count

These are not big asks. They fit into ordinary family life, and they make a real difference to how children arrive at nursery ready to learn.

A note on balance, not perfection

I want to be honest: I do not think screen time is the enemy. There are wonderful things children can learn from high-quality programmes and well-designed apps. The issue is balance, and making sure screens are not filling space that real experience could occupy.

We see children arrive at Little Starlings every day, and we get to watch them grow across months and years. The children who thrive are not necessarily those who have had zero screen time. They are the ones who have had plenty of conversation, plenty of physical play, and adults around them who are genuinely interested in them.

That is what we try to offer here, and it is what we hope to support parents in offering at home too.

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If you would like to see how we spend our days at Little Starlings Nursery Balham, the best thing to do is come and visit. You can book a show-around at a time that suits you. Come and meet the team, see the garden, and get a feel for whether it is the right place for your child.