By Kristen Peirson, the FFL BUZZ Team
Fayetteville Free Library
Children today are growing up in environments filled with new technologies and more screens than ever before. Parents often find it overwhelming to navigate this new culture and are sometimes left wondering how to best limit or manage the amount of time their children spend in front of screens.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends screen time use for children 18 to 24 months of age include only high-quality programming and apps, and for parents and children to consume the media together. Since toddlers learn best with adult interaction, unsupervised screen time is not recommended.
If you decide to offer your child screen time, the AAP recommends choosing educational apps, games and shows, and to become your child’s “media mentor.” This can be as simple as using the content as a jumping-off point for related, screen-free play and learning. For example, if your child is playing a game or watching a show about cars, use the opportunity to build a toy racetrack or ramps together. If your child is enamored with one of the many YouTube channels full of kids’ songs and nursery rhymes, sing the songs together and practice some related hand motions. This allows you to use your child’s screen time as an introduction to further exploration, rather than just allowing them to consume the media.
The FFL offers both screen-free and technology-based educational resources and opportunities. Our Family Room is a screen-free space perfect for creative and imaginative play, and the Children’s Room features four touch-screen AWE Early Literacy Learning Stations. You can also check out an Early Literacy iPad or a robot from our Library of Things to use at home; the iPads come preloaded with librarian-curated apps and content perfect for parents and kids to explore together, and the kid-friendly robots can help introduce and teach basic coding concepts to young children.
And of course, the FFL’s storytimes, special family events, and after-school programming are great opportunities for screen-free, playful learning.
For more information, visit the FFL in person at 300 Orchard Street or online at FFLIB.org. The FFL Buzz will be back next week!
