How much screen time should a toddler have?

For children under 2, the official advice is to keep screen time to a minimum, though video calls with family are fine. For children aged 2 to 5, it’s no more than an hour a day, and less is better, ideally something you watch or play together. That’s the guidance from the HSE in Ireland (HSE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK government’s Best Start in Life guidance (Best Start in Life).

If your toddler gets more than that some days, you’re not doing it wrong. These are guides to aim for, not a test. Busy mornings, sick days and long car journeys happen in every family.

What the guidance says, age by age

The three main sources broadly agree. Here’s how they line up.

Under 18 months (Ireland) / under 2 (UK and WHO)

• The HSE says to try not to let your baby spend time in front of a screen, but video calls with friends and family are fine (HSE).
• The WHO says screen time is not recommended for babies under 1, and that sedentary screen time (watching TV or videos, or playing computer games) is not recommended for 1-year-olds (WHO).
• The UK guidance says to avoid screen time for under 2s, except shared family activities that build bonding and conversation, such as video calls or looking through digital photo albums together (Best Start in Life).

18 months to 2 years (Ireland)

The HSE says to limit screen time as much as possible. At this age children learn to talk, play and get on with others through time with you and other children. It suggests offering a toy or activity near you, or getting them involved in what you’re doing, like cooking (HSE).

2 to 5 years

• HSE: ideally no more than 1 hour a day of screen use, including TV, and choose something you can watch or play together (HSE).
• WHO: for 2-year-olds and for 3 to 4-year-olds, sedentary screen time should be no more than 1 hour; less is better (WHO).
• UK: try to keep it to 1 hour a day, less if possible (Best Start in Life).

Guidance gets updated from time to time, so it’s worth checking the HSE page now and then.

Why the advice is the way it is

The guidance is less about screens being “bad” and more about what they can crowd out. The WHO stresses that time spent with a caregiver in interactive, non-screen activities is very important for young children’s development, and encourages reading and storytelling together when children are sitting still (WHO). The UK guidance says screen time shouldn’t replace sleep, active play or time interacting with parents and carers (Best Start in Life).

The HSE notes that heavy screen use can contribute to things like poorer language skills and sleep problems (HSE). Keeping to the guidance, and watching together, is the simplest way to keep screens as one part of a full day.

Not all screen time is the same

The hour is a ceiling, but what fills it matters too.

• Watch together when you can. The HSE suggests staying in the same room and talking with your child about what they’re watching and how it connects to the world around them (HSE). Internet Matters suggests asking what they liked about a video and noticing whether it leaves them excited or sleepy (Internet Matters).
• Choose slower programmes. Both the HSE and the UK guidance suggest avoiding very fast-paced or noisy content. The UK guidance says to look for simple stories, few scene changes, slow speech and clear faces showing emotions (Best Start in Life).
• Be a bit sceptical of “educational” apps. The HSE notes there’s little evidence behind many of these claims, and suggests testing apps yourself before your child uses them (HSE).
• Hold off on AI toys and chatbots. The UK guidance and Internet Matters both advise avoiding AI chat apps, smart speakers and interactive robots for young children for now, until there’s more evidence (Best Start in Life, Internet Matters).
• Keep them off social media, including your own feed (Internet Matters).

Making it work on a real day

You don’t need to time every minute. A few habits do most of the work:

1. Have screen-free times and places. Both the HSE and the UK guidance suggest mealtimes and bedrooms, and no screens in the hour before bed (HSE, Best Start in Life).
2. Switch off the background TV. The HSE says background TV can affect a child’s development, and the UK guidance suggests not leaving screens on during meals, play or family time (HSE, Best Start in Life).
3. Try not to use a screen as the go-to way to calm them down (HSE). Some days it’ll happen, and that’s OK; it just works better as the exception.
4. Use the settings on your devices. Parental controls can block unsuitable content (Best Start in Life). If your toddler uses an iPad or an Android tablet, our guides to setting up Screen Time on Apple devices and Google Family Link walk you through it, and YouTube Kids or YouTube? covers videos.
5. Look at your own phone habits, kindly. Children copy the adults around them, and the UK guidance notes that long stretches on your phone can make it harder to notice what your child is doing or feeling (Best Start in Life). Nobody is perfect at this; small changes count.

What about children with additional needs?

The UK guidance points out that children with special educational needs and disabilities may need a more tailored approach, and that screen-based assistive technology can help some children communicate and take part in daily life (Best Start in Life). If that’s your family, follow the advice of your child’s therapists and care team.

What to do next

• Pick one screen-free time this week, such as mealtimes or the hour before bed, and stick to it for seven days.
• Sit in on one programme or app with your toddler and chat about it. Swap anything fast and noisy for something slower.
• Turn off the TV when nobody’s watching it, especially during play and meals.
• Check your tablet’s parental controls with our device guides so you’re not relying on willpower alone.

Some days will be an hour of cartoons, and some days the TV will barely go on. What matters is the overall pattern: plenty of play, talk, sleep and time with you, with screens as one part of it.