How much screen time should my 6 to 12-year-old have?

There’s no single official number for children aged 6 to 12. The HSE’s current advice says a one-size-fits-all limit may not work at this age, and asks parents to aim for a balance: enough sleep, plenty of play and physical activity, time with family and friends, and screens fitting around those rather than pushing them out (HSE). Another HSE page, on helping children be active, still gives “no more than 2 hours each day” as a good guide for over-5s, and many families find that a handy rule of thumb. Either way, how and when your child uses screens matters as much as the total.

That can feel less tidy than a number, but it’s good news. It means you can build rules around your own child and your own week, rather than watching the clock.

What the official advice says

Under 6s do have a clear guideline in Ireland. The HSE suggests that 2 to 5-year-olds have ideally no more than 1 hour a day, including TV (we cover this in How much screen time should a toddler have?).

From 6 years old, the HSE page (last reviewed in May 2024, with its next review due in May 2027) doesn’t give an hours figure. Instead it suggests:

• prioritising enough sleep, and trying not to use screens in the hour before bed
• trying to keep screens and TVs out of your child’s bedroom
• having screen-free zones and times, such as the kitchen table, mealtimes or after dinner
• making room for play, physical and social activities, and hobbies
• agreeing a set of screen time rules with your child, and setting aside some screen-free family time each week

(HSE)

The “2 hours” figure. The HSE’s page on helping children be active says that for children over 5, a good guide is no more than 2 hours of screen time a day (HSE, being active). A 2020 leaflet for parents of primary school children, from HSE speech and language therapy and psychology teams in Dublin North City and County, suggested trying to limit screen time to 2 hours a day or less, and noted that children this age need 8 to 12 hours of sleep a night (HSE leaflet). The HSE’s main screen time page has since moved away from a fixed figure for this age group, so the sources don’t quite agree. Treat 2 hours as a rough guide rather than a strict rule.

Other bodies take a similar line. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ family media plan doesn’t set a time limit; it suggests a plan that fits your family’s routines and values, with screen-free times and places (AAP, HealthyChildren.org). Internet Matters notes that experts have found it hard to recommend an overall cut-off, and that not all screen time is harmful (Internet Matters).

Why “balance” rather than a number

At primary school age, screens are used for so many different things: homework, a film with the family, a video call with a cousin, building something in a game, or scrolling short videos. An hour of each isn’t the same.

The 2020 HSE leaflet suggests thinking about limits if you’re worried about your child’s physical health, sleep, social life, energy levels or weight, and agreeing limits that suit your child’s needs (HSE leaflet). In other words, the question isn’t only “how long?” but “what is it crowding out?”

Some useful things to notice:

• Sleep. Are they getting to sleep at a sensible time, or is a device keeping them up?
• Moving and playing. Are they still getting out, playing with friends and doing things they enjoy?
• Mood. Internet Matters lists signs such as anxiety or stress when separated from a device, not getting enough sleep or exercise, and not wanting to see friends (Internet Matters).
• The type of screen time. Internet Matters suggests balancing passive use, such as watching videos, with more active use, like creating things or playing games (Internet Matters).

If those things look fine, you probably don’t need to worry about the exact minutes. If they don’t, that’s a good sign to make a few changes, without anyone being in trouble.

Setting limits that actually work

If you decide to set limits, the HSE suggests a few practical tools (HSE):

1. Use the device’s own settings. Downtime and screen time limits are built into most phones, tablets and consoles. Our guides cover Screen Time on iPhone and iPad, Google Family Link on Android, the Nintendo Switch and the PS5.
2. Pick apps that pause or stop on their own, so the end of a session isn’t always a battle with you.
3. Use a timer plug on the wifi router to switch the internet off at set times, such as bedtime.
4. Try greyscale or sleep mode on a smartphone for all or part of the day, to make scrolling less tempting.

The AAP also suggests turning off autoplay and notifications, which are designed to keep children watching for longer, and using a “one screen at a time” rule (AAP, HealthyChildren.org).

The 2020 HSE leaflet adds a few ideas parents often find useful: letting children earn screen time after other activities like playing outside, and sharing your family’s plan with grandparents, childminders and babysitters so the rules are the same everywhere (HSE leaflet).

Doing it together, not to them

Children aged 6 to 12 are old enough to help make the rules, and they’re more likely to stick to rules they helped shape. The HSE recommends starting conversations about screen time and limits now, and talking about age-appropriate content and respecting others online as they grow (HSE). Our guide to making a family screen time agreement walks you through it.

It also helps to share some of their screen time. Internet Matters suggests a family film or games night, and pointing children towards apps that build on their interests (Internet Matters).

And, gently: children copy what they see. Both the HSE and the AAP say parents are role models here (HSE, AAP, HealthyChildren.org). Nobody gets this perfect, and small changes, like phones off the dinner table for everyone, count.

What to do next

• Aim for an hour of moving every day, which is the HSE’s guide for children, and let screens fit around that (HSE, being active).
• Check the basics this week: is your child sleeping well, moving every day and still seeing friends? If yes, you’re probably in a good place, whatever the exact hours.
• Choose one screen-free time or place, such as the dinner table or the hour before bed, and try it as a family for a week.
• Move devices out of the bedroom at night, charging them in the kitchen or your room instead.
• Set up downtime on their main device using one of our step-by-step guides, so the device does the reminding rather than you.
• Sit down together and agree the rules, then look at them again at the start of the next school term, as the AAP suggests reviewing plans at the start of each school year or during breaks.

Every family’s week looks different, and that’s fine. The aim isn’t a perfect number; it’s a childhood with plenty of room for sleep, play and people, with screens as one good part of it.