Tech Tips Tuesday

How much screen time?

We have just finished having a two-week break from school and are heading back into our normal
routines. By the end of the holidays, however, we'd fallen into some pretty bad habits. Daylight savings has meant that we have been more relaxed over bedtime for our son. And, as for screen time? Our son's use of screen time has allowed us to have more of a sleep in the next day! We've really had to work at getting out of the house - taking the dog for a walk, going for a bike ride, seeing the city and participating in the real world. These are all good things, but take effort!

In the past week I took part in a survey about children and video games. It really got me thinking about what is good and beneficial in terms of screen time.

Does your Aussie family play video games? Got kids under 13? Please add your experience to my research. https://t.co/D5WaqJzVEk - Thanks!

— Dean Groom (@Type217) October 4, 2016

My son just got a 2DS for his birthday, so along with the iPhone he had handed down and the iPad he bought second hand, he is getting more than the desired screen time for a six-year-old. And it doesn't help that he is growing up in a home where Mummy is always testing out new apps and resources with him, and Daddy is an absolute whiz when it comes to working out the logistical side of things.

So, this week we tried to come up with a solution in terms of screen time. My husband had heard of people instigating a daily limit for their children, so we decided on 30 minutes (not guaranteed - but dependent on what's happening and what will work for the family). We decided to add an opportunity for our son to "earn" more screen time by engaging in outdoor play, such that for every two minutes of outdoor play he banks an additional one minute of screen time. This banked time can be used on the day it is earned or rolled over (unused normal daily limit is not rolled over).

Sound like all those terms and conditions you usually skim over? Wait... there's more! The walk to and from school does not count toward the extra time, nor does outside play as part of the usual school day. Television counts as screen time only when it is chosen as an individual activity. And Pokemon Go doesn't count as either screen time or outdoor play - the two cancel each other out!

As you are probably beginning to understand, we have a six-year-old who needs to know all the ins and outs so that he can make the most of all these minutes! It's early days and we are just trying to find a way to keep better track of how he is using his time.

That said, it does make me pause for a moment to think about my personal response to screen time. I probably spend far too much time looking at a screen and far too little engaging in outdoor play. Particularly in the holidays when I want to dibble and dabble and learn new things online.

And then I could also play the devil's advocate and go against all that I fight so hard for and ask the question: Should we be limiting the amount of screen time used in the classroom? And if so, what is the "right" amount?

Is screen time something that we should be putting limits on, or is it something that people should engage in freely and monitor for themselves? When is screen time a problem, and when does it become just a part of how we live our lives these days? And is that a problem in and of itself?

What are your thoughts?

Tech Tips Tuesday

iPad for Preschoolers #3 Let's Pretend

Some of my little guy's favourite apps are those that allow him to play pretend. He enjoys exploring different roles both in the 'real world' and using technology. We don't set a strict time-frame for screen time (TV, iPad etc) however, we make a point of finding time for other forms of play. The iPad forms only one small aspect of his total play time. In most cases, he would prefer to take down one of his toy boxes and play pretend with actual objects. The iPad version proves most useful when he needs some down-time, or when we are travelling. That said, there are some great apps available which spark the imagination and provide opportunities for children to play pretend and learn while doing so.

Little Charley Bear
This is a simple app and free (at time of writing). It is based on the television program Little Charley Bear which is about a little bear with a big imagination. It contains video segments from the television episodes, with a puzzle challenge mid-way through the shortened episode. I can identify with the narrator in his interactions with Little Charley Bear, and I'm sure my little guy shares the frustrations of Little Charley Bear as the narrator tries to determine the things he is pretending to be/do! My biggest struggle with this app is that it is really just another form of 'watching TV' and while my little guy loves following Little Charley Bear's adventures, it is hard to justify - except as down-time!

Toca Boca Apps
We first discovered Toca Boca through Toca Kitchen Monsters (the lite version of Toca Kitchen) because my little guy loves cooking - both pretend and real. The beauty of these Toca apps is that the children get to cook for someone and see their responses to how it tastes. They select an item from the fridge, prepare it and then serve it. Other apps, such as Baby Chef by MyFirstApp.com, allow children to decorate a meal and photograph it, but it isn't served or eaten. Order Up!! To Go by Chillingo Ltd takes it further than the Toca apps, but is designed for an older audience - thus my little guy needs me to help him with it.
We then tried out Toca Doctor, which allows children to pretend to be a doctor and solve problems to 'fix' the sick person. This involves giving injections, pulling out splinters, cleaning and dressing cuts, removing lice and more!
Toca Store is another of our favourites as we seem to go shopping in the real world on quite a regular basis. This is a great game for two (if you can convince your preschooler to share with you) with one taking on the role of shopper and the other shop keeper. I find it a useful tool for talking about money, numbers and counting as well. My gripe with this app is that if you run out of money, the magic purse winks and gives you more. While I'm sure we would all love a purse like this, it's unfortunately not a reality!
I bought Toca Train as a treat for my little guy, because he SO loves playing with trains. It was a winner! He loves controlling the train, stopping for passengers and reloading the cargo - just as he does when he plays with his wooden train set or Thomas set or Daddy's LEGO trains... (need I go on!)
We got Toca Hair Salon in response to my little guy's reaction to haircuts. We thought that playing with other people's hair might prevent his concerns about having others cut his. We're not quite there yet, but he does enjoy playing with this app and seeing the reactions of his customers when he cuts off all their hair, or sprays it bright colours!
One last app from Toca Boca that is a winner is Helicopter Taxi for iPhone only. It doesn't really qualify for this post, but is worth a mention all the same.

I realise that this post may read as an advertisement for Toca Boca, but this is not the case. They just produce quality products that Preschoolers enjoy. I'd love to see a Toca Builder in the future and maybe a Toca Emergency (eg. Ambulance, Police, Fire Officer).

Have you discovered any similar apps, which provide opportunities for children to role play?

Other posts that might interest you:
Tech Tips Tuesday - iPad for Preschoolers #1 Mathematics Concepts
Tech Tips Tuesday - iPad for Preschoolers #2 Alphabet Apps