Screen time for under-fives should be limited to one hour a day, parents told

By Vanessa Clarke, BBC Senior education reporter (Published 26 March 2026)

New government guidance suggests "screen swaps" to encourage more reading together or playing games

Children under the age of five should be limited to one hour of screen time a day, while under-twos should not be watching screens alone, new government guidance says.

It advises parents to steer clear of fast-paced videos and use screens together where possible. The guidance also suggests "screen swaps" - taking screens away to read stories together or playing simple games at mealtimes.

The guidance is the first evidence-backed, practical advice issued by the government, but ministers say it will be kept under review as more evidence emerges.

"This is still quite an unknown area in lots of respects and we've taken a precautionary approach," Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said.

Children's commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza and Department for Education scientific adviser Prof Russell Viner have reviewed the latest evidence, finding that long periods of time spent on screens alone can affect children's sleep and physical activity, which are key to their development.

It covers all types of screen use, including computers, tablets, mobile phones, and televisions.

The government has previously said about 98% of children are watching screens on a daily basis by the age of two. But the guidance says not all screen time is the same, external - watching screens with an engaged adult is linked to better cognitive development than solo use.

Parents should also lead by example, the guidance recommends, as children's brains are "like sponges - they'll copy your screen use habits" and encourages being present with children.

It comes as the government is separately carrying out a consultation on whether the UK should follow in Australia's footsteps by making it illegal for under-16s to have access to many social media sites.

Ahead of the guidance for under-fives being published on Friday, BBC News followed the Montastier family in Manchester for a week as they tried to cut back on screen time.

To avoid solo screen time, the guidance suggests using screens together to engage with the content and each other

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