Speech Pathology Adelaide
The national guidelines in Australia recommends the following:
No screen time for children younger than 2 years old
no more than one hour a day for children aged 2-5 years old
no more than two hours of recreational screen time for children and young people aged 5-17 years (excluding schoolwork)
What do our Speech Pathologists recommend in terms of screen time and how does it relate to Speech Therapy?
Similarly to the guidelines backed up by research, our Speech Pathologists recommend no screen time for children younger than 2 years old and minimal screen time for children aged 2-5 years old. Research have shown that children who watch more videos generally said fewer words overall. More screen time usually means less real life interaction and learning. Our Speech Pathologists do however acknowledge that there are some benefits of sharing some screen-time together when your child is between the ages of 2 and 5. We recommend sitting with your child when they are engaging in screen time and talk and have a conversation about what they are watching, give praise or suggestions and engage in problem-solving together when they play their games (e.g. how can we solve this puzzle?, how can we find the next piece?).
According to research, children will gain developmentally from play on their own which gives them the opportunity to engage in problem-solving, and develop imaginative play, and social understanding.
Here are some recommended activities that you can engage with your child instead of having screen time as recommended by Speech Pathologists in Adelaide:
Scavenger Hunts
Here are 24 scavenger hunt ideas for children you can check out on Parade: https://parade.com/1023648/jessicasager/scavenger-hunt-ideas-for-kids/
Neighbourhood walks
a. I Spy
b. Spot something new! Think mushrooms, flowers, seeds
c. Animal spotting. Think dogs, cats and birds!
d. Spot letter box numbers
e. Spot different coloured cars
Indoor/outdoor obstacle course with your furniture!
Here is an example of how this can be done:
Have a dance off!
Engage in craft activities to promote creativity and problem solving skills
Here are some examples of craft activities you can print off and do with your child:
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