Screen time by age calculator
Pick your child's age and bedtime. You get the guidance for that age, a starting limit for free screen time, and the time screens should go off at night.
What health bodies say
There is no official number. Set a consistent limit that leaves room for sleep, schoolwork, movement and play.
A starting limit for free screen time
45 minutes a day
A common starting point, not an official rule. Adjust it to your child, and let extra time be earned.
Screens off by
19:30
One hour before bedtime, with devices charging outside the bedroom.
Sleep
10.5 hours in bed. Recommended at this age: 9 to 12 hours.
That fits the recommendation.
What comes before screens
- 1Sleep
- 2School and homework
- 3Movement and outside play
- 4Family time and meals
Where the numbers come from
- Under 5: the World Health Organization's guidance on screen time for young children, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Ages 6 and up: the AAP gives no fixed number. It asks families to set consistent limits that protect sleep, schoolwork and activity. The limit shown here is a starting point many families use, not an official rule.
- Sleep: the hours recommended for each age by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Guidance is updated from time to time, so check with your own health service too.
How to use the result
- Treat the daily limit as a first offer, and agree the final number with your child.
- Put the screens-off time into your phone's settings, so it happens by itself. See Downtime on iPhone.
- Let extra time be earned. See earn screen time: a reward system that works.
What counts
The limit is for free time on games, videos and scrolling. Homework, video calls with family and making things can be counted separately. There is more in screen time by age.
Questions parents ask
How much screen time should my child have?
Under 18 months, none apart from video calls. From 2 to 5, about an hour a day or less. From 6, there is no official number: set a consistent limit that protects sleep, school and play.
Is the daily limit an official recommendation?
For children under 5 it follows WHO and AAP guidance. For ages 6 and up it is a common starting point, because health bodies do not give a fixed number for that age.
When should screens go off before bed?
At least an hour before sleep, with devices kept out of the bedroom overnight.