UK sets screen time guidance for under‑5s: 1 hour

On 26 March 2026, the UK government published its first national screen‑time guidance for children under five. It’s written for real family life-not to shame you, but to give you simple choices you can stick with. Officials say families asked for clarity, and this is their response. (gov.uk)

Here’s the headline ask in plain English. If your child is under two, avoid screens unless you are doing something together such as video‑calling a grandparent. For ages two to five, aim for about an hour a day and keep mealtimes and the hour before bed screen‑free. When you do use screens, sit together and talk-co‑viewing helps learning. (beststartinlife.gov.uk)

Quality matters as much as minutes. The official advice points you towards slow‑paced, age‑appropriate shows where speech is clear and emotions are easy to read. It asks you to skip fast, social‑media‑style clips and to hold off on AI toys, tools and chatbots for now because evidence on their impact in the early years is limited. (beststartinlife.gov.uk)

What’s the evidence saying? An expert panel led by the Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, and Professor Russell Viner reviewed research and warned that long solo spells on screens can crowd out sleep, active play, creative exploration and face‑to‑face interaction. By contrast, watching with an engaged adult and talking about what you see is linked to stronger cognitive development in the early years. (gov.uk)

Why now? Ministers point to what’s happening in homes: nearly a quarter of parents of three‑ to five‑year‑olds say controlling screen time is hard, and almost all two‑year‑olds watch screens daily. More than a thousand parents fed into this guidance and asked for clear, judgement‑free support. (gov.uk)

What this means for you: the goal isn’t a stopwatch, it’s balance. Around 90% of brain growth happens before age five, and skills like language, self‑control and social understanding are built through back‑and‑forth conversation, play and shared attention. The guidance helps you protect those moments so screens don’t squeeze them out. (beststartinlife.gov.uk)

If your child has special educational needs or disabilities, you can adapt. Screen‑based assistive technology can be essential for communication and daily life, so time limits may work differently-while still guarding time for sleep, play and connection. (gov.uk)

If you want quick wins, start small. Swap background TV for music or simple chat at mealtimes, keep bedrooms screen‑free, and make the hour before bed a story, bath and cuddles zone. Try to co‑view whenever screens are on so you can ask questions and link the story to your child’s world. (beststartinlife.gov.uk)

Teachers will recognise the emphasis on talk and print. A recent report highlighted that about 28% of Reception starters weren’t using books correctly, with some trying to swipe or tap pages like a tablet-another nudge to rebuild everyday book habits alongside digital skills. (gov.uk)

Support will go beyond a web page. From early April 2026, the same guidance will be offered face‑to‑face through Best Start Family Hubs as they roll out nationwide. The Dollywood Foundation UK, home of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, is backing the effort by helping to get more free books into families’ hands. (gov.uk)

If you’re working in nursery or Reception, we can bring families with us by keeping the tone kind and practical: share the one‑hour idea without blame, model ‘phones‑down’ moments at pick‑up, add a short “what we’re watching and talking about” note to newsletters, and keep shared reading as the anchor of the day. Use professional judgement where assistive tech is part of a child’s routine.

There’s also a policy conversation running in parallel. The government is consulting on extra steps to keep children safe online-ideas include a minimum age for social media, raising the digital age of consent, overnight curfews for some ages and limits on AI chatbots for young people. New legal powers proposed in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would allow quicker action after the consultation. We’ll keep tracking the detail; for now, this early‑years guidance is your starter kit. (gov.uk)