Screen Time Guidelines
Calculate recommended screen time by age
🔒 Offline-ready · Method · · Disclaimer · Screen Time Guidelines
Need a fast answer on calculating recommended screen time by age? Screen Time Guidelines answers with the steps beside it. Fill in Child Age on Screen Time Guidelines and read your answer immediately. Screen Time Guidelines puts the headline number first. That makes Screen Time Guidelines handy for quick estimates anywhere. You can disconnect once Screen Time Guidelines has loaded; the arithmetic runs locally. Screen Time Guidelines is part of the Parenting & Family collection on CalcProMaster, alongside screen time guidelines for kids, free calculators and more. The labels in Screen Time Guidelines match the terms in its result. Start with Screen Time Guidelines; the first number takes seconds.
What the defaults give
A child aged 5 has a suggested ceiling of 120 minutes a day.
That is recreational screen time. Video calls with family, schoolwork and a shared film do not come out of the same allowance.
Where the numbers come from
The widely used paediatric guidance steps with age rather than applying one figure to every child:
- Under 18 months. Avoid screens other than video calls.
- 18–24 months. Only high-quality content, watched with a caregiver.
- 2–5 years. Up to about 60 minutes of quality content a day, co-viewed where possible.
- 6 and over. Consistent limits, with no fixed hour — sleep, activity and schoolwork come first.
The 120-minute figure at age five reflects the upper end of guidance from bodies that allow a little more than one hour for pre-schoolers, not a target to reach.
Why the type of screen matters more than the clock
An hour of video call with a grandparent, an hour of homework and an hour of autoplay shorts are all 60 minutes and not remotely the same activity. Passive, algorithm-driven content is the category the guidance is really aimed at, because it is designed to hold attention rather than to end. A timer measures duration, not what happened during it.
What the limit cannot measure
- Displacement. The real cost of screens is usually the sleep, outdoor play and boredom that did not happen.
- Context. A film together is a shared activity; the same hour alone in a bedroom is not.
- Individual children. Some regulate their own stopping point; others need a visible routine.
- Household habits. Children follow what they see, which is why parental screen use predicts child screen use so strongly.
Use the figure as a ceiling to plan around, then watch what the screen time replaces. That comparison is more informative than the total.
Guidance by age is a ceiling, not a target: at five, 120 minutes a day is the upper limit the paediatric guidance sets, and less is fine. What the number cannot capture is content and context — co-viewing and active play differ from passive scrolling even within the same hour. Screen time also displaces something, usually sleep or outdoor play, and that trade is where most of the effect sits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much screen time is OK for a five-year-old?
Around 60 minutes of quality content is the common recommendation, with 120 minutes as the upper end of guidance for pre-schoolers.
Do video calls count?
Usually not. Interactive calls with family are treated differently from passive viewing, especially for children under two.
Does schoolwork count?
No. The guidance targets recreational screen time, not homework or lessons on a device.
Should the limit change for older children?
It becomes a floor rather than a number. Past six the guidance stops giving a single figure, though many families still cap recreational use at 120 minutes a day.
Does the calculator adjust for weekends?
No. It gives a daily ceiling; many families apply a lower weekday limit and a higher one at weekends, averaging to roughly the same total.
What matters more than the minutes?
What the screen time displaces and whether it is shared or solitary. Sleep loss and missed activity are the harms the clock is standing in for.
Bereavement Financial Runway Calculator and other Family tools
Bereavement Financial Runway Calculator · Family Monthly Budget · Baby Name Popularity · Babysitter Rate Calculator · School Supplies Budget · Baby Milestones Guide · Family Guides