Click each box to learn about the guidelines by age group.
Birth to 18 months
Newborns are learning to feel safe, secure and cared for by attentive and responsive adults. Between 3-6 months, an infant is learning to communicate with sounds, actions and facial expressions. Babies are eager explorers between 6-9 months and are delighted by their ability to make things happen. Personality is a spotlight between 9-12 months as a baby connects her thoughts with purposeful action to express her wants and needs. By 18 months, a toddler uses his new physical, thinking, and language skills to be a good problem-solver.
AAP recommends avoiding use of screen media for children younger than 18-months-old. At home, parents may choose to include the child on a video-chat with family members to stay connected and build relationships.
COMAR restricts passive screen time viewing for children age 2 and younger in family and center-based programs.
Language development and pretend play are important milestones for toddlers. They learn new words each day, need help to learn self-control, and begin to use their imagination. Build language skills by putting their feelings into words or expand their words and phrases into a sentence.
AAP encourages parents to choose high-quality digital media and programming, and to watch it with their childeren to help them understand what they are seeing.
COMAR restricts passive screen time viewing for children age 2 and younger in family and center-based programs.
Older toddlers are learning to express their need for independence, and show frustration when they don’t feel in control. They experience rapid development in their growing physical skills—walking, running, and climbing— and gain confidence in using their body to explore the world around them. Preschoolers are learning to recognize and identify common objects and pictures, follow multi-step directions, and sort objects by shape and color. Provide regular chances for children to play with same-age peers, and use play time to teach important social and language skills.
AAP recommendations limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality educational media and programs. Adults should watch media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply new concepts and skills to the world around them. DAP and active learning allow young children to have positive social interactions with caregivers and friends. COMAR mandates that children age 2 years old or older can view up to 30 minutes of
age-appropriate, educational passive technology per week.
Starting school opens a new social world and may feel challenging for your child. School-age children are more independent and enjoy making small, routine decisions for themselves. They are learning how to ride a bike and jump rope, as well as show interest in playing team sports. Pretend play is more complex and friendships are very important. School-age children are more talkative and enjoy conversations. Their vocabulary growth is rapid, and they understand more words than they can say. School-age children are also learning empathy and recognizing another person's point of view, need support to manage fears, and show pride in their accomplishments.
AAP recommends consistent limits on the amount of time school-age children use media, along with the types of media that they use. Be certain that screen time does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and quality time spent with friends and family. COMAR mandates that children age 2 years old or older can view up to 30 minutes of
age-appropriate, educational passive technology per week.