How long should kids play?

[Bell]

My dd is 8, likes school, loves activities, craft, colouring and computer games. I think all of them is important but I'm not sure how long she should spend in each activity. She'd be able to spend hours doing craft and play on Webkinz site, but I'm just wondering how much she should spend on each activity. How long do your los spend on each activity and games?

[alegna]

In general I try to follow the child's lead.

-Angela

[pinksprklybarefoot]

Originally Posted by alegna

In general I try to follow the child's lead.

-Angela

We try to do this, too, the exception being computer/video game time - those get limits.

[mamazee]

I don't place limits on anything, particularly stuff like crafts and reading. My dd isn't that interested in tv or the computer, but if I see her spending what seems like too much time on something like that, I will encourage her to do something else, but I do it by coming up with something more fun rather than telling her she isn't allowed to keep playing on the computer.

[Storm Bride]

I tend to limit daily screen time, because I know how easy it is to get sucked into it. (I do better at this some times than I do at others.) I also really try to make sure the kids are active for at least an hour a day (unless they're sick). Other than that, I'm easy. If dd wants to colour or draw for 2 hours, that's fine with me. If she wants me to read to her for an hour, that's fine, too - as long as it's not time to cook dinner or something. I follow their lead, for the most part. That actually includes activity, too - I'm not sure I could keep them from being active at least an hour a day, even if I wanted to!

[Llyra]

The only activities I limit are screen-based activities, like TV or the computer. I allow my 4 year old one video or TV show a day, only on non-school days though. I allow about twenty minutes of computer time a day. I don't allow my toddlers any screen time at all.

For a child of 8, I'd probably set a limit of an hour a day on the computer, max, and probably less on school days.

I'd also try and encourage a child to get outside every day, or to do something active indoors. Kids that don't get enough exercise can get cranky and irritable, have a poor appetite, and have trouble sleeping well. I think screen time is particularly likely to cut back on active exercise.

Otherwise, I think that it's just fine to leave the child alone to manage their own free time however they want. Especially something creative, like crafts and coloring. I'm speaking of real crafts, though, not computer-based ones.

[meemee]

my dd is 6 1/2. i dont limit any activity - whether that is tv, computer games or playdough or anything UNLESS it starts affecting their life by getting addictive where they cannot transition.

if she cant pull away from something to do her chores, or holds herself from going to the bathroom at the last minute then i guide her to something else.

but the thing is we do a lot. meaning we are not home a lot. we are in and out and so she doesnt really get a chance to sit and veg in front of the tv.

and yet i have to give her the time to figure things out. its her personality. its hard for her to break when she is in teh process of learning. so whether it is origami or a new computer game - i give her the hours she needs to figure out, because i dont want to break her concentration.

i will have to wait and see what happens in future. but right now things are working out well.

aaaaah i remember. though i will say i restrict the amount of reading she does. she devours books and i have to make her aware that she should read in the right condition. not laying down and with enough light. but its also our most sweetest times. we both stretched out reading and sharing the silence together.

[ShadowMoon]

The only activities I put a time limit on are TV watching and anything excessively loud.

[Tigerchild]

My kids have an hour of screen time (TV, Wii, or computer) a day. Sometimes a little more on the weekends.

Of the three, I actually prefer the wii. (I'm also a poet who didn't know it.)

I'm thinking of expanding this a little because I espect to be doing math enrichment via an online program soon with all three. It's supposed to be really fun (I had fun playing it, and have heard recommendations from a friend's homeschooled kiddos) though, so perhaps I'll only expand the time on weekends a bit, and just cut the "noneducational" screen time by half on the weekdays.

As for reading/crafting...there are limits on that, but mostly because of other tasks. Crafting can be done at any time and at any length during the day, but it neeeds to be cleaned up before dinner. The first half an hour after DD gets home from school we have "quiet/reading time", as it seems to help ease the transition and give her some peace after a long day at school. And the kids get some time to read in bed before "lights out".

[Alyantavid]

i dont limit any activity - whether that is tv, computer games or playdough or anything UNLESS it starts affecting their life by getting addictive where they cannot transition.

That.

[katheek77]

I don't set limits on my 2.5 yr old right now.

She spends hours a day playing with the girl I nanny for, as well as playing by herself. Now that the weather is nicer (50s or higher) we are outside every day that it's not raining - sometime for half an hour, sometimes for four hours, depending on temperature.

I used to limit tv, but then it became like an obsession for her, and the few occassions she had access (gram's, vacation, if I were sick or very busy with schoolwork), I couldn't pull her away. Now, she'll go in the room, pop in a video, watch 15 minutes, and then go do something else. I don't know if it was a power struggle, forbidden fruit syndrome or what, but, it works better for us when I let her be in control of it. I noticed that with the computer, too. For a couple weeks, she was obsessed with it. Now, she rarely wants to use it. If anything started to become what I perceived to be an unhealthy obsession, then I would start to limit and redirect, but, for now, I think she's fine.

[Storm Bride]

More thoughts...dd hasn't really used the computer at all yet. I'll probably use the same system I've used with ds1. DS1 always had a one hour limit on screen time, except for school. (This is partly because I know that video game makers set their games up to be really hard to break away from.) However, when he got a new game, we'd relax the rules for a couple of days. He felt too much like he was being given a wonderful new toy and then being told he wasn't allowed to play with it, otherwise.

He's too hooked on games for my liking, but he still plays them less than most of his friends. I don't know if our strategy worked for him, or if it's a fluke, but I'm going to go with what seems to be working. I don't want my kids pouring their whole childhoods into videogames, yk?