Singapore parents, take note: in January 2025, MOH released updated, stricter guidelines on screen use for children as part of the national "Grow Well SG" strategy — jointly published with MOE and MSF. These supersede the earlier WHO-aligned guidelines and are now the most specific official guidance Singapore has issued on this topic.
| Age Group | Daily Limit | Key Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Below 18 months | None (video calls only) |
No screen use at all, except interactive video chatting (e.g. FaceTime with grandparents). Avoid background TV even when child is doing other activities. |
| 18 months – 6 years | <1 hour/day (excl. schoolwork) |
No passive viewing. Co-view and discuss content. No screens during meals. No screens 1 hour before bedtime. Screens must not be used to occupy or distract a child. |
| 7 – 12 years | <2 hours/day (excl. schoolwork) |
Create a family screen timetable. Regular conversations about online activity. No unrestricted internet access. No social media under age 13. No screens at meals or 1 hour before bed. |
🏫 Preschools too: ECDA's updated Code of Practice (February 2025) now mandates that childcare centres and preschools limit screens strictly to teaching and learning purposes — no screen time at all for infants under 18 months, and no passive screen use for older toddlers.
The Singapore guidelines aren't arbitrary. A 2025 local study (reported in The Straits Times) found that babies with excessive screen time became anxious teenagers with slower decision-making. The mechanisms are well-documented:
Let's be honest about why screens are used: tired parents need a break. A hawker centre meal is genuinely difficult with a 2-year-old who won't sit still. The MRT ride home after a full day feels impossible without something to keep them occupied. We lived this.
My wife and I made the choice to resist the screen as a default — not from judgement of others, but because we knew the evidence and felt strongly about it. What we used instead:
Was it harder? Absolutely. Was it worth it? We believe so. But we also believe that an imperfect parent who is emotionally present matters more than any policy compliance. Do what you can.
"Screens must not be used merely to occupy or distract a child." This single sentence changed how we thought about it. The question stopped being how long and became why. If the answer is "because I need 20 minutes to cook dinner," that's legitimate and human. If the answer is "because it's the default," that's worth examining.
If screens are going to happen — and they will — content quality is the primary variable. Here are the best options, prioritising educational value, no ads, and co-viewing suitability:
Reading, maths, social-emotional learning. Ad-free, non-profit. Adapts to the child's pace. One of the most robustly designed educational apps available.
✅ FreeEnglish literacy — phonics, sight words, handwriting. Interactive and well-paced. Free and ad-free. Excellent for bilingual Singapore families building English literacy.
✅ FreeGentle, open-ended creative play. No wrong answers, no scores, no stress. Develops imagination and fine motor skills. Great for parents who want low-stimulation screen time.
SubscriptionAd-free. Features familiar characters (Daniel Tiger, Curious George). Covers basic concepts — letters, numbers, shapes, feelings. Regularly updated content.
✅ FreeVocabulary and phonics through playful animations. Words are illustrated with meaning — genuinely delightful and educational. Our daughter's favourite at age 2–3.
Paid (worth it)Introductory coding through interactive storytelling. Teaches computational thinking in a genuinely age-appropriate way. Free, developed by MIT Media Lab.
✅ Free💡 The co-viewing rule: MOH 2025 guidelines explicitly require parents to watch alongside children aged 18 months–6 years and discuss what they're watching. This isn't just rule-following — it's the mechanism by which screen content becomes educational rather than passive. A child watching Bluey with a parent who says "why do you think Bluey felt sad?" gets developmental benefit. The same child watching alone, less so.
References
MOH Singapore: Guidance on Screen Use in Children (January 2025) — "Grow Well SG" strategy
ECDA Code of Practice for Early Childhood Development Centres (February 2025)
The Straits Times: "Babies with too much screen time become anxious teens with slower decision-making — Singapore study" (2025)
WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep for Children Under 5 (2019)
AAP Screen Time Policy Statement (updated 2023)
Cheng S et al. Association between screen exposure in early life and myopia among Chinese preschoolers. PLoS ONE. 2020
Linebarger DL & Walker D. Infants' and toddlers' television viewing and language outcomes. Am Behav Scientist. 2005