Image credit: Aaron Burden/Unsplash
By Chloe Storr, 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five Regional Manager, Bradford. With a background across a range of early years settings and leadership in programme delivery, Chloe brings both practical insight and reflective practice to her work. In this blog she explores screens in the classroom.
In recent years, technology has become an ever-present feature of early years classrooms. Interactive whiteboards, tablets and digital learning tools are now woven into daily routines.
While these innovations can offer convenience and new ways to engage, an important question that is being increasingly asked by educators and parents alike is as follows: are we gaining something meaningful or quietly losing something essential?
Our Less Screen Time, More Play Time campaign began with a focus on families, highlighting the impact of screen use and providing playful opportunities through 50 Things to Do as an alternative.
Now, as we extend this conversation into schools and early years settings, we’re hearing powerful reflections from practitioners who are beginning to rethink the
role of technology in their classrooms.
A shift in practice
One such example comes from a reception teacher at Blakehill Primary School in Bradford, who has actively started to rethink how they approach screens.
“Following an EYFS leader network meeting I was inspired to reduce screen time in our setting,” the teacher explained. “It was a topic for general discussion in the meeting but something I already had strong personal feelings about”.
This initial conversation has since led to small but practical changes. While some elements, like taking the register, remain on screen, other parts of the day have been transformed.
The results, even in the early stages, have been telling.
“A few weeks in and we have seen a positive impact across the unit,” the primary school teacher noted. “Children have stopped looking at the screen. Lessons have
become more creative and practical. Children are beginning to verbally interact more during carpet sessions and we have noticed children looking toward the speaker more.”
This shift highlights something we know about learning in the early years – children thrive on adult interaction, hands-on exploration and language rich experiences.
The challenges
Of course, reducing screen time in the classroom isn’t without its challenges. As the teacher shared: “Initially the biggest challenge felt like finding the time to resource carpet sessions … sometimes it is difficult to source practical resources for certain tasks.”
There were also practical considerations around classroom routines: “At the beginning of day we sometimes used songs on the screen to settle children – taking this away initially created a more chaotic atmosphere.”
However, with time and adaptation, new strategies emerged, like introducing mark making activities to support children’s independence on arrival. These changes required effort, flexibility and training, especially when considering younger classes who needed more support.
The balance
Screens can be useful tools when used thoughtfully. But when they begin to replace opportunities for imaginative play, conversation, storytelling and hands-on learning, it’s worth pausing to reflect.
Are we using technology to enhance learning or to simplify routines at the cost of richer experiences? The advice from Blakehill’s Reception teacher offers a reassuring and realistic approach:
“See it as a challenge … bring back the creativity and imagination you had in teacher training. It is daunting, so don’t necessarily cut everything at once. The best time for us without a screen is the end of the day when it is all about story and song. I look forward to that lovely quality time with the children and that is how teaching should feel.”
Small changes, noticeable impact
This isn’t about cutting out technology completely, it’s about choosing less screen time and more play time. As more schools begin to reflect, maybe the question isn’t just “do we need the screen?” but “what do we make space for when it’s not
There?”
And more often than not, it’s learning through play! It’s that simple.
To learn more about our Less Screen Time, More Play Time campaign, head to our dedicated page here. You'll also find a suite of helpful resources, including support for conversations with parents.