Worried about your child’s excessive screen time during summer vacations?

New Delhi: Summer vacations are on and kids are enjoying a break from school and hectic daily routines. With plenty of spare time in hand during holidays and the temperature outdoors soaring high, parents are worried about kids spending excessive time glued to their screens during the break.

According to a survey commissioned by Kantar for Amazon in March 2023 among over 750 parents with young kids (3 - 8 years) across 10 metro and non-metro cities of India, almost 96 percent of parents are searching for screen-free ideas to keep their kids engaged with learning and fun activities.

The survey indicates that 82 percent of parents are worried about keeping their kids engaged this summer. Some of the top concerns of parents include 'help kids learn while having fun (41 percent)', 'keep pace with their curiosity to learn new things (37 percent)', and 'manage boredom amongst kids in creative ways (30 percent)'.

More than 90 percent of parents surveyed believe kids become less active when spending more time on screen devices. A majority felt that ideal screen time should be less than 2 hours however, 69 percent confirmed that their kids are spending more than 3 hours with screens every day.

"Kids are curious to learn new things and want to have fun in the process. With more free time at hand during summer vacations, parents have a big task ahead of themselves to keep their kids engaged", says Deepender Rana, Executive Managing Director, Insights Division, Kantar. "Our survey indicates that parents are keen to limit screen time of kids with screen-free activities that can help them learn new skills and have fun at the same time."

To help kids make the most of their summer vacation, parents can guide their children in learning new skills such as English speaking, good morals and social manners, performing arts like dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments, arts and crafts and physical and outdoor activities.

Planning recreational activities, screen-free social interactions and gadget-free summer camps are all great alternatives for children during their vacations. Introducing books can instill a love for reading, a habit that will stay with them forever. Engaging them in family chores will also help keep them motivated.