Tech in the Early Years: Striking the Balance Between Play, Print and Pixels
Why balance matters
Young children learn best through rich, hands-on, play-based experiences, and technology is now simply part of the world they are growing up in. Thoughtfully used, digital tools can complement they are not a replacement to traditional play and print. They can support language development, creativity and early literacy when adults stay actively involved. For both parents and early year educators, the goal is not striving for “no screen time” but “better screens”. Used in the right measure and for the right reasons, it supports confident advancement without creating dependency.
What research says about tech and print
UK guidance for early years emphasises limiting sedentary screen time and prioritising movement and social interaction, especially under age 5. For 2–4 year olds, recommendations suggest no more than about an hour of sedentary screen time per day, and less is better when that time displaces sleep, physical play or face-to-face connection.
Studies also show a “print advantage”: children often focus more deeply and understand stories better when reading from physical books, with higher activity in attention-related areas of the brain compared to screens. Print brings additional benefits such as tactile engagement, freedom from notifications and reduced eye strain, all of which support early readers’ concentration and enjoyment.
Principles for healthy digital use (Early Years Foundation Stage)
For early primary and EYFS, three principles help keep technology in its place: purpose, participation and proportion.
Purpose: Choose digital tools that clearly support language, early literacy, creativity or communication, rather than passive entertainment.
Participation: Aim for co-use adults and children explore together rather than children using devices alone for long stretches.
Proportion: Protect sleep, outdoor play, print books and social interaction first, then fit short, high-quality digital sessions around those foundations.
Play first, pixels second
Play remains the “engine” of learning in the early years, building everything from motor skills and coordination to language, problem-solving and self-regulation. Open-ended play with blocks, role-play, drawing, sand, water and outdoor exploration provides sensory and social experiences no app can replicate and should anchor the day in homes and classrooms.
Digital tools can join this play, rather than interrupt it. For example, children might photograph a block model, record themselves telling a story about it, or use a simple app to capture and replay their own narration, blending physical making with digital meaning-making.
The unique power of print
For young readers, physical books offer a calm, predictable space where adults and children can slow down together. Shared print reading encourages turn-taking, pointing, talk about pictures and story prediction, all of which feed vocabulary and comprehension.
Because print books are free from in-app rewards and notifications, they naturally encourage longer attention spans and deeper emotional connection with characters and ideas. For many families, bedtime print reading also becomes a cherished routine that supports attachment and language development at the same time.
Print will always have a unique role in family reading, but well‑designed digital books can sit alongside it, especially when they encourage children to read aloud, interact with the story and share their progress with adults.
When pixels help: high-quality literacy apps
Not all screen time is equal. High-quality literacy apps designed around active engagement, feedback and language-rich content can support early readers, especially when access to adult one-to-one time or physical books is limited. Tools that encourage children to read, speak, listen and respond rather than just swipe and watch align more closely with early years pedagogy.
An interactive experience allows children in early primary years to practise decoding and reading aloud in short, focused bursts, while parents and teachers gain insight into reading frequency and progress through built-in reporting.
Practical ideas for EY educators
In nurseries and early primary classrooms, technology can sit alongside print corners, construction areas and role-play spaces rather than as a standalone “ICT treat.”
Create a reading ecosystem: Combine a cosy print book corner with a small digital station where children can record themselves reading or use an app like Fonetti for short, timetabled reading practice.
Blend physical and digital: Invite children to draw storyboards on paper, then read and record their stories using a tablet, linking concrete mark-making to digital publishing.
Use data to target support: Use literacy apps’ reporting to identify children who need extra support with fluency, then follow up with print-based small-group work and adult-led reading.
Co-construct rules: Involve children in agreeing how, when and why devices are used in the setting, building digital citizenship from the earliest years.
Comparing play, print and pixels
A balanced reading diet
For early primary years, thinking of a “reading diet” can help lots of play and print as the main course, and carefully chosen pixels as a powerful side dish. Print stories and real-world playground children in language, relationships and imagination, while digital tools can boost confidence, provide extra practice and make progress visible in ways that motivate both children and adults. When parents and educators collaborate on clear routines, shared expectations and open communication, technology becomes an ally in building lifelong readers rather than a competing distraction.
