Parents looking to encourage their children's development from an early age may be surprised to hear that educational TV programmes aimed at youngsters aged under two have been claimed to be ineffective.

This is according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which stated such shows are not beneficial to kids of this age as they are not old enough to understand the content.

In fact, spending large amounts of time in front of a TV screen could be harmful to toddlers, as the report said it distracts from genuinely helpful developmental activities.

"Children learn to think creatively, problem solve, and develop reasoning and motor skills at early ages through unstructured, unplugged play," the AAP stated, noting free play teaches them how to entertain themselves.

It therefore recommended that parents set aside time for youngsters to occupy themselves independently, with the adult supervising but not becoming directly involved.

Last week, former director of the UK's Royal Institution Baroness Greenfield told the Daily Telegraph that frequent videogaming could have a negative effect of n the brains of young children.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

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