Hey Raha blog · Family life

Screen time over the Christmas holidays: what the guidelines say, and a plan that survives the long break

By Marie Adly · Last updated: 22 October 2026

There's no single "holiday allowance" in any official guidance, but the age-based advice is clear. The World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics and UK government guidance all say to avoid screens for under-2s except shared activities such as video calls, and to keep 2 to 5-year-olds to about one hour a day. For school-age children, Australia's guidelines say no more than two hours of recreational screen time a day, while the AAP and the UK's Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health focus on what screens push out: sleep, movement, meals and time together. Over a long break, decide a few rules before it starts, keep screens out of bedrooms and the hour before bed, and plan the days so screens aren't the default.

How long is the break? 2026-27 holiday dates

The length of the break changes the plan. A two-week break is a long weekend repeated; a six-week Australian summer needs a real routine.

Your own school can differ, especially for training days at either end. UAE families: full dates by school group are on our UAE winter break 2026 page and in Dubai school holidays 2026-27.

What the official guidance says, by age

Two points run through all of them:

• Protect sleep. The UK guidance and the RCPCH both advise avoiding screens in the hour before bed. The AAP's Family Media Plan also suggests screen-free bedrooms and bedtimes.
• It's not only about minutes. The RCPCH found too little evidence to set a single limit for all children and instead suggests four questions: is screen time in your household controlled, does it interfere with what your family wants to do, does it interfere with sleep, and can you control snacking during screen time? The AAP has also moved beyond the old "2-hour rule" to its 5 Cs.

What about the UAE? We didn't find a UAE government screen-time limit for children. Families there tend to follow WHO guidance or their home country's advice, and schools set their own device rules for term time.

Why the holidays are different

Term time builds in structure: school hours, clubs, homework, bedtimes. The holidays remove most of it at once, and screens fill the gaps without anyone deciding they should. Common pressure points:

• Late mornings and late nights, so the "hour before bed" rule drifts.
• Long journeys and airport waits.
• Visitors, parties and a busy kitchen, when a screen buys an hour of calm.
• New devices and games unwrapped on the day.
• Different carers, each with their own idea of what's allowed.

None of this means the holidays are a write-off. It means the plan has to be decided before the break, not invented on day three.

A holiday screen plan in five decisions

Make these five decisions together, as a family if your children are old enough, and write them down.

1. The daily shape, not just the number. For example: no screens before breakfast and getting dressed, a screen window after lunch, a family film at the weekend. Shapes are easier to keep than totals.
2. Where screens don't go. Bedrooms, the meal table and the car on short trips are the usual screen-free zones. The UK under-5 guidance specifically suggests screen-free bedrooms and mealtimes.
3. What "good" content looks like. For young children, the UK guidance recommends slow-paced, age-appropriate content and avoiding fast, social media-style videos. For older children, agree which games, apps and channels are fine.
4. What comes before screens. Outside time, a chore, reading, or a planned activity. The Australian guidelines pair the screen limit with at least an hour a day of moderate to vigorous activity for 5 to 17-year-olds.
5. The off switch. How screen time ends (a timer, a five-minute warning, one more episode), and the hour before bed with no screens.

The AAP's free Family Media Plan tool turns these decisions into a printable plan you can stick on the fridge.

A sample holiday day

This is one example, not a rule. Adjust for age, weather and the day's plans.

For holiday camps, clubs and activities in the UAE, see our UAE kids' activities guide.

Travel days, guests and the big day itself

Rules can bend on special days. It helps to decide in advance which days are "bend" days, so they don't become every day.

• Flights and long drives: download age-appropriate content in advance, bring headphones, and pack non-screen options (sticker books, audio stories, card games).
• Christmas Day and family gatherings: agree a short screen window, then devices go in a basket.
• Video calls with family abroad: all the guidance treats shared video calls differently from solo watching, even for babies.
• After a bend day: go straight back to the usual shape the next morning.

New devices as Christmas presents

If a tablet, phone, console or smartwatch is under the tree:

• Set it up before you wrap it. Parental controls, age ratings, purchase passwords and screen-time settings are easier to set before the box is opened.
• Agree the rules on day one, including where it charges overnight (outside the bedroom).
• Check the age rules. Look up each app's minimum age in its terms and any local rules before setting up accounts. The UK under-5 guidance advises keeping social media and AI chat tools away from young children.
• Think about the whole family's screens. The UK guidance notes that children copy adults' phone habits.

More gift ideas by age, including ones that aren't screens, are in our gifts for kids and teacher gifts guide.

When your nanny, helper or grandparents are in charge

Over the holidays, the person with the children at 2pm may not be you. The plan only works if everyone uses the same one.

• Write the rules down, in one short list: the daily screen window, screen-free zones, which apps and channels are fine, and the bedtime cut-off.
• Give them the activities, not just the limits. A list of park, craft and outing ideas makes "no screens yet" easier to say.
• Agree what happens on bend days, and who decides.
• Share passwords for the parental controls only with the adults who need them.

Our nanny briefing template and the guide to briefing your helper on the school week work for holiday weeks too.

Getting back to school-night screens in January

Start the switch about three days before term:

• Move bedtime and the screen cut-off back to school-night times.
• Reintroduce the term-time device rules (no screens before school, homework first).
• Pack the bag, check uniform and kit the weekend before. Our what to pack for a UAE school day list helps.
• Check the school emails for the first-week dates: INSET days, clubs restarting, any changed start time.

Earlier in the season: Halloween at school and the US Thanksgiving school break.

Screen time over the holidays FAQ

How much screen time should kids have over the Christmas holidays?
No official guidance sets a separate holiday limit. Age guidance still applies: avoid screens for under-2s except shared activities such as video calls, about 1 hour a day for 2 to 5-year-olds, and no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time a day for 5 to 17-year-olds under Australia's guidelines.

What does the WHO say about screen time for children?
WHO's 2019 guidelines for under-5s say screen time is not recommended for babies under 1 or for 1-year-olds, and that 2 to 4-year-olds should have no more than 1 hour of sedentary screen time a day, with less being better.

What does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend?
The AAP advises avoiding screens other than video chatting under 18 months, high-quality content watched together from 18 to 24 months, and about 1 hour a day for 2 to 5-year-olds. For older children it recommends a Family Media Plan rather than one fixed limit.

What does UK guidance say about screen time?
UK government guidance for under-5s, published in March 2026 on the Best Start in Life site, advises avoiding screens for under-2s except shared activities, about 1 hour a day for 2 to 5-year-olds, and no screens at mealtimes or in the hour before bed. The RCPCH sets no single limit for older children and focuses on sleep and what screens replace.

Should screens be off before bed in the holidays?
Yes. UK guidance and the RCPCH both advise avoiding screens in the hour before bed, and the AAP suggests screen-free bedrooms. Holidays are when this habit slips most, so keep it even if bedtime moves later.

Is there a UAE screen-time guideline for children?
We didn't find a UAE government screen-time limit for children. Many families in the UAE follow WHO guidance or their home country's advice, and schools set their own device rules for term time.

Sources

• World Health Organization, 24 Apr 2019, To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more
• World Health Organization, Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age
• American Academy of Pediatrics, Media and Young Minds (policy statement, Pediatrics 2016)
• American Academy of Pediatrics, The 5 Cs of Media Use
• HealthyChildren.org (AAP), Kids and Screen Time: How to Use the 5 C's of Media Guidance (updated 6 Jan 2026)
• HealthyChildren.org (AAP), Family Media Plan
• GOV.UK, 26 Mar 2026, New screen time guidance for parents of under-5s
• Best Start in Life (UK government, linked from NHS), Screen time guidance for under 5s
• NHS, Best Start in Life: early learning and development
• Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Jan 2019, The health impacts of screen time: a guide for clinicians and parents (archived; copy hosted by NHS Norfolk and Waveney)
• Australian Government Department of Health, Recommendations for children and young people (5 to 17 years)
• Australian Government Department of Health, 24-hour movement guidelines
• UAE Ministry of Education, Academic Calendar 2026-2027 (PDF)
• Kent County Council, Term dates
• New York City Public Schools, 2026-2027 School Year Calendar
• Los Angeles Unified School District, Instructional School Calendar 2026-2027 (PDF)
• NSW Department of Education, Future and past NSW term and vacation dates
• Victoria State Government, School term dates and holidays in Victoria

More from the blog: the Hey Raha blog hub. New here? Our practical guides walk through the day-to-day.