Singapore’s New K1 & K2 Health Plan: Strategies to Swap Screen Time for ‘Flow State’ Play
With the recent expansion of the MOH Grow Well SG health plan for K1 and K2 preschoolers this January, there is a renewed national conversation about screen time. But the conversation isn't just about what we are moving away from—it’s about what we are moving towards.
At the heart of a healthy childhood is the transition from passive consumption to active creation.
The Magic of the ‘Analog’ Mind
Screens are designed to capture a child's attention through rapid-fire rewards—flashing lights and constant noise. While entertaining, it leaves little room for a child to sit with their own thoughts.
When we remove the screen, we introduce something much more valuable: The Pause. In that quiet moment of "boredom," a child’s brain begins to work differently. They start to look at a simple wooden block not for what it is, but for what it could be. This is the birth of divergent thinking.
Entering the ‘Flow State’
Have you ever watched a child become so engrossed in a world of their own making that the rest of the room seems to disappear? This is the Flow State—the ultimate form of focus.
In this state, a handful of wooden figures—a King, a Queen, and a Princess—aren't just toys; they are characters in a complex drama of leadership and family. A collection of wooden animals becomes a thriving ecosystem or a noisy farmyard. In the "slow" world of wooden play, the child is the director, the scriptwriter, and the actor.
Building Worlds, One Block at a Time
Whether it’s the quiet concentration of building houses with wooden blocks—carefully balancing each piece to see how high it can go—or the busy, social energy of pretend play at the kitchen, these moments are building more than just structures. They are building:
Narrative Skills: On a screen, the story is written for you. With wooden toys, the child must invent the dialogue and the plot.
Sensory Grounding: The weight and warmth of wood provide tactile feedback that a glass screen cannot. It helps a child’s nervous system feel grounded and calm.
Independence: Deciding where the "house" goes or what the animals eat gives a child a sense of agency and confidence in their own ideas.
Practical Strategies to Gently Reduce Screen Time
Reducing screen time doesn't have to be a battle. Often, it's just about creating a "friction-free" path to other activities:
The ‘Out of Sight’ Rule: At home, designate a ‘charging station’ outside the play area. If the tablet isn't visible, the brain naturally looks for the next best thing—often a wooden animal or a set of blocks.
Transition Warnings: Instead of an abrupt "turn it off," use a physical timer (like a sand timer) to help a preschooler’s brain prepare for a shift in activity.
The ‘Follow-the-Interest’ Swap: If your child loves shows about castles, set out your wooden figures and blocks. Say, "I wonder if we can build a castle even better than the one on the screen?"
Model the ‘Analog’ Life: Children mirror our habits. Try putting your phone in a drawer for 30 minutes of "Deep Play" with them. When they see you building a wooden house, they see that "Slow Play" is a high-value activity.
The Long View
The MOH Health Plan is a wonderful reminder that health isn't just physical—it’s the mental space we give our children to grow. By choosing "analog" environments, we aren't just taking away a tablet; we are giving them back their own imagination.
In a world that is getting faster and louder, the most radical thing we can do for our children is to let them slow down, pick up a wooden toy, and simply play.
