When a Child Doesn’t Know How to Play. Can the effects of screen time be reversed?

Last week, we had a preschool group visit Riri’s Children Playloft for their termly field trip.

Most of the children did what children usually do when they enter our space. They ran from corner to corner, explored the diverse range of sensory and tactile toys, built towers, pushed trains, and created little imaginary worlds with the doll houses, animals and figurines.

But one boy cried. From the moment he stepped in, till almost the end of the field trip. At first, we thought he was just shy and not used to the new environment. Sometimes children take a while to warm up in a new place.

But it wasn’t that. When the teachers attempted to introduce toys to him, he simply wasn’t interested and continued to sob. He didn’t seem to know what to do with the toys and the play areas.

We approached the teachers to find out how we can help, and they shared that he had spent much of his early childhood with screens, and had simply not had many chances to explore open-ended toys before. He had just joined the preschool not too long ago, so the teachers are slowly encouraging him to explore toys.

And suddenly it all made sense. He wasn’t afraid of the toys nor the environment. He just didn’t know how to begin.

Most of us already know that too much screen time is not ideal for young children. But seeing a moment like this — a child looking at a toy and not knowing what to do with it — was a moment that stayed with us.

Running a play space means we get to observe many small moments of childhood up close. And sometimes those moments quietly remind us how important play still is.

The quiet shift in childhood

Many parents today are asking similar questions: Are screens affecting how children play? Can screen time effects be reversed? The answer is YES, we absolutely have the power to reduce and even reverse the negative effects of screen exposure at a young age.

In Singapore especially, family life can be busy. Work schedules are long, enrichment classes fill many afternoons, and evenings often feel rushed.

Sometimes parents simply need a few minutes of quiet. So a phone or tablet becomes a helpful solution. Maybe it helps a child sit still long enough to eat dinner. Maybe it buys ten minutes while dinner is being prepared. Maybe it just gives everyone a moment of calm after a long day.

Almost every parent has been there, so have we.

Screens themselves are not the whole story. But when they quietly become a regular part of daily life, children can slowly become used to being entertained, instead of discovering how to entertain themselves.

Screens move quickly. They tell stories. They constantly stimulate the brain. Toys are very different. Toys are quiet. They wait for the child to decide what to do. And for a child who has not had many chances to explore open-ended play, that quiet can feel unfamiliar at first.

What play actually teaches children

Play often looks simple from the outside. But many important things are happening beneath the surface. When children build something that falls down, they learn patience. When they pretend animals are talking to each other, they practise storytelling and empathy. When they share toys, they learn negotiation and cooperation.

And when children learn to take care of toys — returning them after playing, using them gently, making sure pieces are not lost — they also learn to respect things. They begin to understand that objects have value and that shared spaces require consideration.

None of this feels like learning to a child. It simply feels like play. But these small experiences quietly build foundations for problem-solving, imagination, and social skills.

Can children rediscover play after too much screen time?

The encouraging news is yes — in many cases children rediscover play surprisingly quickly. When children are given time, simple toys, and fewer distractions, their curiosity often begins to return naturally. Parents who want to reduce screen time and encourage imaginative play can try a few small shifts.

Offer fewer toys

A room filled with toys can sometimes overwhelm children. Two or three simple toys — blocks, animals, or building pieces — are often enough to spark creativity.

Resist leading the play

Adults often demonstrate how toys should work. But real play often begins when children start making their own discoveries.

Allow boredom

When children say they are bored, it can feel uncomfortable. But boredom is often where imagination begins. If we immediately fill that moment with a screen, creativity never quite starts. But if we wait a little, something interesting usually happens.

A block becomes a house. An animal becomes a character. A small story begins.

Rediscovering the joy of play

Many toys that encourage imagination are surprisingly simple — wooden blocks, trains, dolls, animals, building pieces. They don’t light up. They don’t talk. In fact, they encourage the children to talk in their place, they invite children to bring them to life.

By the end of the preschool visit, the little boy had stopped crying. He was beginning to explore the toys around him. We quietly hoped that something had been sparked — a small curiosity about toys and play. Perhaps it was the beginning of something.

Running a play space means we sometimes witness small moments like this — moments that gently remind us how important play still is in childhood. Because children do not lose the ability to play forever. Sometimes they simply need the time, space, and environment to rediscover it.

At Riri’s Children Playloft, we often see how quickly children reconnect with play when they are given simple toys, time, and the freedom to explore.

Perhaps the question isn’t whether children know how to use screens. Perhaps the more important question is whether they still remember how to play.