Screen Time Policy at Licensed Daycare in Saskatchewan 2026 | Daisy Days Guide

Screen time has become one of the most frequently debated parenting topics of the 2020s — and licensed daycares in Saskatchewan navigate screen use in group care settings with specific guidelines. At Daisy Days Daycare in Regina SK, our position on screens is clear: daycare hours are for rich, active, educator-guided learning and play — not passive screen viewing.

Canadian Paediatric Society Screen Time Guidelines for Daycares

Saskatchewan’s licensed daycares follow Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) guidelines on screen time for young children in group care settings:

Age Group	CPS Screen Time Recommendation
Under 2 years	No screen time except video calls with family members
2-5 years	No more than 1 hour per day total (home + daycare combined)
School age (5+)	Consistent limits, prioritizing active and creative time

These guidelines reflect the evidence base on screen time’s effects on young children’s development — including attention, language acquisition, sleep, and physical activity. The research base that drove these recommendations has strengthened over the past decade.

What “Screen Time” Means at a Licensed Daycare

Not all screen use is equivalent at a licensed daycare. The categories:

• Passive entertainment (not appropriate): Cartoons, YouTube videos, entertainment apps used to occupy or entertain children. Daisy Days Daycare does not use passive entertainment screens.
• Educational video content (minimal, purposeful): Brief, specific educational content used intentionally as part of curriculum. Time-limited, educator-engaged (not just playing in the background). Very occasional use only at quality centres.
• Video calls with family (permitted, age-appropriate): Brief video calls with parents or family members are permitted for infants and toddlers as a genuine connection tool — not as entertainment.
• Documentation tools (not child-facing): Educators using tablets to document observations, take photos for portfolios, or communicate with parents. Children are not watching; the screen is a professional tool.

Why Daisy Days Daycare Prioritizes Active Learning Over Screens

Daisy Days Daycare in Regina SK has 7 hours of operating time with your child each daycare day. Screen time competes directly with:

• Language-rich educator conversation (the single strongest predictor of language development)
• Physical play and motor development
• Peer social interaction
• Sensory exploration
• Creative and dramatic play
• Read-alouds and early literacy activities

The return on investment of active, educator-facilitated play is dramatically higher than any screen-based activity for children under 5. Screens are not a learning shortcut — in the early childhood context, they typically produce the opposite.

What to Ask About Screen Time When Touring Licensed Daycares in Regina SK

• “Do you use screens with children? How often and in what context?”
• “What is your specific screen time policy?”
• “Do you follow Canadian Paediatric Society screen time guidelines?”

A licensed daycare that uses screens frequently for entertainment — particularly for infants and toddlers — is not following best practice regardless of its licensing status.

→ 10 signs of quality licensed daycare in Regina SK
→ Play-based vs academic curriculum at daycare
→ What children learn at daycare every day

Contact Daisy Days Daycare — active learning, no passive screens in Regina SK.
306-807-3233 | info@daisydaysdaycare.com | 2007 Potts Crescent East, Regina SK S4V 2E5