Why Screen Time Isn’t Always Bad for Kids 📱

Screen time has gotten a bad rap in recent years, with many parents and educators emphasizing that kids should spend less or no time staring at screens and more time playing outdoors. But is this really the best advice? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), no more than two hours of screen time per day is recommended for children. While it’s important to monitor screen time use, some screen activities can actually be beneficial for kids.When it comes to educational activities, like teaching young kids to read or do math, screens can be very useful tools. Kids are often able to learn in a way that feels more engaging while they’re interacting with digital devices. Furthermore, some mobile games can give kids an opportunity to interact with objects and develop their social skills in a way that traditional playtime doesn’t always allow. Still, it’s important to balance out the amount of screen time your child gets with other activities such as playing outside, talking one-on-one with family members about their lives and interests, or reading books for pleasure. This helps ensure that your child isn’t missing out on important developmental milestones and experiences.If you're worried about how much screen time your child is getting each day, there are ways you can limit it without cutting them off entirely from technology. Start by setting rules about what type of content your child is allowed to view online and don’t forget about parental controls available on most devices that can provide additional security against inappropriate material. Additionally, encourage regular breaks away from screens during mealtimes, when your child should just be talking with family members or playing games together instead of on their device. Also be aware of any apps or games they might have access to that require constant connection and discourage them from using those when possible. It's also essential that parents remain involved in their children's online activities by watching movies, shows, or playing games together as well as talking through tough topics like cyberbullying or scams they might encounter while on the internet. Finally – make sure not to fall into the trap of using screens as a “babysitter" for your kids as this will ultimately prevent them from learning how to entertain themselves without technology as part of their daily lives!

New App Release – Mighty Express – Play & Learn!

Choo Choo! The trains are coming! TutoTOONS just released a new, educational app co-produced with SpinMaster! Mighty Express app follows the bubbly adventures of friends, trains and animals of the Mighty Express universe. Meet Nico, Liza, Max and their train friends – Freight Nate, Builder Brock, Farmer Faye and Mechanic Milo. Together with them, little boys and girls will learn shapes, numbers, colors, basic math, improve their fine motor and problem-solving skills – all while completing fun missions and playing games. When kids progress in the app, missions and levels are becoming harder – so parents can be sure that their little ones are constantly learning and improving while playing with Mighty Express trains and kids! Download Mighty Express app: Play Store – https://bit.ly/3gKEAno Apple Store – https://apple.co/3oNxa5O Watch the show – https://bit.ly/3a9mXN5 Check out Mighty Express YouTube channel – https://bit.ly/2WdaAHr

Two-Day Workshop with Little Big Partnership

On March 16-17th, the whole team gathered at TutoTOONS Kaunas office to meet and learn from our special guest and mentor. Maurice Wheeler, partner at The Little Big Partnership who worked with global brands like Disney, LEGO and Nickelodeon, shared his insights on creating the best digital experience for kids. It was the most intensive TutoTOONS workshop so far: learning sessions with interactive tasks, a lot of valuable information, discussions and analysis of the newest TutoTOONS games, all in 2 days!  We learned more about kids of different ages. We asked many questions how to design and deliver the best content. Divided in teams, we put theory into practice and analysed how we can improve our games. Hard work has to pay off - we rewarded ourselves with a small party, played games at the office and wished Maurice a safe flight back home. Thank you!

Learning to Understand Kids Better

TutoTOONS aims to create games that engage kids and help them develop but sometimes we have questions what’s best for our players. Therefore, we invited Child Psychologist and Psychotherapist Rosita Pipirienė to our office and organised a learning session about children’s psychological development. We heard a lot of interesting insights about kids’ development, age stages, role playing, symbols and color therapy. We discussed how games can stimulate imagination and creativity, build better habits, help to understand rules, socialize and become a team member. Thank you, Rosita! It was very useful and we hope to meet again soon! For the first time ever, TutoTOONS team standing in one line.