BabyBrain Download

Why it works · Ages 2–6

Screens are the smallest part of a good day.

A healthy day for a young child has room for about an hour of screens. The rest belongs to sleep, play and people. BabyBrain is built to fit inside that hour.

1 h of screens, at most

The 24-hour day

Walk through a healthy day.

Example for agesAges
10:05 am
Together

Wake up and cuddle

A slow start. Talk about what the day will bring.

So far today

Sleep0 minGoal: 10 to 13 h
Active play0 minGoal: 3 h or more
Screens0 minLimit: 1 h, and less is better
Together0 minMeals, books, talk and quiet play

Our rules

Four rules, built from the research.

  1. Rule 1

    Screens stop on their own.

    Sessions last up to 15 minutes, with a daily play limit and a break screen that ends play.

    The research

    Children aged 2 to 4 should spend no more than an hour a day sitting at a screen. Less is better.

    SourceWHO 2019
  2. Rule 2

    Nothing pulls them back.

    No autoplay, no feed and no rewards for “just one more.”

    The research

    Autoplay, endless feeds and designs that keep children playing longer are not built for their wellbeing.

    SourceAAP 2026
  3. Rule 3

    Every game needs your child.

    Each game asks your child to act, not watch. It’s made for a grown-up nearby, not as a babysitter.

    The research

    Watch and play alongside your child. Two-year-olds learn more from a tablet when a parent joins in.

    SourcesAAP 2026Heimann 2020
  4. Rule 4

    Games grow with your child.

    Four age bands, from 2 to 6. You choose the band and can change it any time.

    The research

    Skills develop in a broad sequence between ages 2 and 6, and every child moves at their own pace.

    SourceCDC

While you play together

Your words shape theirs.

Pick a moment, choose a reply, and see how your child answers.

Why it works

Guided play: Beat direct teaching for early maths, shapes and task switching. (opens in a new tab) Serve and return: Back-and-forth moments shape the developing brain. (opens in a new tab) Conversation turns: More back-and-forth talk at 3, stronger language at 4. (opens in a new tab) Emotion coaching: Naming feelings went with fewer behaviour problems. (opens in a new tab) Praise for effort: Linked to welcoming challenges years later. (opens in a new tab)

The research behind BabyBrain

Read the evidence yourself.

WHO · Guideline · 2019Under-5 guidelinesMovement, sitting, screens and sleep across a 24-hour day. (opens in a new tab) WHO · Guideline · 2020Ages 5 to 17An hour of energetic activity a day, and less sitting at screens for fun. (opens in a new tab) AASM · Consensus · 2016Sleep by age10 to 13 hours at ages 3 to 5, and 9 to 12 hours from 6. Endorsed by the AAP. (opens in a new tab) AAP · For families · 2026Helping kids thrivePlay alongside your child, and keep screens off in the hour before bed. (opens in a new tab) AAP · Policy · 2026Digital ecosystemsChild-centred design, privacy, and no features that prolong use, like autoplay. (opens in a new tab) Study · 2020Learning from a tabletTwo-year-olds recalled more with a parent’s help, and most from a live demo. (opens in a new tab) CDC · ChecklistsDevelopmental milestonesPlay, language, thinking and movement to age 5. For watching, not diagnosing. (opens in a new tab) Meta-analysis · 2022Guided play39 studies. It beat direct teaching for early maths, shapes and task switching. (opens in a new tab) Harvard · Key conceptServe and returnBack-and-forth moments, and naming what a child sees or feels, build language. (opens in a new tab) Trial · 2024Conversation turnsMore back-and-forth talk at 3 predicted stronger language at 4. (opens in a new tab) Trial · 2010Emotion coachingParents learned to name feelings, and saw fewer behaviour problems. (opens in a new tab) Study · 2013Praise for effortEffort praise at ages 1 to 3 predicted a belief that ability can grow, at 7 to 8. (opens in a new tab)

BabyBrain isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by WHO, AAP, CDC, Harvard or the cited researchers. Its four age bands group activities and aren’t clinical stages. Milestones are for watching, not scoring: children develop at different rates, so if you’re worried, talk to a healthcare professional.

Thirty minutes is plenty.

Set BabyBrain to stop after 30 minutes a day, well inside the hour. Start free with 9 games.

Download on theApp Store

Free to download · iPhone and iPad

See all 24 games

BabyBrain is not medical advice and is not a replacement for sleep, movement, reading, outdoor time or time with you.

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About these example days

Each example is one possible day, and every family’s day looks different. Up to age 5 they follow WHO’s 2019 guidelines for children under 5. Two-year-olds need 11 to 14 hours of sleep and at least 3 hours of active play of any kind. Three and four-year-olds need 10 to 13 hours of sleep and at least 3 hours of active play, with an hour of it energetic. At these ages, screen time should be an hour or less, and less is better.

From age 5, WHO’s guidance for ages 5 to 17 asks for an average of at least an hour of energetic activity a day and less time sitting, especially at screens for fun. It sets no fixed screen limit. The sleep goal for 5 and 6-year-olds is where the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s ranges overlap: 10 to 13 hours up to age 5, and 9 to 12 hours from age 6. The screen-free hour before bed is from the AAP’s 2026 guidance for families.