NCH Cymru said that the average child under four spent nearly five hours a day watching television and videos or playing computer games. Spokesman Patrick Legge said parents might think they were being generous, but in fact they were losing sight of what young children needed and enjoyed, such as painting sets, play costumes and traditional games and toys. These were much better at encouraging active play than screen-based entertainment.
Mr Legge said, 'Young children get an enormous amount of fun and play experience from simple games and toys. Some parents may be tempted to buy expensive gifts from an adult point of view, rather than from an understanding of what young children need and enjoy.'
He argued that while technology was sometimes a useful educational tool, it was no replacement for two-way interaction with adults and other children, and that time, attention, encouragement and 'the freedom to play imaginatively' were the most valuable gifts parents could give.
Jennie Lindon, child psychologist and early years consultant, said she empathised with parents who felt pressured into buying technological presents for young children. But, she stressed, 'This generation of children are very happy with simple resources that can fuel their imaginations.'
Ms Lindon said that parents should be wary of 'so-called educational software', and added, 'Just because it says on the packet that it supports early learning doesn't mean it's true.'