Confession: My Kid Gets Lots of Weekend Screen Time (But We Make It Educational!)

For many of us parents, weekend screen time is a reality. After a busy week with school, activities, family dinners, and bedtime routines, I confess that by Saturday, I'm often too exhausted to keep my daughter completely off her devices. During the week, we’re pretty good about being screen-free, but on the weekends, my elementary-age kid gets a lot of screen time. Rather than feeling guilty, I’ve decided to embrace weekend screen time – with a twist. I set out to make those hours more educational and enriching for her. Here’s how we’ve turned lazy weekend screen hours into fun learning opportunities, even for elementary and middle school kids.

Read-To-Me Apps and Story Videos

One of the best changes we made was swapping mindless cartoons for “read-to-me” apps and storytime videos. Instead of just watching random shows, my child now often listens to stories being read aloud on the screen. 

The Result? This strategy has been our most successful by far. Her love for these read-aloud videos has sparked an actual love of books. Many weekend mornings, I find her curled up, listening to story after story. She’s developed the attention span to be read to for hours! Now, when Mom or Dad has the energy, we happily read chapter books to her because she enjoys it so much. Even before she could read herself, she started loving chapter books just from hearing them read aloud. This makes sense – hearing engaging stories read aloud can ignite a child’s imagination and passion for reading. What’s great is that these apps and videos blend screen time with literacy.

• Options to Try: For read-aloud content, we love Brightly Storytime and StoryTime at Awnie’s House on YouTube and the Khan Academy Kids app (free on mobile). These resources read stories to your child in an engaging way, turning screen time into story time!

Teacher-Style Lesson Videos

Another strategy we use is putting on teaching lesson videos – the kind that feel like a fun mini-class. There are some great educational YouTube channels where instructors or animated teachers present lessons on all sorts of topics. 

The Result? My daughter actually enjoys watching these and has even started playing pretend “classroom” at home, lining up her stuffed animals as students! She easily grasps the teacher-student concept now and loves taking on the “teacher” role herself. She’s especially engaged when the video teacher is explaining a new concept or reading a book in an interactive way. I’ve noticed her pausing videos to answer the questions the host asks, as if she’s part of the class. It’s really cute – and it shows she’s actively learning, not just staring passively.

Better yet, some of these lesson-style videos tie in with what she learns at school. That was a win – it reinforced the lesson and made her feel confident for already knowing the material. It also reassured me that these channels are respected enough to be used in classrooms. Many of them are created by educators or have serious educational content behind the fun. These kinds of videos have been great for weekend screen time: my kid is glued to the screen because she’s learning and having fun simultaneously. I’ll often hear her singing a new educational song or trying out a science experiment she saw. She’s absorbing knowledge, not just watching mindless content.

• Options to Try: Check out Super Simple Play for engaging preschool/early elementary lessons and Scratch Garden for fun animated educational videos. Both channels mix learning with playfulness, so kids stay entertained and educated.

Interactive Learning Apps

Not all screen time has to be videos – learning apps can be another way to sneak education into weekend device time. We’ve explored a bunch of educational apps that promise to teach math, reading, or other skills through games. 

The Result? The results here have been mixed, to be honest. Some so-called “educational” apps lean too much on the gaming aspect – you know, flashy animations, collecting coins, endless mini-games – and a lot less on actual learning. My daughter will get hooked on the gameplay but not necessarily come away knowing much more than when she started. That can be frustrating (like when an “alphabet game” is basically just popping bubbles and not really teaching letters).

On the other hand, we’ve found a few apps that are high-quality teaching tools. Our rule now is to prioritize apps that teachers or schools recommend, because those tend to have real educational value. For example, my daughter’s school suggested an app called Raz-Kids for reading practice. It’s part of a reading program many schools use, with a huge library of leveled e-books.  We also gave SplashLearn a shot, since I heard a lot of teachers use it. It turns out SplashLearn is trusted by over 750,000 teachers worldwide, and it’s aligned with what kids learn in school (covering math and reading skills from Pre-K up to Grade 5). My daughter thinks it’s fun because it has cute graphics and rewards, but I appreciate that the content follows educational standards. 

Overall, by curating which apps she uses, we’ve turned tablet time into practice time for reading and math (with a bit of fun sprinkled in). It definitely beats her just playing random video games with zero educational content!

• Options to Try: Khan Academy Kids (free app for ages ~2–8, and the regular Khan Academy for older kids), Raz-Kids (reading app used in many schools), SplashLearn (math & reading games aligned to curriculum), and Sushi Monster (a fun math facts practice game). Each of these apps focuses more on learning than just scoring points, making screen time more beneficial.

Educational Shows That Even Adults Enjoy

One surprising tactic that worked for us was watching educational TV shows geared toward older kids or even adults. By that, I mean that instead of only letting her watch kiddie cartoons, we would sometimes watch more grown-up educational programs together. 

The Result? When my daughter was a toddler, she actually started picking up some big vocabulary words from these kinds of shows. We realized that exposing her to high-quality documentaries and science shows not only taught her facts but also boosted her vocabulary and curiosity about the world. She developed a real fascination with science and nature because of it. By hearing us discuss the show and sometimes pausing to explain, she was learning without it feeling like a lesson.

Not every adult documentary will hold a young kid’s interest, of course, but we found a few that she adored. One favorite is It’s Okay to Be Smart, a family-friendly science show (from PBS Digital Studios) with an energetic host who explains cool science facts in simple ways. Try to find shows revolving around your kids interests! Even though these shows aren’t made specifically for young children, they’re engaging and age-appropriate with a bit of adult guidance, and they can expand a kid’s horizons. 

• Options to Try: Some educational shows we’ve enjoyed together include “It’s Okay to Be Smart” (science YouTube/PBS series), “Prehistoric Road Trip” (dinosaur road-trip documentary on PBS), and “How It’s Made” (Science Channel series showing how things are manufactured). These shows are entertaining for adults and kids, and they introduce great new vocabulary and ideas.

Podcasts and Audio Story Time

Screen time doesn’t have to involve screens at all! We discovered the magic of kids’ podcasts and audio stories as an alternative on weekends, especially during car rides or quiet playtime. Sometimes, after a long week, the last thing I want is more noise and flashing images from the TV. That’s when I say, “Let’s have an audio adventure instead.” 

The Result? I’ll set up a kid-friendly podcast or a story playlist on Spotify, and my daughter will happily listen while drawing, building with blocks, or even making a blanket fort. It’s amazing how having audio stories readily available can transform long drives or house chores into imaginative story time for kids.

Podcasts and audiobooks are more than just convenient – they’re genuinely great for kids’ minds. Listening to stories without visuals forces children to use their imagination to picture the scenes, which is fantastic for their creativity and cognitive development. Educators note that listening to a story engages kids in a way that watching a show doesn’t, because they have to visualize everything themselves and pay attention to follow the narrative. It also builds up their listening skills and vocabulary. Research backs this up too: according to Oxford Learning, audio podcasts sneak knowledge into storytelling, boosting kids’ curiosity, improving their listening skills, expanding vocabulary, and even encouraging critical thinking – all while being screen-free. And from a parent's perspective, I love that podcasts give her a break from the glare of a screen, especially right before bed or when relaxing.

• Options to Try: Explore kids’ podcasts like VeggieTales: Very Veggie Silly Stories, Lamplight Stories, or Story Time with Philip and Mommy (all available on Spotify or other podcast apps). They’re engaging and kid-friendly – perfect for car rides, quiet time, or anytime you want an educational break from screens.

Cartoons in a Foreign Language

This last strategy is a bit unconventional, and our results have been mixed, but it’s worth mentioning. We started letting our child watch some of her favorite cartoons in a foreign language (with English subtitles on). The idea was that she might painlessly pick up some words from another language by exposure. 

The Result? We’ve been doing this on and off for about three years – whenever a show has an audio option in Spanish, Mandarin, or another language, we’ll switch it over and have her watch that way. Does it work? Well, I’m not entirely sure she’s become anywhere near fluent in another language just from cartoons. However, there was an unexpected benefit: because the audio was in another language, she started reading the subtitles to understand the story. Over time, this helped her reading skills! Faced with either learning to understand spoken Mandarin (tough for a little kid) or simply reading the subtitles, she chose the latter – so in a roundabout way, foreign-language shows turned into reading practice. Her reading speed and vocabulary got a boost from all those hours of subtitle reading.

It turns out that using subtitles can significantly help kids with reading and vocabulary. Studies have shown that children who watch TV with captions on improve their reading fluency and word recognition notably. IIf learning a new language is a goal for your family, many educators suggest having kids re-watch their favorite shows in that target language to reinforce their skills. Just keep expectations realistic – it works best as a supplement to actual language instruction. In our house, we’ve come to see this method as a fun cultural exposure and a sneaky reading exercise more than a direct language lesson. And hey, at the very least, I don’t have to listen to the same English cartoon dialogue for the 100th time – the variety in audio keeps me sane too!

• Options to Try: Most kids’ shows on Netflix or Disney+ have alternate audio tracks. We’ve used Octonauts: Above & Beyond, Ada Twist, Scientist, Waffles + Mochi, and Gabi’s Dollhouse in other languages. Just turn on English subtitles and switch the audio to something like Spanish or Mandarin. Your child will either start picking up the new language or, like mine, end up reading the subtitles – a win either way!

Final Thoughts: Quality Over Guilt

By implementing these strategies, I’ve managed to turn weekend screen time from a source of parental guilt into something I almost feel proud of. My daughter is not just vegging out in front of random videos; she’s exploring books, learning math, discovering science facts, and even strengthening her reading and listening skills. Screen time, when curated thoughtfully, really can be quality learning time. I’ve learned that it’s not just about limiting screens, but about leveraging them for good content. As one mom to another, I’ll say this: don’t beat yourself up for those weekend mornings when you hand over the tablet so you can have a break. We all need those breathers. Just load that tablet or TV with some educational goodies first!

Remember, it’s quality over quantity. Studies have found that children who watch high-quality, age-appropriate content tend to experience fewer negative effects from screen time than kids who watch junk TV, even if the total hours are similar. That fact has really helped me relax. By choosing programs, apps, and podcasts that enrich my child’s mind, I know she’s getting something valuable out of her screen time. So here’s to guilt-free Saturday mornings and educational movie nights! After a long week, we deserve a break, and our kids can still learn while we catch our breath. Screen time isn’t so bad when it works for you!