What does a healthy balance between screen time and imaginative play look like in real life? 

Parenting Perspective 

A healthy balance means that screens are simply one component of a child’s day, not the main event, and that imaginative play has sufficient space to flourish. In practice, this balance is less about a perfect division of hours and more about creating a daily rhythm where both activities have a natural place. Imaginative play, in particular, must be protected as a vital ingredient for creativity, problem-solving, and emotional development. 

Use Screens as a Springboard to Play 

Screens can inspire imaginative play if they are followed by hands-on activities. After watching a short nature documentary, for example, a child can be encouraged to build a ‘forest’ from blocks or act out an animal adventure. The key is to treat the screen not as the final destination, but as the start of a creative chain. 

Protect Sacred “Screen-Free” Zones 

Designate certain parts of the day for free play, completely clear of devices. This could be the first hour after school, the period before bedtime, or mornings before the day’s duties begin. These protected spaces become the natural home for unstructured games, storytelling, and role-play, allowing a child’s mind to wander without digital distraction. 

Encourage Both Solo and Shared Imagination 

It is important to foster both independent and collaborative forms of play. A child might spend half an hour creating a detailed world with their toys alone, and later invite a parent or sibling to join the game. This mix provides them with the freedom to explore their own thoughts and the opportunity to practise social collaboration, keeping their play varied and enriching. 

Make Screen Time Predictable and Finite 

When screens have set and predictable time slots, such as one hour in the afternoon, children are less likely to abandon imaginative play in the hope of negotiating for more screen access. This predictability helps them to settle into creative activities more easily, knowing that their screen time has a defined and respected boundary. 

In a balanced day, screens provide information and connection, while imaginative play gives children the freedom to build worlds in their own minds and with their own hands. The two can support each other, but only when unstructured play is given as much priority as the digital world. 

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, both learning and recreation hold value when they are approached with moderation and good intention. Screen time can be a source of knowledge, but imaginative play builds creativity, focus, and resilience—qualities that help a child develop into a capable and thoughtful believer. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Furqaan (25), Verse 67: 

‘And it is those people that do not spend extravagantly, and are not miserly; and (act in such a way) that is a balanced format between these two (extreme characteristics)…’ 

This verse reminds us that balance is a guiding principle in a believer’s life whether in spending wealth, using time, or choosing recreational activities. 

It is recorded in Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 323, that the companion Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 

‘Teach your children swimming, archery, and horse riding.’ 

This statement highlights that active, skill-building recreation is encouraged as part of raising well-rounded children. By balancing digital consumption with rich imaginative play, you are following the prophetic tradition of nurturing both the mind and the body. This approach gives your child the benefits of technology without causing them to lose the timeless joy and developmental growth that come from creating, imagining, and playing freely.