From Crayons to Clicks: Why too much screen time is undermining basic preschool skills

The following is a true story based on my observations working with preschoolers who spend too much time on devices.

It’s 8:07 a.m. and the morning is already glitching.

A four-year-old sits at the table, watercolor set open, chubby fists clutching a paintbrush like it’s a stylus. She dips the brush, mixes a bit of blue into her yellow, and frowns. “Oh no! How do I delete this?”

I pause. “Well... you can’t. You can blot it with a paper towel, but there’s no delete button.”

She blinks. “No, I need to undo this.”

But there is no "undo." No “cut,” “copy,” or “paste.” There’s just pigment on paper, permanently blending into a murky brown.

She scrubs harder, as if trying to refresh the page.

Then comes the plea: “Can I just scroll down and start over?”

This is the moment my heart drops a little.

She’s not trying to be funny. She’s genuinely confused. Her brain has been so shaped by digital tools that she doesn’t understand how paper works. She’s four years old and already behind in understanding how the physical world works.

And this isn’t just this one child. It’s becoming heartbreakingly common.

Screens Are Replacing Skills

Later, she’s handed a picture book. She holds it carefully, index finger hovering over the page like she’s about to tap an app. She pokes the illustration of a bunny. Nothing happens. She frowns and taps harder.

Still nothing.

She starts swiping at the page, trying to scroll to the next one. When that doesn’t work, she slaps the book shut.

“It’s broken,” she declares.

What’s actually broken is something much deeper.

These are the quiet, cumulative costs of too much screen time at a young age. Fine motor skills, sensory exploration, cause-and-effect logic - they all take a backseat when swiping replaces scribbling.

What Preschool Teachers Are Seeing More and More

• Children who can navigate YouTube like pros but don’t know how to hold a crayon

• Toddlers who can FaceTime relatives but struggle to turn a paper page

• Little hands that lack the strength to use scissors, the coordination to stack blocks, or the stamina to finish a simple art project

These aren’t just “cute” quirks. They’re developmental delays—skills kids need to be ready for kindergarten and beyond.

This Isn't About Blaming Parents

Let’s be clear: screens aren’t evil. We’ve all handed over a phone to buy ourselves five quiet minutes. Life is busy, chaotic, and exhausting.

You’re doing your best.

But we do need to be aware that early tech habits shape the brain, and there are some things an iPad simply can’t teach.

There’s no substitute for the feel of paper beneath a pencil, the smell of crayons, the trial-and-error of coloring outside the lines and trying again.

Try This Tonight: The “Back to Basics” Mini Challenge

• Give your child a blank sheet of paper and some markers.

• Don’t direct. Just let them create.

• Sit with them and draw.

• Watch what they do. Do they know how to start? Do they hold the marker tightly or awkwardly? Do they ask to “undo” something?

Then model your own creative moment:

“Oops, my cloud turned out funny. I’ll make it into a jellybean instead.”

This is how kids learn to be flexible thinkers. To stick with a task. To problem-solve when things don’t go their way.

No buttons. No swipes. Just them, their imagination, and you right beside them.

Final Thoughts

If you know a preschooler who is spending more time clicking than coloring, this is your invitation to help them reclaim analog skills.

Teach them that books don’t scroll. That not every mistake can be undone with a tap. That real creativity can get messy, and that’s okay.

The world is already moving fast. Let’s give our kids the gift of slowing down, of strengthening their hands and minds before we hand them another device.

Their future teachers will thank you.

So will your child.