Accompanying a child on a daily basis requires skills that no one formally teaches. Between managing screens, choosing activities suitable for each age group, and finding reliable resources, parents face a plethora of options that are often uneven. This article assesses what distinguishes truly useful resources from generic content, relying on recent devices and proven formats.
Pre-installed parental control: what the Studer law changes concretely
Since July 13, 2024, law no. 2022-300 (known as the Studer law) mandates that all smartphones, tablets, computers, and consoles sold in France offer a pre-installed and free parental control system. Activation is suggested upon the first startup of the device.
The nuance that most guides overlook lies in the difference between control at the operating system level and control via applications. The filter integrated into the OS limits access to content deemed inappropriate, but it does not cover messaging integrated into games or third-party browsers installed afterward. Configuring the OS is not enough if each application is not individually checked.
Parents discovering this requirement when purchasing a first phone for their child encounter variable configuration menus depending on the brand. Taking the time to explore the options of each operating system remains the most reliable method to tailor restrictions to the child’s profile.
On the Happy Licorne website for parents, playful content complements this technical approach by offering activities that naturally reduce screen time, without solely resorting to prohibition.
Fun resources for children: comparison of available formats
Not all resources are created equal. The table below compares the main formats of parental resources based on their accessibility, the level of interaction they allow, and their suitability for different age groups.
| Format | Cost | Parent-child Interaction | Age Group | Main Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Printable sheets (coloring, routines) | Free to low | High | 3-8 years | Renewal needed |
| Educational apps | Free to subscription | Variable | 4-12 years | Additional screen time |
| Monthly activity booklets | Subscription | High | 5-10 years | Regular financial commitment |
| Institutional parental guides (CNIL, CLEMI, UNESCO) | Free | Low (adult reading) | All ages | Sometimes technical language |
| Cooperative board games | One-time purchase | Very high | 4 years and up | Requires adult presence |
Printable sheets (morning routines, weekly planners, seasonal activity books) remain the format that generates the most direct interaction between parent and child. In contrast, educational apps add screen time at a time when most families are looking to reduce it.
The institutional guides published by the CNIL or CLEMI serve more as a framework for adult reflection. Their limitation: a vocabulary that can sometimes be distant from the concrete concerns of a parent simply looking to occupy a rainy Wednesday afternoon.
UNESCO-CLEMI guide on digital parenting: a common language between parents and teachers
A free guide jointly published by UNESCO and CLEMI for the period 2024-2026 aims to create a shared framework between parents and education professionals regarding children’s digital usage. The stated goal: to align the guidelines given at home with those conveyed at school.
This type of resource fills a recurring blind spot. Parents set rules about screen time that the school is unaware of, and vice versa. The guide proposes common educational benchmarks, formulated to be understandable without specialized training.
The practical interest lies in the proposed age grids. Rather than setting an arbitrary number of hours, the document distinguishes between passive uses (watching videos) and active uses (creating, programming, communicating). A child coding for 45 minutes is not in the same situation as a child scrolling passively.
Off-screen activities: criteria for choosing age-appropriate games
The search for suitable games and activities often turns into a compulsive collection of Pinterest links without real sorting. Three criteria allow for quick filtering.
- Gradual autonomy: the game should be able to start with the help of an adult and then continue independently. Activities that require constant supervision exhaust the parent as much as they occupy the child.
- Social skills engaged: cooperative (not competitive) games develop listening and negotiation. Board games with a common goal are particularly effective after age 5.
- Realistic duration: a manual activity that promises two hours of engagement but ends in twenty minutes generates frustration. Favor modular formats (building, stories to complete) that adapt to the child’s pace.
Families that combine a time of free play without instructions and a time of structured activity in the same day generally observe fewer conflicts related to boredom. Free play remains underestimated: allowing a child to be bored for ten minutes before offering materials (cardboard, markers, string) often produces more creative results than a pre-packaged kit.
Trust and parenting: what online resources will not replace
The proliferation of parenting content produces a paradoxical effect. The more a parent consults sources, the more they doubt their own choices. Platforms like PédaGoJeux (video games) or those of UNAF (family life) provide useful benchmarks, but they do not replace peer exchanges.
Local support groups, parent cafés organized by social centers, and associative networks remain the spaces where parental trust is rebuilt most effectively. A twenty-minute conversation with another parent is often worth more than an hour of online reading.
Digital resources work better as complements than as substitutes. A well-designed guide helps structure an intuition, not replace it. Parents who use online tools to prepare an activity or check a technical setting, then close the screen to experience the moment with their child, get the best out of both worlds.
