The question of how to balance technology with hands-on learning is one of the defining educational challenges of our time, and at Mulberry House International Kindergarten we think about it constantly. Our answer is rooted in a clear understanding of what young children actually need to develop, and when.
Neurological Development in the Early Years
The early years — from birth to six — are a period of extraordinary neurological development. Children’s brains are forming millions of new connections every day, and the quality of those connections depends heavily on the nature of the experiences that drive them
- Physical, sensory, social, and emotional experiences create the richest and most durable neural architecture.
- Screen-based experiences, by contrast, tend to be passive, visually two-dimensional, and socially isolated
Primary vs. Secondary Experiences
This does not mean technology has no place in early childhood — it means it should not be the dominant mode of experience.
At Mulberry House, our approach is to prioritise what we call “primary experiences” — experiences that engage children’s whole bodies, their senses, their social brains, and their natural curiosity:
- Building with real blocks
- Painting with real brushes
- Growing real plants
- Running on real grass
- Having real conversations
Technology enters as a “secondary experience” — a way of extending, documenting, or enriching primary experiences, not replacing them.
When children have been investigating plants in our Forest School garden, we might use a projector to look at close-up photographs of plant cells. When children have built a model of the school, we might take digital photographs to document their work and share with families. These are purposeful, time-limited, adult-supported uses of technolog
Practical Advice for Families at Home
At home, we encourage families to apply similar thinking. Ask yourself: is this screen activity extending my child’s real-world experience, or substituting for it?
🟢 Effective use: A child who watches a documentary about ocean life and then spends an hour playing imaginatively with water and toy sea creatures has used technology well.
🔴 Passive use: A child who moves from one video to the next for three hours has not.
Long-Term Investment in Early Childhood
The balance is not always easy to maintain, especially after long, tiring days. But the investment in hands-on, real-world experience during these critical early years pays dividends for a lifetime.
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