Screen-Time / Earn-Time Chart

A printable screen-time chart that turns screen time into a reward

The screen-time / earn-time chart links healthy off-screen habits to the screen time children get back. Earn-time activities run down the left, the seven days of the week run across the top, and a tick box sits in every cell. An 'Earns' column on the right records how much screen time each activity is worth, and a 'Total screen time earned this week' box at the bottom makes the weekly tally simple.

Add the child's name, pick a time unit and an optional daily limit, then download a clean A4 or US Letter PDF. Keep a separate chart per child so siblings each track their own screen time.

Why use a screen-time chart?

Tying screen time to visible activities teaches children that screen time is earned, not automatic. A chart on the fridge turns "can I have the tablet?" into "look how much screen time I earned today." Use it for:

• balancing screen time with reading, homework and active play
• setting a clear daily limit everyone agrees on
• letting children choose which activities to do to earn more
• reducing arguments about devices by making the rules visible
• keeping screen time fair and consistent across siblings
• giving older kids responsibility for tracking their own minutes

Because each activity can be worth a different amount of time, children quickly learn which habits earn the most screen time.

What you can customise

• Page title: default "My Screen-Time Chart" or rename it
• Child's name: printed at the top so the chart feels personal
• Time unit: mins, hours or any short label
• Daily limit: an optional cap printed in the top strip
• Number of activities: 5 to 12 rows
• Activity list: write your own, or leave blank to hand-write after printing
• Tick boxes: one per day for each activity, ready to mark off
• Earns column: write how much screen time each activity is worth
• Total row: a box to add up the week's earned screen time
• Paper size: A4 or US Letter PDF

Notes and limitations

• The chart is a printable template — children tick boxes and write amounts by hand.
• Twelve activities is the practical maximum on one page; beyond that the tick boxes get too small.
• The 'Earns' and 'Total earned' boxes are left blank for you to fill in — the tool does no arithmetic.
• Print at 100% scale so the tick boxes stay square.

Who the screen-time chart is for

Parents

Run a consistent routine where screen time is clearly earned through reading, chores and active play.

Grandparents and carers

Keep a simple, visible system during child-care — the chart travels with the child.

Teachers

Use it for a digital-wellbeing or healthy-habits lesson — rename activities to classroom goals and 'earn' free-choice time.

Older children

Hand the tallying over to the child — adding up the week's earned minutes is real-world maths and self-management practice.

Activity ideas by age

Ages 5 to 7

Read a picture book, tidy toys, play outside, help set the table, practise letters, build with blocks.

Ages 8 to 10

Read for 20 minutes, finish homework, ride a bike, practise an instrument, help with chores, do a craft.

Ages 11 and up

Read a chapter, complete study or revision, exercise or sport, prepare a simple meal, do a household job, practise a skill or hobby.

How to use the tool

1. Enter the child's name and a title.
2. Choose a time unit and, optionally, a daily limit.
3. Pick the number of activities (5 to 12).
4. Type each activity, or leave the list blank to write in by hand.
5. Choose A4 or US Letter and preview the chart.
6. Download the PDF and print at 100% scale.
7. Pin it up, fill in how much each activity 'Earns', tick a box each day, and total the screen time at the end of the week.

Worked example

A parent sets the name to "Leo", time unit to mins, daily limit to 60, and lists 6 activities: Read 20 mins (earns 20), Homework done (earns 30), Play outside (earns 30), Tidy room (earns 15), Practise piano (earns 20), Help with dinner (earns 15). Leo ticks a box each day he completes an activity, writes the minutes earned in the 'Earns' column, adds them up — staying within the 60-minute daily limit — and records the weekly total in the box.

Methodology

The engine renders an activities-by-7-days grid. Rows are the activities you supplied, columns are Monday to Sunday, and every cell holds an empty tick box. An 'Earns' column sits on the right and a full-width 'Total screen time earned this week' row sits beneath the grid. The time unit and daily limit appear in the top strip. A4 and US Letter layouts share the same proportions so the tick boxes always land square.

Designed for A4 and US Letter printing

The screen-time chart prints cleanly on A4 and US Letter. Tick-box size stays consistent so the chart looks the same regardless of paper choice.