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Montessori Education

Is Screen Time Bad or Just Misunderstood? A Balanced Look for Mindful Parents

September 6, 2025 No Comments
Screen time

Welcome. I’d like to start by saying that I don’t think I’m alone when it comes to this subject. That mix of guilt, worry, and even frustration when it comes to screen time is something I hear from almost every parent I know. “I feel bad for letting my child use screens, but I’m so […]

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Based in the UK, CoBéBé grew from everyday family life — inspired by the play, curiosity, and calm we wanted to see in our own home. Our Montessori-inspired toys and gentle parenting ideas are shaped by real moments with little ones, making them as practical as they are meaningful.

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Less noise. More room to play. 🌿
Toys & resources for slower, more creative childhoods.
For the things they can’t wait to show you.
There’s a moment when “Let me do it” becomes “I ca There’s a moment when “Let me do it” becomes “I can do it.” Putting on their own shoes. Working something out without asking. Making something they’re proud of. Doing today what they needed help with yesterday. We think childhood should be full of those little opportunities. Not because children need to grow up faster. Quite the opposite. They need time to try, get things wrong, try again and discover what they can do for themselves — without turning childhood into a race. That’s a big part of what CoBéBé is about. Thoughtful play. Room to explore. Little moments of independence and growing confidence, at their own pace. Ready, not rushed. 🌿 #CoBéBé #ReadyNotRushed #LearningThroughPlay #IndependentPlay #ChildhoodUnhurried #ThoughtfulPlay #growingconfidence
Sometimes the best play starts when we stop decidi Sometimes the best play starts when we stop deciding what happens next. 🌿 Move a piece. Try it somewhere else. Draw something. Change their mind. Start again. Forest Friends was designed to give little hands different things to explore, without there being one “right” way to play. The puzzle might be the favourite today. Tomorrow it could be creating a woodland scene on the magnetic whiteboard. Another day, they might want to draw their own. It’s in those little moments — choosing, trying, figuring things out for themselves — that you start to see just how much they can already do. 🤎 Their play. Their ideas. Their way. Forest Friends is available on Amazon UK via the link in our bio. #CoBeBe #ForestFriends #LookWhatTheyCanDo #WoodenToys #MontessoriInspired #LearningThroughPlay #IndependentPlay #OpenEndedPlay #HandsOnLearning #EducationalToys #PreschoolPlay #EarlyYears #ToysFor3YearOlds #ToysFor4YearOlds #woodlandplay
There’s something lovely about the way children no There’s something lovely about the way children notice the seasons before they really understand them. 🌿 The first crunchy leaves on the ground. Realising it’s still light at bedtime. Spotting blossom on a tree that looked completely bare a few weeks before. Our Seasons poster is a simple way to give those little observations a name — and open up conversations about what’s changing outside their window. No lesson needed. Just something to look at, talk about and come back to as the year changes. Because learning doesn’t always need to feel like learning. Sometimes it starts with simply noticing something for themselves. The Seasons poster is part of the free CoBéBé Activity Library, ready to download and print at home. 🤎 #CoBeBe #LearningThroughPlay #FreePrintables #EducationalPrintables #KidsLearning #PreschoolActivities #EarlyYears #HomeLearning #NatureLearning #LearningAtHome #EducationalPosters #PreschoolLearning #NatureWithKids #ChildLedLearning #printableforkids
Sometimes the best part is waiting to see if they Sometimes the best part is waiting to see if they can work it out for themselves. 🌿 A clue. A little thinking time. Maybe another clue… And then that moment when they look up because they know the answer. Forest Friends was designed with different ways for children to explore, create and figure things out — including our little “Who Am I?” animal cards, turning the woodland puzzle into a simple guessing game you can play together. It isn’t about getting there first or knowing every answer. It’s about giving them the space to try. And getting to see that little look when they realise: “I got it.” 🤎 Look what they can do. Forest Friends is available on Amazon UK via the link in our bio. #CoBeBe #LookWhatTheyCanDo #ForestFriends #WoodenToys #MontessoriInspired #LearningThroughPlay #EducationalToys #PreschoolActivities #IndependentPlay #HandsOnLearning #EarlyYears #ToysFor3YearOlds #ToysFor4YearOlds #ToysFor5YearOlds #woodlandplay
Found this tucked away in the back of my wardrobe Found this tucked away in the back of my wardrobe recently. My eldest made it when he was at nursery. I must have put it somewhere safe years ago and completely forgotten it was there. It’s funny what you end up keeping. Not the perfectly finished things. Usually the wonky paintings, first attempts at writing, strange little creations and things that probably meant far more to you than they ever realised. At the time, it was just something he’d made at nursery. Years later, I’m very glad I kept it. I think that’s part of what childhood is made of. Lots of ordinary little moments that don’t seem particularly important until you find one again. Keep the things they can’t wait to show you. 🤎 #CoBeBe #LookWhatTheyCanDo #ChildhoodMemories #ThingsWorthKeeping #KidsArtwork #LittleArtists #CreativeKids #ChildhoodUnplugged #EarlyYears #CreativePlay #GrowingUp #Parenthood #FamilyMemories #ThoughtfulPlay
🌿 FOREST FRIENDS GIVEAWAY 🌿 FOLLOW @cobebeuk & LIK 🌿 FOREST FRIENDS GIVEAWAY 🌿 FOLLOW @cobebeuk & LIKE THIS POST TO ENTER We’re giving one little explorer the chance to win their very own Forest Friends Wooden Activity Box, worth £29.99. Made for curious little hands, Forest Friends brings together puzzles, magnetic play, drawing and animal quiz cards — plus full access to the growing CoBéBé Activity Library of printable activities — giving them plenty of ways to play, create and work things out for themselves. To enter: 🤎 Follow @cobebeuk 🤎 Like this post That’s it. Prize: 1 × Forest Friends Wooden Activity Box (£29.99) Open to: UK residents aged 18+ Closes: 20 September 2026 at 3:00pm BST No purchase necessary. One winner will be selected at random from all valid entries and contacted by @cobebeuk only. We will never ask you for payment or card details to claim your prize. Full giveaway terms & conditions are available via the link in our bio. This promotion is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram or Meta. Good luck 🌿🤎 #CoBeBe #ForestFriends #GiveawayUK #UKGiveaway #KidsGiveaway #WoodenToys #EducationalToys #LearningThroughPlay #PreschoolActivities #MontessoriInspired #ToysFor3YearOlds #ToysFor4YearOlds #ToysFor5YearOlds #thoughtfulplay
Little habits have a way of becoming big things. 🌿 Little habits have a way of becoming big things. 🌿 Turning off the light. Using both sides of the paper. Looking after a plant. Remembering that rubbish belongs in the bin. None of it needs to feel like a lesson. They’re simply small opportunities for children to notice the world around them, take a little responsibility and discover the things they’re already capable of doing for themselves. Our Little Habits That Help the Earth poster was created as a gentle reminder of those everyday choices — something to talk about together, then let them have a go at. Because growing up is made up of hundreds of little moments that make you think: “Look what they can do.” 🤎 Discover more thoughtful activities and resources in the CoBéBé Activity Library — free to download and print via the link in our bio. #CoBeBe #LookWhatTheyCanDo #LearningThroughPlay #KidsActivities #FreeKidsActivities #PrintableActivities #KidsPrintables #EcoKids #SustainableLiving #LearningAtHome #PreschoolActivities #EarlyYears #IndependentKids #ParentingIdeas #activitiesforkidsً
A quiet table, a handful of pencils, and somewhere A quiet table, a handful of pencils, and somewhere for their imagination to wander. 🌿 Our dinosaur activities are made for those simple moments when children can slow down, choose their own colours and make something completely theirs. There’s no right way to colour a Diplodocus. No need to make it perfect. Just time to explore, create and proudly show you what they’ve done. Because sometimes the best part comes afterwards: “Look what I did.” 🤎 Discover more thoughtful, screen-free activities in the CoBéBé Activity Library — free to download and print via the link in our bio. #CoBeBe #LookWhatTheyCanDo #DinosaurActivities #DinosaurColouring #KidsColouring #FreeKidsActivities #PrintableActivities #KidsPrintables #CreativeKids #CreativePlay #LearningThroughPlay #PreschoolActivities #ScreenFreeActivities #QuietTimeActivities #activitiesforkidsً
A little piece of the forest, made for little hand A little piece of the forest, made for little hands. 🌿 Forest Friends gives children plenty to pick up, move, match and explore — creating those quiet moments where they become completely absorbed in what they’re doing. No flashing lights. No one telling them the right way to play. Just something tactile and beautifully made, with plenty for curious little minds to discover for themselves. Because some of the best play happens when we give them the space to get on with it. 🤎 Forest Friends is available on Amazon UK. #CoBeBe #ForestFriends #WoodenToys #MontessoriInspired #LearningThroughPlay #IndependentPlay #OpenEndedPlay #PreschoolPlay #ToddlerActivities #EducationalToys #WoodenToysForKids #FineMotorSkills #ScreenFreePlay #ThoughtfulPlay #kidstoys
A little colouring, a little quiet, and plenty of A little colouring, a little quiet, and plenty of room for them to make it their own. 🌿 Little Nature Explorers is a free woodland colouring adventure made for those simple moments when children can sit, choose their colours and proudly show you what they’ve created. No right way to do it. No need to rush. Just something that’s theirs. Because sometimes the best part is hearing: “Look what I did.” Download it free from the CoBéBé Activity Library — link in bio. 🤎 #CoBeBe #LittleNatureExplorers #KidsColouring #FreeKidsActivities #PrintableActivities #KidsPrintables #NatureActivitiesForKids #WoodlandActivities #CreativeKids #LearningThroughPlay #PreschoolActivities #ScreenFreeActivities #QuietTimeActivities #CreativePlay #activitiesforkidsً
There’s something lovely about a toy they can carr There’s something lovely about a toy they can carry off and make their own. 🌿 Forest Friends was designed to give little hands more than one thing to do — puzzles to solve, scenes to build, pictures to draw, questions to answer and stories to make up along the way. All packed into one wooden box they can take from room to room, bring on a journey, or open up whenever they’re ready to play. Because some of the best moments are the ones where they get lost in what they’re doing… and then turn around to show you what they’ve worked out. Forest Friends • Wooden activity box • Ages 3+ #CoBéBé #ForestFriends #WoodenToys #EducationalToys #MontessoriInspired #LearningThroughPlay #IndependentPlay #ImaginativePlay #PreschoolToys #ToysFor3YearOlds #ToysFor4YearOlds #EarlyYears #WoodlandToys #ChildrensToys #PremiumKidsBrand #UKKidsBrand
Trying something new doesn’t have to be a big deal Trying something new doesn’t have to be a big deal. 🍎 The Brave Bite Challenge turns tasting different foods into a playful little challenge — children earn points for giving things a try, track their brave bites and work towards their own certificate. No pressure to clear the plate. No fuss about whether they liked every bite. Just another opportunity to have a go, discover something new and feel proud that they tried. Because confidence can grow in the smallest moments — even from one brave bite. 🌿 The Brave Bite Challenge is free to download from CoBéBé. #CoBéBé #BraveBiteChallenge #PickyEaters #FussyEaters #KidsActivities #FreePrintables #PrintableActivities #PreschoolActivities #EarlyYears #LearningThroughPlay #KidsFoodIdeas #TryingNewFoods #ParentingIdeas #ConfidenceForKids #ukparents
One box. So many ways to see what they can do. 🌿 One box. So many ways to see what they can do. 🌿 A puzzle to work out. A question to answer. A picture to create. A story to make up all by themselves. Forest Friends was designed to give little hands plenty to do — with different ways to play, explore and come back to as their confidence grows. Because the best moments aren’t always the ones we plan for them. They’re the ones where they turn around and say, “Look what I did.” Thoughtful, hands-on play for all the little things they’re learning to do for themselves. Forest Friends • Ages 3+ • CoBéBé #CoBéBé #ForestFriends #WoodenToys #EducationalToys #MontessoriInspired #LearningThroughPlay #PlayBasedLearning #PreschoolToys #ToysFor3YearOlds #ToysFor4YearOlds #EarlyYears #IndependentPlay #ImaginativePlay #WoodlandToys #ChildrensToys #UKKidsBrand
Welcome to the Forest Café 🌿 Today’s special? A l Welcome to the Forest Café 🌿 Today’s special? A little counting, a little imagination, and plenty of “I can do it myself.” Children can open their own woodland café, choose from the menu, count out their coins and take turns ordering and serving — practising early maths through the kind of play that doesn’t feel like learning at all. Because sometimes the best way to learn something new is simply to have something interesting to do with it. 🍂 The Forest Café Counting Game is free to download from CoBéBé. Save it for your next play day 🌲 #CoBéBé #LearningThroughPlay #EarlyYearsActivities #PreschoolActivities #KidsActivities #PrintableActivities #MathsThroughPlay #EarlyMaths #CountingActivities #PretendPlay #ImaginativePlay #NatureInspiredPlay #WoodlandActivities #PlayBasedLearning #freeprintables
Big adventures. One little case. 🌿 Forest Friends Big adventures. One little case. 🌿 Forest Friends was designed to make thoughtful play easy to take wherever the day leads. Inside their wooden carry case, little explorers have five different ways to play — from woodland puzzles and magnetic scene-building to drawing, guessing and creating. Pack it up. Carry it themselves. Bring it to grandparents, weekends away, holidays or wherever the next adventure happens. Nature-inspired play, ready to go with them. #CoBéBé #ForestFriends #TravelToys #ToddlerTravelToys #PortableToys #WoodenToys #MontessoriInspired #NatureInspiredPlay #EducationalToys #LearningThroughPlay #PurposefulPlay #ScreenFreePlay #CreativePlay #ToysFor3YearOlds #ToysFor4YearOlds #littleexplorers
From first letters to “I know this one!” 🌿 Our Al From first letters to “I know this one!” 🌿 Our Alphabet Learning Bundle gives little learners more ways to explore their ABCs through play — with an alphabet poster, scavenger hunt flashcards, playdough mats and letter tracing sheets all designed to be used at their own pace. Spot a letter. Find a match. Shape it with playdough. Trace it for themselves. Different ways to practise the same early skills, building familiarity and confidence through doing — without turning learning into a race. Because some of the loveliest progress happens in those little moments when they realise “I can do it.” Thoughtful learning resources for curious little minds. Ready, not rushed. #CoBeBe #AlphabetLearning #LearningThroughPlay #EarlyYearsLearning #AlphabetActivities #PreschoolActivities #LearningAtHome #EducationalPrintables #PlayBasedLearning #LetterRecognition #AlphabetTracing #PlaydoughActivities #ScavengerHuntForKids #MontessoriInspired #ReadyNotRushed
There’s a big difference between completing a work There’s a big difference between completing a worksheet and realising, “I can read that myself.” Our CVC activities are designed to help children practise blending, recognising simple words and making sense of early sentences through short, manageable activities they can begin to tackle independently. No pressure to race ahead. Just useful opportunities to practise, build confidence and discover what they can do — one small step at a time. Because the progress that matters is often the bit they can’t wait to show you. Free learning activities available from CoBéBé. 🤎 #CoBeBe #EarlyLearning #CVCWords #PhonicsActivities #LearningToRead #PreschoolLearning #EarlyYears #KidsLearning #LearningThroughPlay #PrintableActivities #EducationalActivities #HomeLearning #PreschoolActivities #ReceptionActivities #phonicsforkids
One box. More ways for them to play, learn and exp One box. More ways for them to play, learn and explore independently. Forest Friends is designed for the kind of play parents want more of — hands-on, screen-free and engaging enough for children to keep coming back to. From completing the woodland puzzle and creating magnetic scenes to animal quizzes and drawing, each activity gives little minds something different to discover. And the play doesn’t stop with the box. Every Forest Friends set includes access to 50+ extra printable activities to download at home, giving you even more easy options for quiet time, learning and creative play whenever you need them. When playtime is finished, everything packs back into one wooden carry case. More for them to do. Less for you to organise. Thoughtful toys & resources for slower, more creative childhoods. CoBéBé #CoBeBe #ForestFriends #WoodenToys #MontessoriInspired #EducationalToys #LearningThroughPlay #ScreenFreePlay #IndependentPlay #ToddlerActivities #PreschoolActivities #ToysFor3YearOlds #WoodenToy #KidsGiftIdeas #MontessoriToys #playroomideas
More reasons to get outside. Less pressure to plan More reasons to get outside. Less pressure to plan what to do when you get there. Our Nature Scavenger Hunt turns an everyday walk into a simple activity children can lead themselves — spotting, searching, talking and learning as they go. It’s an easy way to encourage curiosity, build confidence and spend more time away from screens, without parents needing to organise an elaborate day out. Print it at home, take it on your next walk and let them see what they can find. Thoughtful play & learning resources for slower, more creative childhoods. CoBéBé #CoBeBe #NatureScavengerHunt #KidsActivities #OutdoorActivitiesForKids #LearningThroughPlay #ScreenFreeActivities #ToddlerActivities #PreschoolActivities #OutdoorLearning #NatureActivities #MontessoriInspired #FamilyActivities #EarlyYears #FreePrintables #thingstodowithkids
The things they learn first can become part of the The things they learn first can become part of the space they grow up in. Our Farm Animals learning poster is designed to help little ones build early vocabulary and recognise familiar animals, while still looking considered in your home. Simple illustrations, clear labels and a calm design make it easy to revisit together — whether you’re naming animals, practising new words or answering another round of “what’s that?” Because learning at this age doesn’t need to feel like a lesson. The right things around them can make everyday curiosity easier to encourage. Thoughtful learning for slower, more creative childhoods. CoBéBé #CoBeBe #KidsRoomDecor #EducationalPoster #FarmAnimals #ToddlerLearning #PreschoolLearning #EarlyYearsLearning #LearningThroughPlay #EducationalPrintables #MontessoriInspired #KidsWallArt #NurseryDecor #ToddlerActivities #EarlyLearning #playroomideas
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