Behind the Common Sense Media ratings system

What's age appropriate for a 4-year-old?

The way our kids consume and create media profoundly affects their social, emotional, and physical development. That's why, when we make assessments about age appropriateness, we rely on developmental criteria from some of the nation's leading authorities to determine what content and activities are best suited for each age and stage. Below you will find the developmental guidelines we use in establishing our age ratings and recommendations. But even as we rely on experts, we know that all kids grow and mature differently. Our age-based reviews and ratings are a guide -- but ultimately, you're still the expert when it comes to your kids.

What's going on at age 4

Cognitive development: At this age, kids are very talkative and ask lots of questions; their language can include silly words -- even profanity (or anything that will get a rise out of an adult). Their language is developing rapidly -- including the ability to "read" basic letters. They can count to 10 and recognize numbers. Their imaginative play can become very complex and can go on for a much longer time -- that said, they still can't tell time, so adults remain the governors of media usage! At 4, kids can recognize groupings of things, and they can follow basic reasoning. They can also make a plan and complete it.

Social and emotional development: Four-year-olds have very active imaginations (some will have imaginary friends) and enjoy role playing. They're learning about taking turns and can play simple games. Kids this age can sometimes be aggressive in their play, but they want to have friends, and they understand that friendship involves sympathy and conflict resolution. They will also copy their friends' behavior. Four-year-olds have begun to have mastery over their emotions and can work out problems by talking.

Physical development: At this age, children are developing more muscle control and fine motor skills. They can dress themselves without assistance and cut on a line; they're experts with utensils and can work on more complex, multi-piece puzzles; and they're showing a preference for their right or left hand.

Technological/digital savviness: Early readers will begin navigating and searching by rudimentary words. Take care to make sure that kids aren't online without an adult present (mostly because of images that may turn up that aren't age appropriate). Start talking about how the Internet has rules for behavior -- just like the real world does -- including how to behave nicely and respectfully. Begin to teach Internet safety basics: Don't divulge information or passwords, and stay on pre-approved, age-appropriate sites. Kids this age also begin to play video games and use handheld devices.

What's age appropriate at age 4

	Educational value: Anything that creates school readiness -- ABCs, simple sentence structure, basic numbers -- or that teaches basic scientific concepts (like gravity).
	Positive messages: Since kids this age soak up everything they see/hear, the media they consume should have pro-social messaging.
	Positive role models: Four-year-olds are able to learn lessons from negative behavior, but be sure to choose media in which anti-social actions have consequences. Adult characters should be dependable. Avoid stereotyping by staying away from media that portrays characters in gender- or race-stereotyped roles. Give examples of people breaking stereotypes (especially gender, as kids this age are forming ideas of what it means to be a boy or girl).
	Violence and scariness: Violence may start to be harder to ignore at this age, especially if kids watch cartoons or are in the room when the news is on. Avoid shows and movies in which characters use violence to resolve conflict -- but if it comes up, talk about alternative ways that characters could have solved the problem. Different things scare different children; it's not always possible to predict what will frighten a particular kid. But try to avoid potentially scary programming (including emotional intensity, separations of parents and kids, and parents and kids in peril), especially right before bedtime. When kids do see something that scares them, they may miss the fact that there was a safe resolution because they're caught up in the emotion of fear. The best comfort is reassurance that everyone is safe (plus a hug and a favorite toy).
	Sexy stuff: None.
	Language: No profanity is appropriate. Kids this age learn the words they hear spoken around them at an amazing rate -- which means avoiding exposure to language they shouldn't repeat, especially since they're now starting to understand that there are certain words that are bad to say (though their mental list is somewhat limited and probably largely related to body parts and functions).
	Consumerism/commercialism: Kids this age are too young to understand the "persuasive intent" of advertising, so commercial programming -- including product tie-ins -- should be avoided. But they'll definitely want branded merchandise that showcases their favorite characters.
	Drinking, drugs, and smoking: None.
	Online privacy and safety: All online activities for kids this age should be supervised by parents; Stick with sites that are "walled gardens" that prevent kids from clicking away.