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my kids have a personal music/story player (Yoto portable for those curious, it can be loaded with your own recordings if the cost of the licenced cards is too much).

The big one (5) has a camera, we also play guessing games (like the classic "animal, vegetable, or mineral" but usually specific to their interests such as animal, instrument, etc).

They both like books and will sit with them for upto an hour uninterrupted despite the younger one's inability to read.

After that, a switch, or a heavily curated selection of videos might be available.

I think screens are fine in moderation, almost all parents do it, but it's far from the only option.