American children between ages two and five watch an average of 32 hours of TV a week. American children between ages two and five watch an average of 32 hours of TV a week. (Associated Press)

American children ages two to five watch more than 32 hours of television each week, said the Nielsen Co. in a study released Monday.

Older kids aged six to 11 spend a little less time in front of a TV screen — more than 28 hours, but that's partly because they have to go to school.

According to the study, the television viewing by children two to 11 is the most since 1995.

The younger kids, or at least their parents, are tech-savvy. The 32 hours of TV watching includes 1½ hours of shows taped on a digital video recorder and 4½ hours of programs on a DVD.

Nielsen also says children ages six to 11 play video games on a television for nearly 2½ hours a week on average.