The ongoing impact of social and locality restrictions on children’s play at home – How play changed during the pandemic, and how it remains different

Children have a right to play, as outlined by the United Nations, due to its important role in holistic development. However, as with many other human rights, children's access to their right to play was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. With several studies demonstrating the ways in which children's play changed during times of restriction, this research aimed to explore whether these changes continued to be observed once restrictions had lifted. A mixed methods design was utilised: a 22-item questionnaire was distributed by schools in England to 124 caregivers who shared their observations of their children's play during times of restriction and the six months prior to data collection. Quantitative analysis demonstrates that increases in time to play, adult-child play, and outdoor play during the pandemic had been counteracted since restrictions were lifted; however, device play remained elevated. Qualitative comments highlight the impact of children's affect on their play, the activities children chose to pursue, and the extent of increases in screen time. The implications of these findings are discussed, including a need to place greater value on play in the home and the role of educational psychologists in supporting this.