Play is observed across all cultures and is a fundamental activity in children's lives, essential to cognitive and socio-emotional development. However, children’s lives, including their opportunities for play, were severely disrupted in early 2020 by the COVID-19 crisis. The aims of the current study were to investigate how the pandemic may have impacted on children’s play, to determine if
... [Show full abstract] children brought information about COVID-19 or the restrictions into their play, and the factors that influenced it. This research draws on data from 506 parents of children aged 1-10 years in Ireland who completed an online survey during lockdown in May and June 2020. Parents responded to a series of questions for the Play and Learning in the Early Years (PLEY) Survey about their child’s play, learning and development. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. Parents were asked to indicate if their child had brought information about the virus or restrictions into their play, and to describe this play. The findings showed that a third of parents reported their child had brought information about the virus or restrictions into their play, and this was influenced by the age of the child, their understanding of the restrictions and their socio-emotional difficulties, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Parental descriptions of this play included multiple types of play such as pretend play, play with objects and toys and outdoor play. The findings are considered in the context of the role of play in socio-emotional development and coping with challenges.