Content Warning: This article discusses how children experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, including the disruption of social support, family strain, emotional distress, and feelings of anxiety and isolation. It includes direct quotes detailing children's confusion and sadness about separation from loved ones and changes to their routine.

As the Module 8 Children and Young People hearings of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry enter their fourth and final week, this article takes a look at evidence gathered directly from children and young people.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry commissioned Verian to undertake the Children and Young People's Voices Research Project, providing crucial insight into the pandemic's impact on children. Verian carried out 600 qualitative interviews amongst children and young people across the UK aged 9 to 22, who were thus aged 5 to 18 during the pandemic.

This article specifically focuses on the experiences of the youngest participants whose voices were captured—those aged 9 to 11 at the point of interview. Crucially, these children would have been in their Early Years (aged 5 to 8) during the main periods of lockdown and restrictions. This is a time of rapid social, emotional, and cognitive development, and the findings reveal how the pandemic fundamentally impacted this formative phase, presenting a unique mix of challenges and unexpected benefits.

Early Years Development: A Critical Time

The early years are a foundational period where children cement their understanding of the world, develop crucial social skills, and build emotional regulation. Key developmental areas that were directly affected include:

• Social and emotional development: Children learn to navigate peer relationships, understand social cues, and manage separation anxiety. Secure attachment to caregivers is vital, as is exposure to diverse social settings like school and clubs.
• Cognitive and language development: This period is characterised by rapid language acquisition, developing problem-solving skills, and learning through play and structured activities. School provides essential structure and expert guidance.
• Physical development and wellbeing: Routine, physical activity, and adequate sleep are crucial for both physical health and attention.

The Inquiry’s findings reveal how the sudden disruption to this environment created both profound difficulties and pockets of unanticipated positive growth.

The Positive Impact: Connection and Creativity

For some children, the enforced slow-down of life led to an increase in family connection and an opportunity for self-directed, creative play. Developmentally, a safe and supportive family environment is the ultimate foundation for wellbeing.

• Strengthened family bonds: Many children found comfort and company within their immediate household. Jamie, aged 9 (who was 5–7 during the pandemic), described feeling "safe, calm and happy" and was "grateful to have her aunt to keep her company," engaging in "Arts and crafts," "role play," and building a "den" (p.20). This reflects the developmental need for secure relationships and imaginative play. Another child recalled a moment of pure joy when restrictions lifted: "When Boris said grandparents can go and see people my gran [came to stay and] jumped into the bed, me and my sister started crying with happiness and she also slept with us like one or two nights" (Aged 9, p.44).
• Focus on wellbeing and creative expression: Lou, aged 10, found "really calm and... really happy and excited" feelings by putting on shows with her sister, encouraged by her mum to maintain a semblance of routine and activity (p.21). This highlights the positive impact of parents helping children maintain a sense of routine and self-expression, which is vital for emotional development.
• Individualised learning: For a few, the home learning environment was surprisingly beneficial. One child, aged 11, "preferred it at home" because they could go to their "own like space" and take "more breaks," suggesting that the typical classroom environment may have been "overwhelming" for some, allowing their "head to take it in" (pp.81-82).

The Negative Impact: Isolation, Anxiety, and Disrupted Learning

The majority of children, however, experienced significant negative impacts rooted in the disruption of their social lives, routines, and support systems.

• Loss of peer relationships and social anxiety: Crucial social development was stalled by the lack of peer interaction. A child aged 9 noted the initial surprise, saying, "I was like ‘what is going on?’… I was a bit sad because I didn’t get to see my friends every day" (pp.59-60). Another, aged 9, complained, "I didn't like that at lunch time or break time, I couldn't play with my friends, I was just stuck at home" (p.60). For others, this isolation led to anxiety when restrictions lifted, with one 9-year-old describing worry about a "real life" activity after only experiencing it on "video chat" (pp.68-69).
• Missing external support and structure: For younger children, school is not just about academics; it provides structure, respite, and professional support. The loss of regular teacher contact was a significant setback. One parent of a 10-year-old was "concerned that the school, I thought, you know, surely they’ve got a duty of care, they don’t know what home he lives in, there was no sort of check up on him" (p.74). The lack of clear, engaging home-learning materials was also an issue, with a child aged 10 finding "The worksheets were really boring, really long, they felt longer than normal I think" (p.77).
• Emotional weight and fear: Being exposed to high levels of parental worry or tension at home affected children’s emotional wellbeing. One 9-year-old recalled, "I remember really, really, really missing my family… One day I was in the corner of my room hugging mummy just snuggled up saying, ‘I want it to be over’" (p.44). This reflects the distress caused by the lack of control and fear in their environment, a significant impediment to healthy emotional regulation.
• Excessive screen time: The necessary move to online engagement for learning and socialising led to unhealthy levels of screen time. Developmentally, this can affect sleep, physical activity, and attention. An 11-year-old worried that they had become "way too addicted to a screen" and that their routine of "A lot of screen time... probably not very healthy... I think it made me tired" (p.120).

Looking Ahead

The voices of children who lived through the pandemic are a powerful reminder that their world was fundamentally reshaped during a critical period of development. While some found unexpected moments of family closeness and creative freedom, many struggled with isolation, anxiety, and a disruption to the social scaffolding necessary for their age. As the Inquiry progresses, these insights are essential for ensuring future planning prioritises early years support, guaranteeing that education remains a consistent source of structure and social-emotional support, and that resources are available to mitigate the lasting impacts of isolation and family strain on our youngest citizens.

Reference

Verian (2025). Children and Young People’s Voices (Final Report). Commissioned by the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. Available at: https://covid19.public-inquiry...