‘I wish that COVID would disappear, and we'd all be together’: Maintaining Children's friendships during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Friendship is a central focus in children's lives and is important for healthy development. During the Covid-19 pandemic, children experienced restrictions on their interactions with friends. This research heard the voices of 10 children (7–11 years) in England regarding their friendships, drawing on data collected through creative participatory methods including drawings, photography and collages, and accompanying unstructured interviews. Findings provide new insights into how children endeavoured to maintain their friendships through virtual interactions, street/doorstep visits, and artwork, and how friendship disruption affected their well-being. This paper argues for educators to heed the implications for the period of ‘Covid recovery’.