{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T02:34:37Z","timestamp":1760236477722,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,26]],"date-time":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1637884800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The right to play is crucial for the overall development of children. Several studies highlight the need to have time and space to play, especially at school where children spend much of their time. Unfortunately, in formal education the obsession with academic achievements sidelines and ignores the importance of play. The neglection of play had already reached a critical stage before the pandemic, so data are needed to realize how the right to play in school is presently affected. This paper aims to understand children\u2019s play experience in primary education during the pandemic. It investigates what activities children participated in and what materials were used, and provides insight into the social interactions between peers. Furthermore, children\u2019s quality of life is explored. A group of 370 Portuguese children answered a questionnaire on play and social interactions, alongside with Peds 4.0TM on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The results showed that recess still emerges as a significant element of children\u2019s daily lives, but COVID-19 has brought limitations on play experiences and peer-interaction. It might also have impacted HRQOL, especially in emotional functioning. Since play, health and well-being are closely connected, play opportunities at school are crucial in helping children to thrive in the pandemic, and should be invested in.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182312454","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,30]],"date-time":"2021-11-30T04:48:37Z","timestamp":1638247717000},"page":"12454","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Children Are Back to School, but Is Play Still in Lockdown? Play Experiences, Social Interactions, and Children\u2019s Quality of Life in Primary Education in the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6869-6054","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana","family":"Louren\u00e7o","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Centre on Child Studies, Institute of Education (CIEC-IE), University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"Play Activity Department, Child Support Institute (IAC), 1050-185 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1812-2300","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UNICID-Applied Sport Sciences Research Unit (ASSERT), Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, 3030-329 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, IIA, ROBOCORP, 3030-329 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto de Telecomunica\u00e7\u00f5es, Delega\u00e7\u00e3o da Covilh\u00e3, 6201-001 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4771-9402","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beatriz","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Centre on Child Studies, Institute of Education (CIEC-IE), University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2433-5193","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Mendes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UNICID-Applied Sport Sciences Research Unit (ASSERT), Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, 3030-329 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, IIA, ROBOCORP, 3030-329 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"CIDAF, FCDEF, University of Coimbra, 3040-248 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"UN General Assembly (2021, July 27). 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