ABSTRACT
COVID-19 placed unprecedented restrictions on everyday routines with the impact on exercise, physical activity, and sport becoming well documented for children, young people, and adults. However, children under five years have largely been missing from UK national surveys, and, as a result, the impact of COVID-19 on their physical activity and leisure routines is less well known. In this empirical chapter, we discuss data from a UK nationwide survey: ~925 parents of early years children (0–5 years) exploring physical activity prior to and during national and regional lockdowns. Findings indicate how pre-school leisure has been dominated by commercialised and specialised activities, and we critically discuss the impact of these activities stopped during lockdown and how they were adapted as a result of the pandemic.
