As the school summer holidays are now underway, a survey of 1,138 children in Great Britain aged 6 to 16 who go to school reveals key insights that brands and marketers should note:

  • Family holidays are central to kids’ summer experience, with 68% enjoying trips with family or friends.
  • Streaming videos (61%) and gaming (52%) dominate planned activities, especially among teens and boys.
  • Popular destinations include the beach (71%) and cinema and movie nights (61%).
  • Back-to-school shopping is well underway, with 64% buying or trying on uniforms and 60% purchasing supplies

Children across Great Britain are preparing for a break filled with outdoor adventures, digital entertainment, and time with family and friends. A recent survey via Children Omnibus, a research tool used to survey habits of children and teenagers, reveals what they enjoy about summer, what they plan to do, where they want to visit, and how they prepare for the new school year.

When asked what they enjoy most about the summer holidays, children emphasise freedom and connection. Going on holiday with family or friends is the top response at 68%, closely followed by not having to go to school (65%) and spending more time with family and friends (64%). Having more free time for favourite hobbies or games also ranks highly at 64%, while half of children (50%) enjoy being able to spend more time outside.

Looking ahead to their plans for the summer holidays, digital entertainment features prominently. Six in 10 children (61%) plan to watch videos on streaming platforms such as YouTube or Netflix, with interest peaking at 69% among teenagers aged 13 to 15. Playing mobile or console games is also popular (52%), particularly among boys (59% compared to 45% of girls) and children aged 9 (62%). Social activities are important too: 60% plan to hang out or go out with friends, with this rising among older children, and 43% expect to have sleepovers. Outdoor activities such as camping appeal to 41%, while 36% intend to take part in arts, crafts, or DIY projects.

When considering places they plan to visit during the holidays, the beach or seaside tops the list at 71%, followed by cinemas or movie nights at 61%, and parks or nature trails at 48%. Educational venues like zoos (42%) and museums or science centres (37%) are also popular. Theme and water parks attract 45% of kids, and shopping centres interest 44%, with higher interest among girls (52%) than boys (36%).

Compared to term time, 75% of children say they spend more time outside during the holidays. Over three-fifths of children (62%) report spending increased time online and 52% spend more time with friends.

When looking at different age groups, younger children are much less likely to say they spend more time online. Less than half of 6-year-olds (48%) and 7-year-olds (48%) say they spend more time online during the holidays, compared to almost three-quarters of 13-year-olds (75%) and 14-year-olds (74%).

As the holidays progress, many children begin preparing for the new school year. Nearly two-thirds (64%) buy or try on school uniforms, with girls (70%) more likely than boys (58%) to do so. Buying new school supplies is common (60%), especially among those aged 11 (72%), 12 (66%) and 13 (64%). Around half reset their bedtime (48%) or talk about the upcoming school year with family (48%), with these activities more common among younger children.

By contrast, fewer children spend the summer holidays preparing academically.  A quarter (24%) say they practice or revise school topics such as maths or reading, and this is much more common among 6-to7-year-olds (33%) than teenagers (18% among 13 to 16-year-olds). Even fewer use educational videos or learning apps (15%) or visit places to learn more about what they will study (14%).

For brands and marketers, these insights reveal clear opportunities to engage children through family holidays, outdoor activities, streaming, gaming, and social experiences like sleepovers. Understanding how preferences vary by age and gender allows for more targeted campaigns that connect with children at key moments during the summer break.