During the current global pandemic, parents and carers in England and across the UK have been asked by the Government to ‘home school’ their child/ren, and a plethora of resources have been produced and made available to assist with this. The perceived detrimental effects of being absent from school have been a driver for the Government in ensuring that schools remain open for as long as possible, and the current pandemic situation is replete with narratives of ‘loss’. Little attention has been paid to any potential benefits for children and families of homeschooling or the opportunities it provides. This paper reports on a small‐scale online survey that explored the experiences of parents’ homeschooling their child/ren with SEND during a global pandemic in England. The findings are revealed through a qualitative methodology merged with post‐qualitative concepts that emerged post‐analysis. Novel findings regarding possibilities for creative and inclusive learning practices, family bonding and children’s improved social and emotional well‐being are revealed in this paper.

This article reports on a study investigating how 13 young children in English-speaking countries (England, Scotland, Australia and the USA) watch and engage with digital content on YouTube and YouTube Kids. Given the increasing amount of time children spend viewing these platforms, and related concerns around the commercial algorithms that direct their viewing choices, the research aims were to understand how young children make choices about what to watch, and to explore the extent of their comprehension of the constructed, ‘unreal’ nature that characterises a large proportion of these videos, particularly those presented by children (micro-celebrities). Using child-centred methodologies, the research was carried out by parent-researchers, and the findings were analysed and interpreted using elements of Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality. The study found that the children selected videos for a variety of reasons, including those related to their ‘real-life’ interests, and were largely able to discern between the real and the hyperreal in videos by drawing on existing frames of reference and applying their developing knowledge and understanding of the world. The article provides insights into young children’s experiences, understandings and preferences around using YouTube and YouTube Kids, and extends Baudrillard’s perspectives on the hyperreal from postmodernism into a post-digital conceptual realm.

This article reports on the findings of a mixed-methods, interpretive study identifying practitioners’ pedagogical approaches when children aged 3–4 years use touchscreen devices in early years settings in the West Midlands, UK. A multi-site case study approach was adopted involving interviews with 12 practitioners to identify their rationale for using these devices. Coupled with 160 observations of touchscreen practice, this allowed the opportunity to critique intentions with practice, to determine children’s opportunities to play with, and potentially learn from, touchscreen technologies. Capturing child voice was an integral aspect of this study. By providing the opportunity for children to express their views through four focus-group interviews, the study found that there was a distinct difference between children’s and practitioners’ intentions regarding touchscreen play. As a result, practitioners overlooked opportunities to strengthen children’s learning by following their interests. The data were analysed using activity theory as a central theoretical framework. From this analysis, it is argued that pedagogical approaches surrounding touchscreen use in early years settings need to be developed in order to incorporate the child’s voice in decisions which impact on the ways in which they play with these devices.