Case study families

Penny and her family (UKF1)

Penny (9) lives with her Mum, Dad, Brother (11), Sister (7) and puppy in Sheffield. The family identify as White British. Penny loves swimming, sleepovers, making pizzas, playing Bloxburg and watching Stranger Things.

Adaobi and her family (UKF2)

Adaobi (11) lives with her Mum, Dad, Brother (7), Sister (23 months) in Sheffield. The family identify as Black British. Adaobi is determined to maintain top grades at school and is the family's 'calm master', never losing her cool. 

Luke and his family (UKF3)

Luke (11) lives with his Mum, Dad and two younger Sisters (7 and 9) in Sheffield. The family identify as Black British. Luke likes scary rides, gaming online with his friends and the YouTuber, KSI.

Romeo and his family (UKF4)

Romeo (7) likes in Sheffield with his Mum and Dad. Romeo is Asian British. He likes baking, growing fruit and veg on the family's allotment and craft activities with his Mum.

Dylan and his family (UKF5)

Dylan (7) lives with his Mum and Dad in an apartment in Sheffield. The family identify as British Indian. Dylan is energetic and active with a brilliant sense of humour and likes making YouTube videos of himself singing and dancing to share with his friends and family.

Pinar and her family (UKF6)

British Turkish Pinar (9) lives with her Mum and Sister (6) in a cul-de-sac near Sheffield. Pinar's autism shapes her family's day to day life, with Pinar attending junior school for half days and spending afternoons crafting and creating. Pinar loves swinging in her indoor hammock whilst playing on her tablet.

Jemima and her family (UKF7)

Jemima (10) lives with her Mum, older Brother (13) and two cats in Sheffield. Jemima loves collecting and playing with dolls, sensory materials, rocks and small world toys. Her Pathological Demand Avoidance is associated with some anxiety and she is currently not attending school. 

Logan and his family (UKF8)

Logan (12) lives with his Mum, Sister (16) and two dogs in Sheffield. Logan likes family movie nights and playing digitally alone and with others, including the children his Mum childminds. Logan has lots of friends at school and achieves well academically, but sometimes feels school encroaches on time to enjoy things he likes doing. 

Henry and his family (UKF9)

Henry (10) identifies as White British and lives with his Mum, her Boyfriend and their dog in Sheffield. Henry’s Dad, Step-Mum and two younger half Siblings (4 and 7) live nearby. Henry likes visiting the local park, dirt-biking and playing Theme Park Tycoon 2.

Willow and her family (UKF10)

Willow (11) lives with her Mum and Step-Dad in Sheffield. Willow's Mum is from Poland, where Willow keeps in touch with family. Willow likes creating, including crocheting coasters and blankets. She also likes collecting Shopkins and playing Minecraft and The Sims.

Thomas and his family (UKF11)

Thomas (12) lives in a quiet street in Sheffield with his Mum, Dad and older Sister (14). The family is identified as White British. The family shares a love for music and Thomas has spent three years mastering the trumpet. He likes keeping in touch with friends by playing games like Fortnite.

Zain and his family (UKF12)

Zain (7) lives in Sheffield with his Mum. They share their home with two guinea pigs, named Jupiter and Neptune. One of Zain's favourite activities is playing chess, which his maternal Granddad taught him. Zain also spends time with his Dad, who lives in London and visits Zain in Sheffield every two weeks.

Hailey and her family (UKF13)

Hailey (10) lives in Sheffield with her Mum and younger Brother (7). The family identifies as White British. Hailey loves all things Pokémon, including various digital games, collecting Pokémon memorabilia and even visiting a Pokémon themed cafe nearby. Hailey has recantly faced some challenges, including bullying at school, but this is gradually improving.

Lewis and his family (UKF14)

Lewis (8) lives with his Dad, Mum and younger Brother (5) in a small town near Sheffield. Lewis's parents describe the brothers as 'shy', although Lewis also has a brilliant sense of humour. Lewis loves being in his room with his cuddly animals, books and comics, although his hobbies also include Cubs, Fab Lab, swimming and circus. 

Aaliyah and her family (UKF15)

Aaliyah (11) is Black Caribbean and White and lives with her Mum and two older half-Siblings (13 and 19) in Sheffield. Her Mum’s partner and his son (6) are also regular visitors to the home. Aaliyah loves drawing and making, as well as sharing her Mum's fondness for Murder Mystery games.

Malik and his family (UKF16)

Malik (12) lives in a quiet neighbourhood in Sheffield with his Mum and three Brothers (6, 16 and 18).  The family identifies themselves as Arab and they speak both English and Arabic at home. The family love playing football and sharing meals together in their back garden. Malik loves playing FIFA and cooking delicious burgers for his family.

Annie and her family (UKF17)

Annie (10) lives with her Mum,  Brother (13) and younger Sister, Lizzie (2) in a suburb of Sheffield. Annie loves dinosaurs and making films with her Brother. The White British family share an interest in going to music events, theme parks and the seaside.

Ollie and his family (UKF18)

Ollie (8) lives with his Mum in Sheffield. Ollie's Mum, who is Black African and White, grew up just up the road and is now a full-time parent to home-schooled Ollie. Ollie is very active and sociable and especially likes physical activities like skateboarding. He enjoys noise making and the physical aspects of making music and dancing. 

Harriet and her family (UKF19)

Harriet (9) lives with her Mum, Dad, Brother (11) and Sister (14) in Sheffield. The family greyhound, Bobby, is a much-loved member of the household. For Harriet, an average week is full of activities. Amongst other things, competitive dancing takes up at least two evenings eacg week.

Fisayo and her family (UKF20)

Fisayo (11) lives with her Mum, Sister (16) and Brother (14). They moved to Sheffield when Fisayo's Mum started her postgraduate studies. Their Dad had to return to Nigeria for work soon after they had settled in the UK but comes to visit them often. Together, the family like to attend church and play card and board games.

Eshal and her family (SAF1)

Eshal (10) shares her home in the Western Cape with her Mum and Dad, Sister (8), their plants and a new goldfish. Eshal speaks fondly about her school life, prayer life, reading, digital play, cooking, meal times together, visiting family and visits to the library. When asked about what the family enjoys most, Eshal answers immediately: ‘eating!’.

Nkosinathi and his family (SAF2)

Nkosinathi (11) lives in the Western Cape. In addition to his parents and other family members, Nkosinathi speaks fondly of the benefits of having two older Siblings, who both have children of their own. Nkosinathi is creative and playful, enjoying games like Subway Surfer on his Mum’s phone or soccer on the nearby field with his friends. To relax, he enjoys watching favourite movies on DVD, such as the Harry Potter series. 

Anna and her family (SAF3)

Anna (6) lives with her Mum, Dad and Brother (9) in Cape Town. For Anna, important members of her family include Cally the cat, the ‘twin’ budgies, Nugget the hamster and Cole the guinea pig. She calls herself an ‘outside girl' and enjoys spending time on her Fairy Garden project, often accompanied by Cally.

Tinotenda and his family (SAF4)

Tinotenda (9) and his Mum live in Cape Town. When Tinotenda gets excited, he says, his toes start to wiggle. He compares it with when he eats food - his toes very much wiggle when he makes his favourite food, instant noodles. His favourite game is Minecraft, because he likes challenges (he is keen to defeat the dragon at the end). 

Olivia and her family (SAF5)

Olivia (7) lives in an intimate family home in the Western Cape with many family members including her Mum, two Aunts, two Cousins, her two Sisters (5 and 4 months) and her Brother (4 months). Olivia is very energetic, both physically and socially. She loves school and is proud of her school uniform. She loves playing skipping rope games both at home and in the school yard.

Mount and his family (SAF6)

Mount (10) shares his home in the Western Cape with his Mum, Dad, two older Brothers (15 and 18) and their two dogs. Faith is an important part of the life of the family, as is physical activity. Mount tells researchers that soccer is ‘his life’ and his Brother agrees that everything that comes out of Mount's mouth is soccer. 

Dan and his family (SAF7)

Dan (7) lives with his Mum, Dad and his adopted Brother (16). His Grandpa also lives with the family in a separate flat outside of the main home. Dan and his Dad play FIFA matches together (and with his Brother) and sometimes Dan plays Minecraft with his Mum. Dan has a large collection of shoes and leads researchers to his closet to show some very special pairs of shoes that are kept in their boxes. 

Jordan and his family (SAF8)

Jordan (9) and his Brothers (10 and 4), live with their Mum, Dad and Grandma on the second floor in a gated community near the sea in the Western Cape. When they are indoors, the boys watch videos on the television and spend their free time playing their favourite video game, FIFA. 

Kermit and his family (SAF9)

Kermit (8) lives with his family in a manicured  garden city suburb in Cape Town with his Mum, Dad and Sisters (1 and 4). They family's 'helper' lives with the family helps with looking after the children. In addition to playing PlayStation in the living room, Kermit likes playing with LEGO blocks and is building a LEGO railway. Outside, Kermit and his Sister play with a Tablet, swim and dive. 

Stiletto Queen and her family (SAF10)

Stiletto Queen (10) and her Brother (7), live in the Western Cape with their Dad, his close friend and Elsa, the family dog. Stiletto Queen’s Mum lives in a different city. The family enjoys the front garden, the small private garden at the back of the house and the broader neighbourhood, which offers a few recreational spaces like a park and swimming pool. 

George and his family (WAF1)

George (8) lives in an old heritage building in a Port City close to Perth with his Mum, Dad and older Sister.  George does well at school and in competitive sports. George has a large friendship group at school, but no ‘best’ friends. 

Elly and her family (WAF2)

Elly (8) lives with her Mum, Dad and older Sister in Western Australia. The family has a garden, where they grow fruits and vegetables. They also have a worm farm, bees, chickens and a mulching and recycling bin. Elly was described by her parents as a very active child. 

Violet and her family (WAF3)

Violet (9) lives in Perth, alongside her Mum, Dad and Brother (12). Violet enjoys playing with and drawing poppet toys and dolls. She also loves crafting and regularly uses Play Doh as well as dabbling in the creation of slime.

Ethan and his family (WAF4)

Ethan (12) is a sporty and energetic boy who lives in Western Australia with his Mum, Step-Dad and Brother (13). Ethan's Mum identifies herself as an Aboriginal Australian. Ethan excels in both football (AFL) and basketball. Geocaching bridges Ethan's digital play and outdoor interests and is something he does with both his Brother and his Granddad.

Miles and his family (WAF5)

Miles (6) lives with Mum, Dad and Sister (10) in Western Australia. Their Mum is Chinese Malaysian, while their Dad is identified as White Australian. Both siblings attend Chinese School on Sundays. Miles likes playing games on his tablet, including Minion Rush  and Hot Wheels. 

April and her family (WAF6)

April (7) lives with her Mum, Dad, Sister, Brother and pet dog in a light, airy suburban home in Western Australia. April's Mum says they're an ‘outdoor family’, who enjoy camping and sports. April likes playing with her Barbie house and figures, her American Girl dolls and dressing-up clothes.

Ria and her family (WAF7)

Ria (10) lives in Western Australia with her Sister (7), Mum and Dad. Ria’s parents are from Malaysia and moved to Australia for work reasons. She belongs to a choir in school, and learns piano and viola. She also plays chess, and takes part in coding sessions after school. She likes games that involve caring for animals, including the My Little Pony tie-in, Mane Merge.

Jane and her family (WAF8)

Jane (10) lives in an Australian city with her Mum and Dad. Jane's gaming preferences lean toward animal-themed and creative building games. Notably, Minecraft holds a special place as her favourite game.

Taj and his family (WAF9)

Taj (9) lives in an Australian city with his Mum and Dad (his Dad is of Indian descent). He also has a younger Brother and a Sister. Taj's fondness for mystical creatures, particularly dragons, is evident in his collection of dragon-themed games. Taj also enjoys pencil drawing, painting, and origami. 

Kudos and his family (WAF10)

Kudos (12) lives with his Mum, Dad and Sister in Western Australia. His family has an Indian background and speak English and Punjabi. Kudos recently used Minecraft Education to create a medieval castle for an assignment. The family enjoy playing board games together, including Monopoly and Snakes and Ladders.

Ariadne and her family (CYF1)

Ariadne (7) lives with her extended family in a suburban town near Paphos. She and her younger Sister (2), Mum, and Dad live with her maternal Grandparents. She likes pretend play and loves playing school, shifting between the roles of the pupil and of the teacher. 

Marios and his family (CYF2)

Marios (8) lives with his Mum, Step-Dad, Sister (1) and maternal Grandma, close to the city centre in Paphos. His Mum is Half Turkish Cypriot and Half Romanian, and both his Step-Dad and Dad are Greek Cypriots. The whole family plays football, hide-and-seek, and chase. Marios also likes to play with his teddy bear, toy cars, trains, and dinosaurs.

Liana and her family (CYF3)

Liana (10) lives with her Mum and Dad in a two bedroom flat in a suburb of Nicosia. Liana loves sports and digital games. Saturdays are usually filled with sports tournaments and matches. Her bedroom is filled with toys like Rubik’s cubes and Pokémon cards. She spends much time playing on her PlayStation (Minecraft, FIFA 23, NBA, Fortnite).

Tasia and her family (CYF4)

Tasia (8) lives in a village in the Paphos district with her Mum, Dad and Brother (14), spending much time with her maternal Grandma, who takes care of her after school. Tasia takes ballet and karate classes and loves pretend play with her  dollhouse and toy grocery store.

John and his family (CYF5)

John (7) lives with his Mum and Step-Dad in a suburb in Paphos. Their favourite activities include listening to music, watching television, playing board games, reading books together, and playing digital games together. John collects action figures featuring superheroes from different movies. His favourite digital games are Stumble Guys and Minecraft.

Andriana and her family (CYF6)

Andriana (9) lives with her Mum and her Brother (11) but spends much time at her Dad’s and Step-Mum’s house in the centre of Paphos. Andriana is sporty and artistic, spending much time on art and gymnastics. Andriana plays several digital games daily, including art-based games like ColorScapes.

Vera and her family (CYF7)

Vera (10) lives in Larnaca with her Mum, Dad and Sister (3). Vera gets excited about ballet, for which she has been taking classes from an early age. She enjoys swimming, going to the beach and shopping for clothes and toys. She also plays with her younger Sister on the trampoline.

Adonis and his family (CYF8)

Adonis (11) lives in a village with his Parents, his twin Sister (11), his younger Sister (9) and their four dogs. They live in a house in a village close to the city of Limassol. Adonis loves football. He likes playing Stumble Guys and Soccer Super Star. Among his favourite things is his hoverboard, which he rides in the family's yard.

Romeos and his family (CYF9)

Romeos (9) lives in Nicosia with his younger Sister (5) and Mum, as his parents are recently separated. The children split their time between their Mum’s house and their Dad’s apartment, which is nearby. Romeos has a collection of books and fairy tales that he, his Mum and Sister read, and owns different board games that he plays with his friends. However, it is football that he loves and is passionate about.

Sally and her family (CYF10)

Sally (12) lives in a village in the Paphos district with her Mum, Dad, and Sister (15). Sally particularly enjoys walking to a nearby church, picking mushrooms with her Dad, and exploring outdoors, where she looks for snails, insects and little animals, and collects flowers to put in vases around the house.