If summer is about freedom, winter is about compression. 

Dark mornings. Drizzly playgrounds. Group chats lighting up before the sky does. For families, the colder months trigger a collective “hunker down” instinct - and for kids, that means a season defined by screens, snacks and sofa-based socialising.

But winter doesn’t last forever. And as half term slices through the mood like a well-timed Mario Kart shortcut, we’ve started to see a shift. From immersion to routines, here’s how the transition from winter hideouts to spring routines plays out.

The Uphill Struggle

It’s so hard to get up and get dressed in the morning for school when it’s dark and rainy like this. – Elizabeth, 11

The January reset hits kids hard. After the sensory high of Christmas - late nights, new tech, no routines - the return to school feels like running uphill in the rain. And then, parents reinstate structure.

Screen time rules tighten and sports clubs resume, but while adults see “routine,” kids can feel the friction. Energy dips, motivation wobbles and screens (especially gaming) fill the void.

Gaming Overload (Then the Dial Back)

Post-Christmas, gaming tends to peak. New consoles, download codes redeemed, EA Sports FC dominating UK bedrooms and Madden NFL 26 firing up US fandoms, Roblox continuing its cultural grip.

But as school routines reassert themselves, gaming shifts from binge to balance. The novelty softens and the rules return. What remains is habit - but much more moderated.

Winter isn’t about quitting screens; it’s about negotiating them.

Live TV: It’s a Collective

Live TV is back in the chat. Not because it’s trendy - but because it’s collective. In a fragmented content world, winter nudges families back to the sofa at the same time. Shows like the Gladiators Season 3 are reviving early-00s nostalgia and drawing families into shared, low-barrier viewing.

Even The Traitors Season 4 with the BBC’s clever shift to an earlier time slot drawing in younger viewers sharing with mum and dad an appetite for more complex narratives.

Christmas Hauls & The Halo Effect

Winter is also spending season. Christmas money flows quickly into fashionwear - Adidas, Nike, Primark, and Shein lead the charge. And these brands carry a halo deep into spring. What’s unwrapped in December is worn on repeat through February half term.

Half Term: The Firebreak

For UK kids especially, February half term couldn't come soon enough.

School is going ok; I got the results for my Transfer Test… I got band 1 which is the highest grade… We’ve been going to lots of open days.” – Jacob, 10

With pressure building around exams and transitions and those dark mornings, half term acts as release valve and we see a clear behavioural pivot:

• More outdoor play (weather permitting)
• IRL reconnection
• Sport as “fresh start energy.”
• Shopping mall migrations

Fast food hubs become unofficial youth clubs, McDonald’s, Greggs, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A (US) all offer cheap eats, warm seating, and free Wi-Fi. These spaces are frictionless social meeting points because after months of digital immersion, kids crave proximity.

Sleepovers Stage a Comeback

As half term looms, sleepovers are where the digital and physical merge seamlessly - gaming online while sitting side by side. Shared screens, shared sugar highs, and shared in-jokes and the brands that fuel these rituals become memory markers.

Brands That Step Up in the Transition

The winners of transition season are ritual-aware.

Gaming brands such as Nintendo, EA Sports, Roblox own winter immersion but extend into spring through updates, live events and community moments.

Fashion brands in the Christmas hauls such as Adidas, Nike, Primark, Shein have a halo effect that carries into playground status once IRL hangs return.

McDonald’s, Greggs, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A are half-term hangout heroes - affordable, accessible, welcoming. These brands become the backdrop to reconnection.

And then we have the sleepover staples like Skittles, Pringles and Domino’s. What better to accompany a Fortnite battle, Stranger Things finale or a Roblox concert?

The smart move for brands is to recognise winter not as a slump, but as a set-up. Because what kids watch, wear, eat and play in the dark months shapes how they show up when the light returns.

And as families move from hunkering down to heading out, the brands that travel with them or are waiting for them through gaming overload, comfort viewing and snack-stacked sleepovers are the ones that earn spring loyalty.

Winter compresses while spring expands, and the brands that win? They flex both.

Wondering how your brand could harness trends like these? Chat to one of the Beano Brain team today.