Children confined to their homes because of COVID-19 are drawing pictures of what they miss most -- friends at school, grandparents, football, open spaces -- and many, it turns out, miss many of the same things.
From Tokyo to Buenos Aires to New York, youngsters have taken to their balconies or front lawns to display and explain their drawings to Reuters photographers.
Kim Kyung-hoon/Reuters
Reku Matsui, 8, and Yaya Matsui, 12, pose for a photograph while holding pictures that they drew during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as they stand on the balcony of their home in Tokyo, April 19, 2020. "I miss being with my grandmother and my grandfather. Also, I want to go to my grandmother's house," said Reku, who drew a picture of himself standing in between his two smiling grandparents. Yaya, who drew a picture of herself and a friend said "what I want to do the most right now is hang out with my friends."
Reku Matsui, 8, in Tokyo has drawn himself between his grandparents, the three of them smiling together.
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"I miss being with my grandmother and my grandfather. Also, I want to go to my grandmother's house," he said.
His older sister Yaya, 12, has drawn a picture of herself and a friend.
"What I want to do the most right now," she said, "is hang out with my friends."
Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters
Noa, 7, and Tom, 6, pose for a photograph while holding pictures that they drew during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as they sit in front of their house in Bad Honnef, Germany, April 17, 2020. "I painted the school and my friend Moritz because I am missing him so much as well as the Odyseeum because I miss it," said Noa. Tom said: "I have painted a picture of the house of grandma and grandpa because I miss them so much."
In the German town of Bad Honnef, near Bonn, 6-year-old Tom said: "I have painted a picture of the house of grandma and grandpa, because I miss them so much."
Besides longed-for grandparents, children are also depicting the sports they miss.
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Ivan Posta, 8, Vince Posta, 11, and Vilma Posta, pose for a photograph while holding pictures that they drew during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, while standing on the balcony at their home in Budapest, Hungary, April 10, 2020. Ivan drew a soccer ball, "because, I like to play football with friends." Vince also drew a soccer ball "because we can't play football in the garden as there are trees and bushes everywhere." Vilma drew her friends and said she missed her friends the most. "I'm fine, only teachers give too many lessons," she added.
Ivan Posta, 8, and brother Vince, 11, who live in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, have drawn huge soccer balls.
"I drew a soccer ball because we can't play football in the garden as there are trees and bushes everywhere," said Vince.
Temilade Adelaja/Reuters
Sofiat Kolawole, 8, Olatunji Adebayo, 11, and Amira Akanbi 11, pose for a photograph while holding pictures that they drew during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as they stand in front of their house in Lagos, Nigeria, April 18, 2020. Sofiat who drew her school said: "What I drew now is different from what I normally draw before the lockdown because I miss my school... The lockdown has made me angry because I can't go to school." Olatunji said: "I drew a football and I miss playing football with my friends... I feel sad about the lockdown."
Thousands of miles away in the Nigerian city of Lagos, 11-year-old Olatunji Adebayo has also drawn a huge soccer ball.
"I miss playing football with my friends before the lockdown ... I feel sad about the lockdown," he said.
Caitlin Ochs/Reuters
Jane Hassebroek, 13, poses for a photograph while holding a picture that she drew during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, while standing outside her home in Brooklyn, New York, April 19, 2020. "I chose to draw my local park because it's a place where me and my friends can hang out with each other away from school and home and just have fun. It is a place we used to hang out a lot, and I really miss doing that," said Hassebroek.
Flowers, woods and green spaces also feature prominently.
"I chose to draw my local park because it's a place me and my friends can hang out with each other away from school and home and just have fun," Jane Hassebroek, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, said.
"This lockdown has made me feel pretty trapped because I live in New York City so it is hard to social distance when there are so many people around," the 13-year-old added.
Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters
Sandithi Illeperuma, 14, poses for a photograph while holding a picture that she drew during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as she stands in front of her home in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 17, 2020. "Before the lockdown, I used to draw fun and creative stuff. But after the lockdown, I started to draw the things I missed the most," said Sandithi who drew a picture of a girl sitting alone in the bottom right corner with her knees up to her chin, wearing a face mask.
Sandithi Illeperuma is 14 and lives in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo.
In her picture, a girl sits alone in the bottom right corner with her knees up to her chin, wearing a face mask. At the top, a group of female figures in swirling skirts dance together, enjoying themselves.
"Before the lockdown, I used to draw fun and creative stuff. But after the lockdown ... I started to draw the things I missed the most ... I draw my emotions. It has made me feel very lonely because I'm the only child," she added.
Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters
Nipoon Kitkrailard, 10, poses for a photograph while holding a picture that he drew during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as he stands by a window at his home in Samut Prakan, Thailand, April 21, 2020. Nipoon, who drew pictures of the coronavirus, wants everyone to take the lockdown precautions seriously. "It might be boring, but it will tremendously help the fight against COVID," he said.
Some youngsters have tackled the coronavirus itself.
Nipoon Kitkrailard, 10, who lives in Thailand's Samut Prakan province, has drawn the virus as a monster coming to invade the world, but medical workers and items including hand gel and face masks hold it back.
Ivan Alvarado/Reuters
Matilda Soto Quilenan, 6, poses for a photograph while holding a picture that she drew during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as she stands on the roof of her house, in Santiago, Chile, April 20, 2020. Matilda drew herself and her friend Ema from school, who she said she misses a lot. "I miss going to the park, eating ice cream and riding my scooter," Matilda said. "I've felt sad because I can't go out to play... When I get bored, I occupy my imagination to draw, I can be an artist... I'm happy with that. But sometimes I get angry because the drawings come out too ugly."
In China, where the outbreak of the new coronavirus began, and where the lockdown has been lifted first, 11-year old Li Congchen in Beijing has made an intricate series of drawings showing the virus arriving on a "bat aircraft," people willing to give their lives to stand up to it, and in the end human beings defeating it with "vaccine guns."
Loren Elliott/Reuters
Oriana Ikladious and Rafaela Ikladious, 8, who are twins, pose while holding pictures that they drew during the coronavirus outbreak, as they stand on the balcony at their home in Sydney, April 18, 2020. Oriana said: "I feel a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out) because I'm missing out, everyone is missing out on everything. And it's kind of sad and annoying. It's very tempting to go out but you can't. And that's what I miss, going to the cinema, going to the library and borrowing books." Rafaela said: "I am feeling really sad... last year we had the fires and this year we have the virus."
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Reporting via Reuters.