Aim <p>This study investigated physical activity (PA) trends among school-aged children and adolescents in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2023, focusing on the duration, types, and locations of their activities.</p> Subject and methods <p>A descriptive observational design was employed using data collected from the miMove digital platform. A sample of 328,107 entries from the platform were analyzed. These entries were made by 13,377 students, of whom 53.5% were female and aged between 9 and 16. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations were used to examine changes in the duration, types, and locations of PA reported between 2019 and 2023. The trends were then graphically interpreted over the 5-year period.</p> Results <p>Between 2019 and 2023, the COVID-19 pandemic had an observable impact on the PA patterns of school-aged children and adolescents. The duration of PA decreased during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, but it gradually returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2023. The pandemic resulted in walking becoming a more popular form of PA than structured and contact sports, and students were more likely to engage in PA outside of school settings.</p> Conclusion <p>School districts, schools, and teachers should be aware of PA trends among students to effectively support positive health behaviors during a global pandemic or at any time. Implementing whole-of-school approaches to PA promotion is beneficial, as they take into account opportunities within and beyond the regular school day. Teachers and school staff could enhance their understanding of strategies to promote PA through additional training considering these different contexts.</p>