Home insurance providers are poised for an influx of claims as the children prepare to break up from school for their 6-week long summer holiday. Research conducted by insurance broker Swinton found that a large number of their customers revealed they had made a claim on their home insurance policy after damage was caused by children during their summer holidays. The insurance provider quizzed 1,200 of their customers to collect the results and found that 23% of these policyholders had made a claim on their policy in the last 5 years after household items were broken or damaged by their children who were home due to the school break. According to the findings of the Swinton study, ballgames were the main cause of breakages in the home, followed by overzealous computer game playing, and children riding skateboards and bicycles indoors. The majority of household claims were made for damage to carpets, electrical appliances and equipment and sofas. These items are generally covered on the average home insurance policy, although selected policies may not cover sofas, carpets and windows automatically in which case additional cover may be required. The advice being given by insurance specialists is to check your home insurance policy before the children break up from school to avoid accidents occurring in your home which you may not be covered for.