October 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 42

Who, What, Where & how Around the Parks

RE S EARCH UPDATE

Kids are Going Outdoors?
National survey reveals surprising information about children's time outdoors

n the past decade, there has
been much discussion about the
amount of time children spend
outdoors. News releases highlighting declining youth participation in outdoor recreation have also
contributed to growing concerns over
nature-deficit disorder-catalyzing a
movement to reconnect kids and nature.
However, a recent U. S. Forest Service
study is beginning to challenge many
common assumptions about what chil-

directly. Questions address a variety of
topics including time children spend outdoors, common outdoor activities, and
reasons for not spending time outdoors.
Results reveal that, in general, about
63 percent of all children are spending at least two hours outdoors daily. As
well, over the four years this survey has
been running, kids outdoor participation rates have shown no sign of decreasing. Indeed, 85 percent of children report
spending either the same amount or more

dren are or are not doing outdoors. Results of this National Kids Survey, which
is the first national attempt to systematically baseline children's outdoor time,
suggest that the alleged absence of kids'
in the out-of-doors may be somewhat
overstated.
Initiated in 2007, this ongoing telephone survey targets a diverse sample
of approximately 2,000 U.S households
with kids between 6 and 19. Adults age
20 and older answer for young children
(ages 6-15) in the house. Teenagers between ages 16 and 19 are interviewed

time outdoors this year, compared to last
year. A majority of children (more than 80
percent) participate in some form of unstructured outdoor play, while 50 percent
participate in structured activities such as
organized sports. Furthermore, males,
younger children, and Hispanics report
spending more time outside than other
demographic groups.
Although these results represent an
encouraging sign that kids remain passionate about outdoor activities, other numbers suggest there is still room
for improvement. For instance, children

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participate in outdoor nature-based recreation such as fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing less frequently than in many
other outdoor activities. Concern regarding nature-deficit disorder seems
warranted. A far more popular modern
pastime appears to be using electronic
media outdoors, an activity reported for
65 percent of respondents. Not surprising,
kids' fascination with technological devices can be a deterrent to participation in
outdoor activities (for example, the National Kids Survey shows that watching TV/
movies, playing video games, surfing the
internet, and texting are among the most
commonly cited reasons for not spending
more time outside). On the other hand, effective integration of the use of electronic
media in outdoor settings may have the
potential to draw more children outside-
ultimately enhancing the potential for kids
to bond with the natural environment.
Overall, the National Kids Survey suggests that children today are spending
time outside, but that the nature of this outdoor time may be different than for previous generations. Interacting with nature
seems to be less of a motivator than it was
previously. Use of electronic media seems
to influence kids outdoor activity choices
more and more (e.g., kids seem to be doing
indoor activities outside and are not necessarily interacting with nature). Future research efforts should continue to monitor
these trends and characterize the changing role of parks in children's outdoor pursuits. To remain relevant in the lives of
American youth, park and recreation professionals could use instruments such as
the National Kids Survey, or information
from it, to adapt their current services. For

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by Ken Cordell and Gary Green

October 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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