Survey Finds Today’s Children Are Spending 35% Less Time Playing Freely Outside
September 20 2018 - 10:05AM
Business Wire
Commissioned Survey from Kamik Uncovers
Alarming Generational Decline in Outdoor Free Play
Experiences;Company Launches #FreeYourPlay Movement to Encourage
Families to Step Outside and Bring Freedom Back to Children’s
Play
Kamik, a leading footwear and apparel manufacturer, today
announced new survey result findings that indicate a significant
decrease in outdoor play among children ages 3-12. An overwhelming
majority of mothers agreed that their best childhood memories took
place outdoors while playing with a friend or a sibling, recalling
these memories elicit strong feelings of joy, freedom, and a sense
of adventure (75% in America and more than 60% in Canada) –
ironically, their own children are not having the same experiences
in today’s hectic, overscheduled environment.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180920005526/en/
American and Canadian mothers readily admitted they spent
significantly more time engaged in moments of outside free play,
defined as unstructured, child-initiated activity that allows kids
to develop their imaginations while exploring the world around
them, often out of the view and supervision of adults.
Key survey findings indicate:
- American children spend 35% less
time playing outside freely than their parents did. 65% of
parents surveyed said they played outside every day during their
childhood, while only 30% of their children do the same today. Even
more alarming, nearly one in five kids today play outside only once
a week or less. Toronto showed the highest proportion with 35% of
children playing outside once a week or less.
- On average, American children
between 3-12 years old participate in 5 structured activities a
week. Overscheduling and the social pressure to keep young
people occupied with extracurricular activities is contributing to
the decline. In fact, over 80% of children in America and 90% in
Toronto are registered to at least one structured activity per
week.
- Weather is another leading outdoor
play deterrent. 31% of parents in America and 18% of parents in
Canada noted inclement weather as the reason why their children
don’t spend more time outside.
- The overscheduling is also coming at
a cost, literally. Nearly one in three (32%) Canadian families
agree funding their children’s extracurricular activities is
putting a strain on family finances.
While the results are jarring, especially given the recent
recommendation to increase children’s unstructured play from the
American Academy of Pediatrics, not all findings are trending
negative. In fact, the survey found that kids are still spending
more time playing outside (81% play outdoors in their free time)
than they are playing on computers and tablets (69%).
“When children have adequate freedom and time to play, they
develop all of the basic skills that human beings everywhere must
acquire: physical skills, social skills, emotional skills,
constructive skills, creativity, and logic,” said Dr. Peter Gray,
research professor of psychology and author of Free to Learn: Why
Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier,
More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. “In adventurous
outdoor play they build not just their heart, lungs, and muscles,
but also their courage and resilience.”
To inspire conversation around the value of outside free play
experiences, Kamik is igniting a social movement to #FreeYourPlay,
a call to action for parents to step outside the overcrowded
repetition of their family’s daily routine and rediscover an
offline-no-agenda creative balance with their kids through moments
of unstructured outside free play. Sparked from consumer insights
that show today’s children are missing out on the unstructured,
outside free play experiences their parents enjoyed as kids,
Kamik’s #FreeYourPlay initiative encourages families to rediscover
the fun and freedom of unstructured play by providing them with
accessible, simple ideas to help their children develop their
creativity through playing outside, freely.
Consumers are invited to join the movement and share their own
outside free play experiences on social media using #FreeYourPlay,
and visit Kamik.com/FreeYourPlay for more information about the
movement, including free play tips and inspiration.
ABOUT THE KAMIK OUTSIDE FREE PLAY
SURVEY
A global study commissioned by Kamik earlier this year surveyed
parents of kids ages 3-12 in the US, Canada, Germany, and Norway to
gauge their relationship to Outside Free Play experiences compared
with their children, and determine the generational differences in
youth free play experiences.
US and Canada Survey Data Compilation – 2,002 women ages 24+
identifying as mothers with children ages 3-12 agreed to take a
survey about both their personal play patterns as youth, and their
children’s current play patterns. The survey was conducted from
August 3 to August 16, 2018 by market research firm Ipsos on behalf
of Kamik.
ABOUT KAMIK
Kamik is a leading footwear and apparel manufacturer on a
mission to bring unstructured moments of Outdoor Free Play back to
families worldwide. True to its 120-year Canadian heritage, Kamik
has a special connection with the outdoors and creates a complete
line of comfortable, versatile footwear and apparel for the whole
family. Rugged, dependable and durable, these products keep playful
feet dry and warm year round, from the first spring puddle jumps to
the last wintry snowball fight. Kamik’s Montreal-based parent
company, Genfoot, boasts a century-long history and about 400
employees in its plants across Québec, Ontario and New Hampshire.
Kamik footwear is available in over 10,000 outlets in more than 40
countries. Learn more at http://www.kamik.com and join the movement
to #FreeYourPlay by following Kamik on Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180920005526/en/
Litzky Public RelationsKelsey Wheeler, (201) 222-9118
x22kwheeler@litzkypr.com