Are children missing out on adventure?
Research from Go Ape shows parents think children don’t go outside enough
Almost any classic film or book where the kids are the heroes involves action, adventure and exploration. New research from Go Ape states that 49% of parents surveyed felt their children would class ‘play-time’ as watching TV and playing on computer games, with many children expected to spend 14 hours and 28 minutes per week staring at a screen throughout July and August.
The results from a recent survey are in and we’ve got some the findings below:
The study of 2,000 British parents, by outdoors adventure brand Go Ape who conducted the research to mark the launch of their new website www.shareadventure.wordpress.com , designed to inspire people of all ages to share adventures with one another, found that the average child will spend at least 2 hours 4 minutes every day staring at a screen during the summer break.
The research also reveals that traditional outdoor activities such as picking fruit, playing conkers and making daisy chains could soon become a thing of the past as children spend their spare time playing computer games and watching TV instead.
Over half of parents (51%) surveyed admitted to feeling worried that their children are having less traditional play-time experiences and 8 out of 10 British parents (82%) believe that the current generation are having less physical adventures outside than they did when they were children.
Ben Fogle, writer, broadcaster and father to two children is heading up the Share Adventure campaign with Go Ape to incentivise people to go on more adventures. The TV personality commented: “I do worry that today’s generation of children are at risk of losing their sense of adventure. It is clear from the study by Go Ape that many parents need to do more to encourage their children to play outdoors and be more physically active. The prospect of future generations having no interest in flying a kite or climbing trees is a frightening thought. I hope parents act on this and get their children outside this summer.”
Paul Lymer, Head of Marketing for Go Ape, says: “Our study suggests that parents want their children to take part in more outdoor activities. But many are at a loss when it comes to planning family trips. That’s why we’ve launched our Share Adventure portal that showcases experiences and adventures that Go Ape customers have already undertaken. We hope that we will inspire people of all ages to share adventures with one another, adventures ranging from flying kites on the beach, hunting for bugs in local woodland or a hide and seek in a city park. www.shareadventure.wordpress.com provides adventurous inspiration and ideas available on your own doorstep and there is opportunities to win prizes and Go Ape gear too. We hope by visiting the Share Adventure portal families can be inspired to get in more adventures with each other. Ultimately we hope the website will encourage people to live life more adventurously”
While parents want their child to spend more time outdoors, one in ten parents do not think its safe for their child to play outside like they used to, with 1 in 2 only letting their child play outdoors if supervised by an adult.
The school holidays can be a challenging time for parents, thinking of ways to keep the kids entertained over the summer months, so helpful info and inspiration from other families may be just the ticket to help get younger generations and out and enjoying the outdoors again.
We want to hear from you, how do you get your children involved and enjoying adventure?
Don’t forget, your summer photos can win you voucher prizes with our #LetsJustGO competition. More information at: http://www.gooutdoors.wordpress.com/lets-just-go
