Youth Participation Findings in 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report

Last week, The Outdoor Foundation released the 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, the only detailed study of its kind tracking American participation trends in outdoor recreation. The findings revealed that participation in outdoor activities is rising overall, but disturbingly, participation among children is declining significantly.

The report – based on an on-line survey capturing responses from over 60,000 Americans ages six and older and covering 114 different outdoor activities – examines trends in the extent and frequency of youth participation in outdoor activities and reports on the motivations of youth participants and non-participants.

The most concerning finding of the report reveals that participation among youth ages 6 to 17 dropped over 11% in 2007. The drop was sharpest among youth ages 6 to 12, particularly girls age 6 to 12 whose participation fell from 77% to 61%.

In an age of extreme video games, online social networks, infinite television options and rising obesity rates, connecting youth with the healthy active outdoor lifestyle is critical. The decline in youth participation in outdoor recreation highlights the importance of nationwide efforts to understand and reverse the growing inactivity crisis among youth and the growing disconnect between youth and the outdoors. The insights detailed in the 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report are critical to these efforts.

Findings in the 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report specific to youth include:

Participation among youth ages 6 to 17 dropped over 11% in 2007.

Participation among boys and girls age 6-12 experienced the sharpest drop. Girls had the biggest decline falling from 77% to 61%. Boys fell from 79% to 72%.

Most youth are introduced to outdoor activities by parents, friends, family, and relatives.

For youth, "fun" is by far the most common motivation for participating in outdoor activities. Other motivators include discovery, exploration, new experiences, and exercise.

Youth of all ages who do not participate in outdoor activities cite a lack of interest as their primary reason. Lack of interest is followed by a lack of time, competition from other responsibilities (primarily schoolwork) and a preference for screen media such as TV, computers and video games.