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  • Participating in leisure activities
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What does this mean?

In Kids Stats participating less in leisure activities refers to the lack of participation of children and young people in a hobby or leisure or cultural activity. 

Why is it important?

Access to safe outdoor play spaces and the ability to participate in leisure and school activities and outings provides opportunities for children and young people to learn new things, have fun and develop friendships [1].

Increasingly, organised leisure activities for children and young people impacts on low income families who cannot afford them. Entrance fees, transport costs and conforming to appropriate clothing codes all come at a cost [2].

The fact that children and young people in low income households cannot afford to take part in activities that others take for granted, such as going to the movies, can make it difficult to maintain good relationships with friends [3]. This can lead to feelings of frustration, with children and young people in such situations often reporting “doing nothing” or feeling annoyed with doing the same things [3].

For children and young people in low income families, the street often becomes the site of leisure activities because they have nowhere else to go [2]. For a small number of children and young people, not being able to participate in organised activities is associated with involvement in vandalism and crime [3].

Researcher: Okay. I think the other thing that I was thinking, does money affect what we get to do?
Fifteen year old: Um, yes.
Researcher: Does it ever mean that we miss out on things or…
Fifteen year old: For sure, because like if you… can’t afford to go somewhere then you are not going to be able to do that like. 

Indicator

The indicator used in Kids Stats to monitor, “participating less in leisure activities”, is obtained from the ABS Survey of Children’s Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities. The indicator is:

The number of children and young people aged 5-14 years, as reported by parents or carers, who participated in a hobby or leisure activity during the last two weeks, as a rate per 1,000 children and young people aged 5-14 years.

Multiple responses could be provided by parents when giving information on organised and general leisure activities. 

Information about this will soon be available.

Notes:
[1] Saunders, P., Sutherland, K., Davidson., P., Hampshire, S.K., Taylor, J. (2006). Experiencing poverty: The voices of low-income Australians towards new indicators of disadvantage project Stage 1: Focus group outcomes. Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney.
[2] Ridge, T. (2007). Negotiating child poverty: Children’s subjective experiences of life on a low income. In H. Wintersberger, L. Alanen., T. Olk, J. Qvortup (eds.), Childhood, generational order and the welfare state: Exploring children’s social and economic welfare, Vol 1 of COST A19: Children’s Welfare, University Press of Southern Denmark: Denmark.
[3] Roker, D. (1998). Worth more than this: Young people growing up in family poverty. The Children’s Society: Ilford, UK. 

For details of the references and to find out more about the data follow the link to Glossary and further information.