The relationship between parental attitudes toward nature and the amount of time children spend in outdoor recreation
Parental attitudes towards nature influence children's time spent playing in nature
The time from birth to age five is the window of the greatest childhood development and therefore it is particularly important for children of these ages to engage in experientially rich play. Given the strong influence parental attitudes have on their children’s activities and attitudes, especially during early years, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental attitudes toward nature, parental attitudes toward their children’s outdoor recreation, and the amount of time their children spend in outdoor free play activities.
This study utilized a convenience sample from two university child development centers in Texas. Families with children between the ages of three and five were invited to participate in the study, which required completion of a survey. Of 145 eligible families, 69 families (47.5%) provided complete surveys. The survey tool was comprised of four sections that solicited demographic data as well as information about the parents’ attitudes toward nature and outdoor activities, their attitudes about their children spending time outdoors, and how much time their children spend in free play outside. The survey tool was developed using a design method defining procedures for conducting self-administered surveys that produce high quality data.
The survey results indicated that parents had an overall positive view of nature and an overall positive view of their child(ren)’s outdoor recreation. The majority of the study children spent between 30 and 60 minutes in outdoor free play per day, which offers less than the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Statistical analysis found a moderate, statistically-significant relationship between both parental attitudes towards nature and parental attitudes towards their children’s outdoor recreation and the amount of time they reported that their children spend in free play outside.
It is curious that although parents in this study reported positive views of nature and their children’s outdoor recreation, their children did not spend a particularly substantial amount of time engaged in free play outdoors. This suggests that a construct beyond parental attitude is influencing their children’s behavior. A study including parental behavior with regards to outdoor activities, as opposed to attitudes, is suggested as an important area for future research.
Citation
McFarland, A. L., Zajicek, J. M., Wallczek, T. M., (2014). The relationship between parental attitudes toward nature and the amount of time children spend in outdoor recreation. Journal of Leisure Research, 46(5),
