From the ArcaMax Publishing, Health & Fitness Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/healthtips/s-569489-548143
WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Sixty-nine percent of U.S. children in the lowest
income bracket don't have access to a community playground, a survey
indicates.
KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing play back into
the lives of children, commissioned the survey conducted by Harris
Interactive of 1,677 parents with children between the ages of 2-12.
The group says U.S. children experience a national play deficit
because they don't have enough time and space to play every day.
The survey found 59 percent of parents report their children don't
have access to a community playground.
In terms of importance, 96 percent of parents said playing outside was
critical to keep kids physically fit, but just 17 percent thought
children played enough outside.
In the survey, the parents reported their kids spend less than an hour
per day engaged in unstructured play outdoors, on average, and 92
percent of parents said children today spend less time playing outside
than they did when they were children.
The survey was conducted online between March 31 and April 7 among
1,677 respondents who were selected from among parents with children
between the ages of 2-12 who have agreed to participate in Harris
Interactive surveys. No margin of error was given.