The Influence of Parents’ Outdoor Recreation Preferences on Children’s Outdoor Activities in State Parks

Abstract

Parents play a vital role in influencing their children’s outdoor recreation participation. Families can enjoy nature and stay active in state parks, which provide abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation and education. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parents’ experiences with, and attitudes toward, outdoor recreation and children’s participation in outdoor recreation for one state park system. A total of 104 parents completed an online survey in spring 2020. In these state park settings, parents generally valued their children’s participation in nonconsumptive outdoor recreation activities more than consumptive activities. A series of chi-square analyses further indicated, however, that parents who prefer engaging in consumptive recreation activities placed higher importance on their children’s participation in the consumptive activities of fishing and hunting. Parents’ outdoor recreation activity preferences did not reflect differences in their own levels of physical activity but did relate to variations in their children’s physical activity levels.