Regular leisure activities of children in Germany 2018

Every day or nearly every day the majority of German children watch TV in their free time. They also do their homework, study and play inside. These are the most popular daily activities, though using a smartphone, meeting with friends and listening to music are also climbing to the top of the list.

Too much TV?

In different age groups, the average television viewing time among children in minutes per day has decreased during the last five years. This is, on the one hand, a trend that leads to hope that children will and want to pursue other leisure activities, which obviously brings many benefits, with a positive impact on health being just one example. On the other hand, the rise of mobile technology and increased access to mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones may simply influence the shift towards different viewing habits.

School and homework

German children start school at six years old, which is also true for many European countries. Schools as such provide activities for occupying children’s free time, homework being the ready example, and they also foster potential for meeting with friends after classes, sports and other activities that happen simply through being exposed to a peer group on a daily basis.