Recreation
For the first time since 2001, overall participation in outdoor recreation increased in 2007: to 50 percent of Americans (Outdoor Industry Foundation "Outdoor Recreation Participation Report 2008"). While this statistic may seem encouraging, this news is offset by the fact that youth participation dropped significantly, by 11 percent among children ages 6 to 17 (ibid.). The Outdoor Industry Foundation's report sheds additional light on the state of outdoor recreation participation for 2007, including the following startling facts and takeaways:
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Participation among youth ages 6 to 17 dropped more than 11 percent, with the sharpest declines among youth ages 6 to 12
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42 percent of youth ages 6-17 take part in an outdoor activity only 30 times a year or less
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Participation in outdoor activities declines with age. The fewer youth introduced to outdoor recreation, the fewer adult participants there will be in future years
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As children increasingly spend much free time indoors or in structured sedentary activities, researchers link the trend to skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity (1 in 5 children are clinically obese)
REI is committed to reversing the disturbing declines in youth outdoor participation through our programs, events, philanthropic efforts, and partnerships with nonprofits.
In this section, we provide information on some of the ways we support recreation access and help others be active in human-powered outdoor activities, such as:
Grants to Local Nonprofits and National Partnerships
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