A recent survey has uncovered the top 30 activities that bored kids most want to try, with thrilling experiences like sailing, quad biking, and archery taking the top spots. The adventure wish list also includes horse riding, skateboarding, rock climbing, and kayaking. Driving a car emerged as the most popular choice among the 900 children surveyed, aged eight to 16, with 23% expressing a desire to give it a go. The survey, commissioned by PGL, an adventure holiday camp company, also found that nearly one in 10 (8%) would like to learn life-saving survival skills, while 11% are daring enough to want to try skydiving.
The reasons behind this yearning for adventure are multifaceted. The joy of trying something new (45%), having something to brag to friends about (25%), and seeing celebrities or influencers take on these challenges (16%) are among the driving forces. However, 33% feel they don’t get the opportunity to push themselves due to a lack of accessible locations, and 26% let their nerves get the better of them.
The research also shed light on other aspects of children’s aspirations. While 22% have yet to spend a night away from home without their parents, 68% of the youngsters polled expressed a desire to do so. Charlotte Haines, from PGL, highlighted the excitement of trying new things and the thrill of adventure for children. She emphasized that the results clearly demonstrate the desire for exciting experiences, with driving, quad biking, and sailing topping the list alongside other fun activities like skiing and surfing. The study also found that street dancing, abseiling, and fencing are among the activities kids would like to try.
A strong appetite for new experiences was evident, with three quarters of the children surveyed expressing a desire to try new activities. Furthermore, 84% believe it’s important to learn new things or explore new hobbies. When it comes to the importance of these experiences, having fun (37%) is paramount, followed by getting active (11%), learning a new skill (13%), and spending time with friends or family (12%).
The research, conducted via OnePoll, also revealed that 29% of youngsters prefer outdoor activities to indoor ones, although 50% are happy either way. Interestingly, 65% will take part in outside challenges every week, with the perfect day consisting of three hours and 22 minutes of adventurous tasks. When it comes to the summer holidays, 54% would like to spend more time out in the open than they usually do, with 74% getting bored during the six-week break. Instead, 49% end up spending more time on electronic devices during this period, often due to their parents working (36%) or a lack of other activities (30%).
Charlotte Haines, from PGL, stressed the importance of keeping kids active during the summer holidays, suggesting that finding new and fun things to do can be a great way to combat boredom and keep children entertained while parents are working.
Here are the top 30 activities that kids would like to try:
1. Driving a car
2. Quad biking
3. Sailing a boat
4. Scuba diving
5. Skiing
6. Snowboarding
7. Horse riding
8. Skydiving
9. Inflatable aqua assault course
10. Surfing
11. Snorkelling
12. Archery
13. Treasure hunt
14. Zip-lining
15. Wind surfing
16. Rock climbing
17. Stand up paddle boarding
18. Kayaking
19. Street dance
20. Abseiling
21. Learn life-survival skills
22. Body boarding
23. Raft Building
24. Hiking
25. High ropes course
26. Fencing
27. Fishing
28. Skateboarding
29. Bushcraft
30. Bouldering (climbing without ropes)
