The 2017 Let’s Play State of Play survey, commissioned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), revealed that time for active play, whether it be in neighborhoods after school, on weekends, during the summer or on days off from school, is more limited than before.

Among the findings:

  • Nearly seven out of 10 parents believed that busy schedules were a key barrier to active play.
  • More than 50 percent of tweens wished they had more time to be active and play sports.
  • Rather than playing outside, kids are spending more time on entertainment media, including televisions, computers, phones and other electronic devices. In fact, roughly 81 percent of kids consider gaming to be a part of playtime.
  • Screen time for kids nearly doubles from the weekday to the weekend, (4.8 hours to 8.4 hours per day), while active play increases by just 1 hour (2.6 hours to 3.8 hours per day) despite having extra free time from schoolwork/school day.

Let’s Play was launched in 2011 as a community initiative led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group, in partnership with two non-profit organizations – KaBOOM! and Good Sports – to get kids and families to play nationwide.

“Through Let’s Play, we are committed to providing kids and families with the tools, places and inspiration to make active play a daily priority,” said Vicki Draughn, Dr Pepper Snapple Group vice president of corporate affairs. “By providing underserved communities with safe, accessible playgrounds and sports equipment, we’re making play possible for more kids and doing our part to help eliminate the play deficit.”

Dr Pepper Snapple Group partners with KaBOOM! to build and improve playgrounds and with Good Sports to provide grants for sports equipment to help make active play possible. As of 2017, DPS has invested $28 million in grants for new or improved playgrounds and sports equipment, impacting hundreds of youth-serving organizations across the U.S., as well as Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

The 2017 State of Play Survey polled a nationally-representative sample of tweens (age 9-12 children) and parents of children between the ages of 5-17 living in the household. The survey was fielded between March 29 and April 6, 2017.

For more information about Let’s Play, please visit LetsPlay.com or Facebook.com/LetsPlay.