1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2003   
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Contents >> Culture and Recreation >> Children's participation in cultural and leisure activities

A survey of children's activities in the 12 months to April 2000 found that 29% of children aged 5-14 years (777,700 children) were involved in at least one of four selected organised cultural activities outside of school hours. Girls were twice as likely as boys (40% compared with 20%) to participate in at least one of these activities (table 12.22).

During the year, 10% of girls were involved in more than one of the selected organised cultural activities outside of school hours, compared with 3% of boys. The rate of children's participation in at least one of the organised cultural activities ranged from 22% in the Northern Territory to 34% in the Australian Capital Territory.

Playing a musical instrument was the most popular of the selected cultural activities (18%), followed by dancing (10%), singing (5%) and drama (5%). The activity with the highest ratio of girls to boys was dancing, with 11 times more girls participating than boys.


12.22 CHILDREN INVOLVED IN CULTURAL ACTIVITIES(a), Participation rate - 2000
Age (years)
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
All children
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Males
Playing a musical instrument
*4.0
9.8
11.0
16.5
17.0
20.4
20.2
20.8
19.7
18.1
15.8
Singing
**1.1
**0.6
*2.1
*3.2
*3.8
*4.1
*3.0
*4.4
*3.6
*2.8
2.9
Dancing
**1.2
*2.2
*2.1
**0.8
*1.5
*1.6
**0.5
*2.8
*2.7
*1.7
1.7
Drama
**0.1
*1.3
*3.6
*3.5
*2.8
*4.7
*2.4
*4.3
*4.2
*4.8
*3.2
All
6.2
12.6
15.2
20.5
20.5
25.2
23.5
24.6
24.4
24.0
19.7
Females
Playing a musical instrument
5.4
8.2
15.6
23.7
24.1
27.3
29.4
23.0
23.7
20.0
20.2
Singing
**1.1
*3.5
*4.1
7.5
7.7
10.3
7.7
8.8
7.6
7.7
6.7
Dancing
23.3
25.0
22.0
21.0
21.4
19.5
20.4
15.2
15.7
11.6
19.5
Drama
**0.7
*2.6
*5.1
5.8
5.7
7.8
7.2
10.5
8.4
7.0
6.1
All
27.9
32.8
37.1
41.8
44.8
45.0
48.0
42.1
41.5
34.6
39.7
Persons
Playing a musical instrument
4.7
9.1
13.2
20.1
20.5
23.7
24.5
22.0
21.7
19.0
17.9
Singing
*1.1
*1.9
3.0
5.3
5.8
7.0
5.2
6.7
5.6
5.1
4.7
Dancing
12.1
12.9
11.7
10.8
11.3
10.1
9.9
9.3
9.1
6.5
10.4
Drama
**0.4
*1.9
4.3
4.6
4.2
6.2
4.7
7.5
6.3
5.8
4.6
All
16.9
22.0
25.8
31.1
32.5
34.6
35.1
33.8
32.8
29.1
29.4
(a) Outside of school hours during the 12 months prior to interview in April 2000.

Source: Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia, April 2000 (4901.0).


Participation in dancing was highest for children aged 6 years (13%) and lowest for children aged 14 years (7%). Participation in the other three activities peaked between 10 and 12 years of age. During the 12-month period, 93% of those children who were involved in dancing had dancing lessons. Some 75% had lessons in playing a musical instrument, 69% participated in drama lessons and 57% in singing lessons.

In the two school weeks prior to interview in April 2000, 44% of children (34% of boys and 55% of girls) undertook art and craft activities. This compares with 97% of children who watched television or videos and 69% who played electronic or computer games.

Further details about children's participation in organised sports and other leisure activities are outlined in the section Children's participation in sports and leisure activities.



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