4147.4.55.001 - Culture and Recreation News, Jul 2004  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/08/2004   
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Children's participation in selected leisure activities

The survey found that almost all children aged 5-14 years (99.8% or 2,641,500) were involved in at least one of the six selected leisure activities outside of school hours in the two school weeks prior to interview in April 2003.

While TV or video watching attracted almost equal percentages of boys (99%) and girls (98%), a much greater percentage of boys played electronic or computer games (82% of boys compared with 59% of girls), rode bikes (70% versus 53%), or went skateboarding or rollerblading (28% versus 17%). Girls participated to a much greater extent than boys in reading for pleasure (82% of girls compared with 68% of boys) and art and craft activities (61% versus 39%).