Outline of the Sixth Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the 21st Century

(2) Playing Behaviors

About 80% of children played in children’s centers and children’s parks.

The highest proportion of the area where children “often play” was 95.1% for “home”. The next highest proportion of that was 15.1% for “public places such as children’s centers and children’s parks”. Together with 63.6% for children who “sometimes play”, children who “play” in “public places such as children’s centers and children’s parks” accounted for 78.7%.

Meanwhile, the highest proportion of the area where children do not play was 59.3% for “vacant lot and alley”, followed by 40.8% for “natural places such as open field, forest, and seashore” (Table 3).

About 90% of children play with “children of the same age” or “adults (parents, grandparents, etc.)”.

“Sibling(s)” accounted for the highest proportion of 73.1% among playmates that children “often play” with. Following this, children who “often play” with “children of the same age” accounted for 50.8% and those who “often play” with “adults (parents, grandparents, etc.)” 50.5%. Children who “play” with “children of the same age” accounted for 88.9% and those who “play” with “adults (parents, grandparents, etc.)” 93.1%, together with the proportion of children “sometimes play” with “children of the same age” and “adults (parents, grandparents, etc.)” (Table 3).

Table 3 Play areas and playmates

(Unit: %)
		Total	Play			Do not play	Unknown
		Total	Play	Often play	Sometimes play	Do not play	Unknown
Play areas	Home	100.0	98.7	95.1	3.6	0.1	1.2
	Friends’ houses	100.0	67.5	8.9	58.6	28.0	4.5
	Public places such as children’s centers and children’s parks	100.0	78.7	15.1	63.6	16.8	4.5
	Natural places such as open field, forest, and seashore	100.0	53.4	6.5	46.9	40.8	5.9
	Amusement places in department stores and supermarkets	100.0	64.7	5.9	58.8	29.8	5.5
	Vacant lot and alley	100.0	35.1	10.0	25.1	59.3	5.6
Playmates	Alone	100.0	82.9	43.6	39.4	11.1	6.0
	Sibling(s)	100.0	81.5	73.1	8.4	13.9	4.6
	Children of the same age	100.0	88.9	50.8	38.1	6.5	4.6
	Older children	100.0	73.8	21.6	52.2	20.0	6.2
	Younger children	100.0	67.8	16.1	51.6	25.3	7.0
	Adults (parents, grandparents, etc.)	100.0	93.1	50.5	42.6	2.2	4.6

Note:

The figures are based on the total number of responses in the 6th survey (total number of replies: 38,535).

Over 30% of parents worry about “having no friend in the neighborhood”.

The highest proportion of worry about play areas (multiple answers) was “having no place to play on rainy days (except for home)”, accounting for 51.0% (Table 4).

The highest proportion of worry about the relationship with friends (multiple answers) was “having no friend in the neighborhood”, accounting for 34.4%. Comparing playmates of children with worry “having no friend in the neighborhood” to the total, the proportion of children who “often play” with “children of the same age” was low (37.2%), and that of those who “often play” “alone” was high (49.5%) (Table 5 and Figure 6).

Table 4 Worry about play areas
(multiple answers)

(Unit: %)
	Proportion to the total
Total	100.0

Having dangerous places in play areas and their periphery (broken playground equipment, rivers, roads, construction sites, etc.)	27.6
Having places beyond the reach of adults	19.3
Having no place to play with a ball	24.7
Having no place to play on rainy days (except for home)	51.0
Having no play areas in the neighborhood	21.1

Note:

The figures are based on the total number of responses
in the 6th survey (total number of replies: 38,535).

Table 5 Worry about the relationship
with friends (multiple answers)

(Unit: %)
	Proportion to the total
Total	100.0

Having no friend in the neighborhood	34.4
Cannot play with friends	3.1
Reluctant to play with friends	2.6
Having experiences to tease friends	3.1
Having experiences to be teased by friends	6.9

Note:

The figures are based on the total number of
responses in the 6th survey (total number of
replies: 38,535).

Figure 6 Playmates of children with worry “having no friend in the neighborhood”

Notes:
1)	The figures are based on the total number of responses in the 6th survey (total number of replies: 38,535).
2)	The “total” indicates the figures for “children of the same age” and “alone” of “playmates” in the Table 3, respectively.
3)	The proportion of “having no friend in the neighborhood” to the total is 34.4%.