Castle visits, theme parks and beach trips: kids want adventures over screen time this Easter Holidays
New research from railcard.co.uk reveals more than two thirds (69 per cent) of parents are worried that their children will spend too much time on digital devices and consoles during the Easter break.
However, kids themselves say they would rather ride a rollercoaster, visit a castle or spend the day at the beach than stay indoors on devices railcard.co.uk is helping families make the most of school holidays with savings of up to a third on rail travel – plus 2FOR1, ⅓ OFF and many more offers at nearly 400 top attractions across Britain when they travel by train
More than two thirds (69 per cent) of parents are concerned about how long their child will spend on devices like phones, tablets and games consoles over the Easter holidays. New research from railcard.co.uk reveals that children actually want to swap screens for adventures like exploring a castle, visiting the beach or thrill seeking at a theme park.
According to the survey of 1,000 parents and their children aged 6 to 15, more than a quarter (28 per cent) of parents are very concerned about how long their children will spend on devices like phones, tablets and games consoles during this Easter holidays. Parents even predict their kids will spend an average of four hours per day glued to screens.
The research delved further into parents' worries across the holidays with 25 per cent unsure what activities to do to keep their children entertained. Many admitted to feeling the pinch too – with over a third (36 per cent) worrying about how they’ll keep their kids occupied on a budget.
The good news is that more than half (52 per cent) of the children surveyed enjoy the Easter holidays simply because they get to spend more time with their family. In fact, children say they’d rather visit a beach (52 per cent), hunt for Easter eggs (52 per cent) or have a picnic in the park (42 per cent), than stay indoors on a digital device.
Kids are so keen to get out and explore that the average school child hopes to go on six trips this Easter, with 26 per cent hoping to go on a day out by train.
The majority of parents agree that Easter is a great time to explore different parts of the country (82 per cent) – with more than half (53 per cent) hoping to go on trips with their children to create new memories and half wanting to spend more quality time together as a family.
When it comes to taking trips, over a third of parents (37 per cent) say their kids love it when they travel by train because it feels like the adventure begins the moment they step on board. Their kids agree the journey can be just as exciting as the destination with one in three children (31 per cent) saying train travel is their favourite way to get around.
53 per cent love looking out of the window, while 37 per cent say the best part is spending time with their family on board. Kids also love going really fast (34 per cent), eating snacks (31 per cent) and letting their imagination run free playing games on the train (22 per cent).
Catherine Lyver from railcard.co.uk said:
"It's great to see that kids really want to spend time with their friends and family, rather than on a digital device during the school holidays. The Family & Friends Railcard helps families create new memories for less by providing up to 1/3 off adult and 60% off kids fares when travelling by train.
“Not only does the Railcard pay for itself in no time, when you travel by train you can also save money on entry to nearly 400 attractions nationwide, like Stirling Castle and Chessington World of Adventures, at daysoutguide.co.uk."
7.4 million Railcard customers saved an estimated £1.3bn across almost 300 million journeys last year - saving themselves an average of £188 a year* – savings too good to miss!
To help families save up to 1/3 off their rail travel and discover egg-citing days out for less visit railcard.co.uk/familydaysout