Camping strengthens family communication and bonding by promoting face-to-face communication and time away from online activities such social media
Nine out of ten moms surveyed say that camping is one of the best activities to strengthen family communication and bonding and moms who had been camping before said that they create some of their best family memories on camping trips, according to a national survey of moms and children. Touchstone Research recently surveyed 1,600 respondents, including 800 moms along with their 6-12-year-old children, and found that 90 percent of moms felt that camping/glamping is an activity that leads to greater family communication and bonding than other activities and that nearly 98 percent of moms who had been camping feel this way.
“Respondents say that spending time together as a family camping and communicating face-to-face has the biggest impact on their family’s communication and bonding, followed by spending time together cooking over a campfire, and spending time away from online activities such as social media,” said Kyle Morrison, research manager at Touchstone Research. The survey, conducted in April, was commissioned by Milford, Ohio-based Leisure Systems, Inc., which franchises Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort locations across the U.S. and Canada. Nearly half (43%) of moms said that their family’s communication and bonding benefits from all of the following elements of a camping/glamping trip:
— Spending time together as a family and communicating face-to-face
— Spending time together cooking over a campfire
— Spending time away from online activities such as social media
— Spending time enjoying organized activities together
— Spending time together in a swimming pool
Touchstone also found that camping is an effective way to strengthen family communication and bonding because it takes family members away from online activities. Ninety-five percent of moms who have camped before said family members are less likely to engage in social media or other online activities while camping/glamping compared to when at home. There are several reasons for this according to survey respondents:
— Three-quarters credit the variety of camping/glamping activities from cooking to swimming to organized games and activities which leave little time available for online activities.
— Two-thirds say camping stimulates quality conversations between family members that overshadows the need to communicate with other people online. This, in turn, leads to better communication and feelings of connectedness between family members.
— Two-thirds say the remote location of some campgrounds makes online communication difficult, especially if cellphone and Wi-Fi signals are weak or nonexistent.
Eighty-five percent of moms who have camped before also said that camping/glamping helps their family relax more than other types of vacations. “Respondents credited the quality time spent with family, the presence of nature and the ability to unplug from distractions as the main reasons why camping/glamping helps their family relax,” Morrison said.
Among moms who have camped before, nine out of ten said their family has made some of their best memories while camping/glamping.
Nearly all moms in the survey who had camped before, 98 percent, said they would recommend camping or glamping to friends and/or family members who have not yet tried it.
These findings are part of a larger Touchstone survey commissioned by the Jellystone Park brand which also found that camping is a preferred family vacation activity.
The survey was conducted by Touchstone Research Inc., on behalf of Jellyston Park. Thw survey was fielded in the US among moms and children ages 6-12 from hopuseholds with an income of $75K+. A total of 817 moms and children participated. The surveys margin of error in +- 3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. It was completed April 13, 2021
About Touchstone Research
Touchstone Research, Inc. is a full service, global marketing research and consumer insights firm serving the world’s largest brands, marketers and agencies. Headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, Touchstone Research specializes in youth and family research. For more information, visit www.touchstoneresearch.com.
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