How young people spend their free time
Young people have already been asked twice how they spend their free time and what skills they have. You can find the most important results here.
In the 2022/23 school year, fifth-graders from thirteen schools with school social work (SSA) in Wiesbaden were asked for the first time by school social workers how they spend their free time and what skills they already have. A total of 805 young people from integrated comprehensive schools, lower and intermediate secondary schools, special schools and a middle school completed a questionnaire. A high response rate of 89% suggests that the results presented here are representative of the school types mentioned.
In the 2023/24 school year, pupils in the fifth grade at schools with school social work were surveyed again. This time, 736 young people took part, with a response rate of 83%.
Leisure activities can be regarded as non-formal educational opportunities, as they take place outside the formal education system but still promote education and learning. This refers to a wide range of activities, such as sport, art, music, games or outdoor activities. Leisure activities are very important for children and young people as they promote physical, emotional, cognitive and social development. They offer them the opportunity to discover their interests and abilities, make friends and develop their personality.
What young people do in their free time
Media plays a special role in young people's everyday lives: They like to spend part of their free time in front of the TV, on their smartphone or computer. However, the survey clearly shows that they are also interested in other activities, such as sport, music or social interaction. Over half of the students surveyed are members of a sports club, while slightly more say they are also active outside of a club. 22% attend a music school or choir or play an instrument in their free time. Fifth-graders particularly enjoy spending time with family and friends: 73% and 67% respectively say they do this daily or several times a week.
Compared to 2022/23, there are only slight differences in leisure activities.
What young people did during the last summer vacation
70 percent of pupils in the fifth grade went on vacation with their families during the last summer vacations, and more than half visited their relatives. Time at home was often spent alone. A quarter of those surveyed took advantage of vacation offers such as "Schönen Ferien", a varied vacation program run by the city of Wiesbaden.
Where young people meet up with their friends
When young people meet up with their friends, it is usually at home. 65% of the students surveyed stated this option. However, playgrounds and parks are also popular meeting places. If "somewhere else" was mentioned, then stores, kiosks or the neighborhood were frequently mentioned.
What fifth-graders can, have and do already
The vast majority of fifth-graders can already ride a bike, and most of them also own a bike. However, two out of ten schoolchildren surveyed stated that they could not yet swim, which implies a need for action. Over half of the young people can prove that they have a swimming badge (this question was asked for the first time in 2023/24).
How independent fifth-grade pupils are can also be seen from how many have already been in the city without an adult supervisor (just under 60%) and how many have slept somewhere other than at home (82%).
Source
Survey of pupils' leisure time behavior at 13 schools by school social work (2022/23: N=805; 2023/24: N=736); evaluation by the Education Office (Office for Social Work).