Did you hear?… REI sponsored survey reveals 88 percent of parents believe outdoor activities strengthen family relationships

A recent survey of parents of 4- to -14-year-olds, sponsored by REI, found that 88 percent of parents believe that participating in outdoor activities strengthens family relationships. The survey also found the 33 percent of those responding felt camping was the number one “great outdoor family experience,” followed by hiking at 14.5 percent, biking at 13.3 percent and fishing at 12.8 percent. Factoring the results of the survey with information garnered from its own sales trends, as well as other travel and recreation surveys and attendance projections from the National Park Service, REI is predicting that families will be heading for forests, mountains and open spaces in record numbers this summer. Leisure Trends conducted the survey of 500 parents for REI.