Play & Belonging / Insight 09
Offline play is rebounding rather than disappearing.
The conclusion
What the evidence supports
Digital and offline activity should be studied together.
- Recent gains in organized sport and outdoor participation challenge the idea that digital play simply replaces physical activity.
- This is a directional inference from two narrower U.S. participation categories rather than a measure of all offline play.
- Scope: Varies by supporting evidence; Varies by supporting evidence.
Lead evidence
Organized-sport participation among U.S. youth ages 6-17 increased from 53.8% in 2022 to 55.4% in 2023, followed by a separate 6% one-year participation uptick in 2024; this is a directional inference that one form of offline play rebounded.
Documents recent growth in organized youth-sport participation, supporting one narrow indicator of offline rebound.
Trace the claim
Evidence ledger
Organized-sport participation among U.S. youth ages 6-17 increased from 53.8% in 2022 to 55.4% in 2023, followed by a separate 6% one-year participation uptick in 2024; this is a directional inference that one form of offline play rebounded.
Population United States children and adolescents represented in national parent and household surveys; 6-17; United States; 2022-2024 comparison years: 2023 National Survey of Children's Health results and 2024 SFIA participation data.
Methodology Synthesis of the U.S. Census Bureau-administered National Survey of Children's Health parent reports and a Sports & Fitness Industry Association household survey.
Limitations The trend measures organized sport and lessons, not all free or informal offline play, and access remains unequal by household resources.
Locator Introduction, Government Data and Industry Data paragraphs.
Outdoor participation among U.S. children ages 6-12 grew 5% to 22.6 million in the 2025 annual wave; this is a directional inference that another form of offline recreation gained participants.
Population United States outdoor-recreation participants, including a reported subgroup of children ages 6 to 12; 6 and older; child finding covers ages 6-12; United States; 2025 annual participation period summarized in the 2026 report; interview dates are not listed in the executive summary.
Methodology Annual industry participation trend analysis; the public executive summary reports population estimates but does not provide the full sampling instrument.
Limitations Outdoor recreation is only one part of offline play, industry reporting limits methodological audit, and the report notes participants are going outside less frequently than in 2019.
Locator Executive summary, key trends list, children ages 6 to 12 finding.
Pressure test
Nuance and counterpoint
Sport and outdoor participation are not all offline play, and participant counts do not reveal frequency, quality, affordability, or access.
Connected context
Related culture shapers and spaces
Responsible action
Agency implication
Connect digital invitation to a worthwhile physical action without implying that every child has equal offline access.
Open the Reach Them strategy