The New Summer Break - target marketing children's activities during summer vacations; United States - Statistical Data Included

American Demographics, August 1, 2001

With 62 percent of mothers in the U.S. work force, the old tradition of stay-at-home moms watching over their vacationing kids has gone the way of black-and-white TV.

Sports staffs now call on country club pros to serve as tennis instructors. And in some camp kitchens, where Army surplus fare used to be prepared, caterers now provide steak and Starbucks.

Daniel Ryan, a 14-year-old honors student from Arlington, Va., has a vision of his ideal summer vacation: He'd be a bum. He'd kick back on the couch, cling to a remote and watch lots of MTV videos and Simpsons reruns. If he felt energetic, he might drag himself to the computer and chat online with some buddies, or head for the refrigerator to scarf down a slice of cold pizza. Otherwise, he'd worship at the altar of Bart Simpson, sleep for 12 hours straight and then repeat the routine the next day. "Yeah, that would be cool," Daniel says cheerfully.

Better luck next year, kid. This summer, the lanky and soft-spoken teenager finds himself engaged in a different kind of teen sport: structured programming. He's enrolled in a series of summer camps and organized activities designed to keep him physically and intellectually fit from June through August. His summer began with a counseling stint at a 4-H camp, followed by theater instruction at Camp Shakespeare, then a family vacation at the Atlantic shore and, to round it all out, this month he attends high school football practice geared to prep him for fall tryouts. Unlike previous summers that were completely structured, he lined up two unscheduled weeks this year in exchange for agreeing to attend what he calls "that Shakespeare thing." As he puts it: "There's no time for boredom."

Forget the hazy, lazy days of summer. Summer break, a three-month tradition that dates back to agrarian times, is changing. Your father's summer vacation may have involved afternoons playing sandlot baseball or dropping a fishing line into a creek. Today's American children are more likely to attend a series of camps and classes that have them traveling abroad, rebuilding dilapidated housing in inner cities and volunteering for internships in research areas just shy of human cloning. Kids who used to complain of ennui during drowsy summer afternoons now identify stress as their biggest concern, according to several survey firms. "The days of kids just going out into the yard and playing are disappearing," says Chris Wilson, president of Simmons Market Research Bureau. "In many ways, they're just as busy as their parents."

The over-programming of American children is hardly a new story. Many affluent kids race from school to violin lesson to chess club during the academic year, leaving them a weary mess. What's changing is that kids of all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds now boast nonstop scheduling all summer long, fueled by their rising numbers and financial clout. Generation Y, the bulge of 71 million Americans under the age of 18, rose by 14 percent between 1990 and 2000 - a growth spurt rivaling the Baby Boom. (See chart below.) Recognizing the economic power of Gen Y families, an army of camp directors, travel agents and corporate executives has recently targeted this growing and lucrative market. Summer camp, once dominated by mom-and-pop operations, has become an $11 billion industry with a host of mega-corporations providing catered meals and trendy crafts to discerning campers.

With 62 percent of mothers in the U.S. in the work force, the old tradition of stay-at-home moms watching over their vacationing kids has gone the way of black-and-white TV. Haunted by the prevalence of violence, sexual promiscuity and drug abuse among today's youth, some adults look to organized programs as a safe haven for their children. Others feel guilty that they don't spend more time at home and compensate by sending their kids to pricey summer programs - a pattern children's marketing expert James McNeal terms DWI, or "deal with it," spending. In an era when many children spend their free time alone, glued to TV sets and computer screens, parents are more than willing to open their wallets to get their kids out of the house and into group activities. "Parents still wag the dog during the summer," says Rena Karl, publisher of Marketing to Kids Report. "Kids would just as soon do nothing all summer long, but there's that problem with child care. So parents fill up their time."

Which leaves little time for kids to become couch potatoes, a trend that Daniel Ryan's father finds comforting. "We trust our son completely, but kids at 14 still need structure," says Don Ryan, an environmental health advocate. This summer, The Simpsons will have to wait.

The Hot Selling Season

The new summer break is altering recreational patterns that have endured for over a century. When Simmons recently surveyed 6- to 11-year-olds as part of its annual Youth Poll, the kids named soccer, Rollerblading and bowling among their favorite leisure activities. Fewer than a quarter enjoyed going fishing - about the same percentage as those who play miniature golf or go skateboarding. Of the 12- to 17-year-old respondents, volleyball and weight training increased by double-digit rates in the past two years and now rank higher than camping and hiking. Only swimming, a hot weather essential, attracts a majority of teens and children. The rest of their time seems to be spent multitasking among athletic, entertainment and intellectual pursuits. "The data we're seeing shows that kids today are just more active in more activities than those in the past," says Simmons' Chris Wilson. "Their days are just filled up."