Children's activities and time use: Variations between and within 16 countries

This article explores similarities and differences in the daily activities of children aged around 12 years old in 16 diverse countries, focusing on themes identified in previous comparative research on this topic. The analysis suggests systematic differences between countries in the frequency of children helping around the home and caring for family members, with these activities being more common in lower-income countries. There is a diversity of patterns of educational-related time use across countries - including taking formal classes, doing homework and studying with family and friends. Leisure activities such as sports, watching television and using computers are more common in high-income countries. In these countries there is not necessarily a simple trade-off between physical and screen-based activities. Finally there is evidence of fairly consistent gender differences in time use across this diverse range of countries, with girls typically spending more time helping in the house, doing homework and reading; while boys tend to spend more time playing sports and using computers.