We want to thank all of those in the Backyard Camp community who participated in our recent survey. Your feedback is tremendously valuable as we look to gain insight into how the program will evolve in the coming weeks and months.
Here is what you've told us.
Backyard Camp Programming: Activity Participation & Satisfaction Results
You and your children enjoyed the first edition of Backyard Camp this summer (hurrah!). Close to half of parent/caregiver survey participants (48.7%) say they and their children engaged in the program's weekly activities between two-to-five days per week, with another 41% at least once a week. Further, 83% of survey participants gave Backyard Camp an overall satisfaction rating of either 4/5 or 5/5.
Arts & Crafts Programming Led the Way
It turns out many Backyard Campers enjoy flexing their creative muscles. Half of those surveyed (48.6 %) told us that Arts and Crafts-based activities were your children's favourite activity category, with science-based activities second at 21%.
Parents Value Education-Based Activities Most
The Backyard Camp community has sent a clear message, with 70% of parents putting a premium on education-based programming over other activity categories (sports and cooking-based programming received 8% of your votes, respectively). So it's no surprise that when we asked you if you'd like to see Backyard Camp focus on educational programming, a whopping 92.6% of you agreed.
The great majority of Backyard Camp parents found our weekly newsletter helpful toward providing their children with fun-filled activities this summer in the face of summer-camp closures. That said, fewer survey participants (65%) indicated a willingness to pay for a subscription version of the Backyard Camp newsletter in its current iteration. However, the survey's feedback suggests that parents and caregivers would consider opening their wallets for a more comprehensive, education-based program, given the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to persist through 2020 and beyond.
A Shift in Focus: Parents and Coping During Covid-19
Most of you (75%) want to continue to receive the Backyard Camp newsletter weekly. However, many of you expressed interest in newsletter content that provides helpful advice for parents and caregivers that includes live parenting seminars and helpful consumer product suggestions for children as social distancing measures continue.
Interest in Combo of In-Person and Virtual Programming
While child safety and education remain paramount in parents' minds, the Backyard Camp community's desire to enroll their children in extracurricular activities remains high. Just under 60% of parents are receptive to either in-person activities (32%) or a combination of virtual and in-person programming (27%), and 25% had no plans to enrol children in any extracurricular activities. Dance, Gymnastics, Music and Sports were the most sought after extracurricular activities among parents surveyed, with sports the most popular at 66.7%.
Current School Experience is Lacking
Looking back to Spring 2020, most parents found their children's educational experience during the school lock-down lukewarm at best. Only a third of survey respondents felt that daily live and recorded class sessions met their expectations and that the school lock-down compromised their education. With that, Backyard Camp could mitigate parents' evident concern for their children's education with a focus on thoughtful, safe and engaging educational programming.
Further, 63% of parents and caregivers indicated that online school programs fall short of the education they expect for children. Many Respondents worry (72%) about the amount of time their children will spend online, which most felt lacked the more engaging learning experience that physical schools provide.
Parents Appear Wary of Full Online Learning
Yet the wallet speaks loudest for parents, wary of paying for even an education-ministry certified, online-based school - almost half of survey respondents declined to answer this question (47%). Another 28% would only shell out $1,000 or less in tuition for a virtual Backyard Camp school program.
Online Back-to-School Shopping Trends
Survey respondents prefer shopping online for their children's supplies when it comes to back-to-school purchases. 33% of parents plan to do all of their shopping online. Another 45% opted for a mix of online and bricks and mortar purchases. Close to half of respondents said they'd shop for all of their children's back-to-school shopping items at one store or retailer. The majority of respondents also predicted it would take them two-to-three visits to purchase everything they need.
Finally, and not surprisingly, 68% of survey respondents indicated the price of their children's school supplies played a role in their purchasing decisions and preferred to buy items on sale.
Backyard Camp Nation By the Numbers:
83% of survey participants have 1-2 school-aged children,
57% of Backyard Camp parents have kids going into in grades 1-3 this school year, and 42% of Backyard Camp parents have kids going into grades 4-6 this school year.
46% of Backyard Camp families live in city suburbs, 17% in small towns and 33% in big cities.
