Parent-child joint leisure activities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Parents’ active participation in children’s activities can enhance communication and interaction in the family context, contributing to a positive family climate and healthy child development. This study examined Chinese parent–child joint leisure and media activities from February to May 2022 when COVID-19 restrictions were in place. A total of 1716 parents, forming a convenience sample, were surveyed to determine the frequency of parental participation in three types of joint activities: media, outdoor and artistic. Overall, the parents participated in joint activities once or twice weekly. The frequency of parental participation in joint activities is positively correlated with a positive family climate, indicating the importance of parents’ participation and involvement in joint activities for developing a strong family relationship. Parents’ ow’n text-based media is also positively associated with their frequency of participation in joint activity. Finally, significant differences among various regions in China suggest the influence of different lockdown policies.