Constraints on children’s greenspace visits as perceived by children and parents: findings from a Danish national survey

To understand the driving factors behind children’s declining greenspace visits, a Danish national survey was conducted to explore perceived constraints. The study draws on responses from 1,179 children aged 8–15 and their parents. Children visited greenspaces on average 215 days per year. Parents perceived lack of encouragement and co-participation as the most impeding constraints, and a regression analysis showed that both were linked to fewer annual visits. Among children, only perceiving greenspaces as boring was (negatively) associated with annual visits. Preference for greenspace and diversity of nearby greenspaces were positively associated with visits. Sociodemographic factors also mattered: children with immigrant parents, girls, and those with higher educated parents visited greenspaces less. A modest correlation (0.27) was found between the parents’ and the children’s perceptions of constraints. The findings highlight the importance of fostering children’s motivation to engage with greenspaces while supporting parents in encouraging and participating in greenspace-related activities.