Children in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, prefer solitary leisure activities ahead of group and outdoor pastimes, a new survey has revealed.

Almost 2,500 students at eight elementary schools were questioned in the survey, which was sponsored by the Children's Palace in Gongshu District in the city.

The survey examined key areas of children's leisure, including reading, television, computer games, and sports participation, as well as looking at how the 10-14 year olds viewed their spare time.

Reading was found to be the most popular activity among 56 percent of those polled. Of those who preferred reading, nearly 40 percent chose cartoon books, and 16 percent expressed a preference for classic literature.

Over half of the youngsters said they like watching television, while only 8 percent preferred joining in public welfare activities.

Of the 20 percent of children who spend lots of time on the Internet, 39 percent preferred playing computer games, 21 percent chose chatting and one out of five liked searching for information.

Sports turned out to be one of the less popular leisure activities among young people, with only 27 percent listing it among their pastimes.

The survey also found that half of students are satisfied with their leisure time activities and do not feel lonely, while 9 percent complained of being unhappy.

Zhang Min, a former teacher who specializes in children's education and was one of organizers of the survey, told China Daily that it was time for parents, educators and society to encourage youngsters to ensure their leisure activities contain both physical and educational value.

"But the results are better than expected as half of the children are happily enjoying their free time," said Zhang. Students have educational pressures that limit their leisure time, he added.

(China Daily March 3, 2006)