Parents spend 'little effort' on cultural activities with their children

The poll of 2,000 parents of children of five-to-12-year-olds revealed that four in ten children have never seen the inside of an art gallery, while 17 per cent have not visited a museum with their parents.

The research, which was commissioned by Visit Birmingham, also shows that a quarter of children haven’t been to the theatre, while six in ten have never heard or been to a classical music concert.

Half of parents admit they make little effort to educate their children on culture or history and a third said they rely on schools to take full responsibility for sight-seeing trips and educational visits to local attractions.

When asked why they make no effort to make their children more ‘cultured’ and knowledgeable about past history, a fifth of parents claimed their children simply would not be interested. A further 26 per cent said they could not afford to visit attractions, while 28 per cent said they do not have the time.

Emma Gray, director of marketing services for Marketing Birmingham, said, ‘There’s no doubt that cultural activity enriches day to day and it’s important that children embrace our history and culture now, to ensure that is it  passed on through the generations.

‘Children would really benefit from including more cultural activity in their lives, which is invaluable to their learning.

‘A few trips during the year to museums, landmarks or even cultural festivals will prove to be memorable, informative and fun occasions for children.’

‘We would like to encourage parents to sight-see with their children, as it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.’