Families spend up to 43 hours a week on the sofa.
Summer is well and truly here but according to new research the sunshine is still not enough to entice the nation outdoors, with the average family spending up to 43 hours a week sat on their sofa, even during the summer months.
Despite 78 per cent of parents wanting to get out and enjoy the fresh air with their children, the research reveals that this time spent on the sofa equates to 13 weeks a year. The West Midlands has been named the region with the most sofa-bound families, followed jointly by the North West and Yorkshire – spending 50 and 47 hours a week on the couch respectively.
In response to the findings, we have have launched a family-friendly compromise to entice sofa-loving Brits outdoors – open-air sitting rooms to encourage families to get outdoors together this summer.
The ‘living’ rooms are made entirely out of natural materials – grass and turf – offering families the chance to experience the British countryside and picturesque gardens from the familiar comfort of a sofa.
The outdoor living rooms – which took just over a month to grow – are made from a base of straw, which has been watered and trimmed to size, and covered in a green grass blanket. Each living room contains a natural coffee table and sofa – the biggest reaching a giant eight metres in diameter. Find out more about the making of the sofas, with our look behind the scenes.
With over 300 special places, all with huge expanses of great gardens and woodland spaces, not to mention the miles of coast and countryside, we've got heaps of ideas for spending a great day outdoors. From wildlife trails and pond dipping to simply playing together as family- making daisy chains and rolling down grassy hills there ‘s a world of outdoors to be enjoyed.
Do you agree? Let us know how long you spend outdoors versus watching tv in our quick poll. Back to top
Grass sofas near you
Our comfy outdoor furniture can be found in the following places this summer;
- Plas Newydd, Wales
- Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire
- Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire
- Gibside, Tyne & Wear
- Kingston Lacey, Dorset
- Sudbury Hall and the National Trust Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
- Uppark House & Garden, Sussex
- Osterley Park & House, London
- Rowallane Garden, Northern Ireland
- Packwood House, Warwickshire
- Castle Drogo, Devon
The best spot for sitting
Join our Flickr group and upload a photo of your favourite Trust natural seat. There's 5 family passes up for grabs for the best photos. Or vote for one of our ten favourite natural seats from around the Trust.
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