Leisure time of fifth graders in Slovenia

Leisure time is a very important part of the day for a child because they can choose what they want to do. Children should do things in their leisure time that they enjoy. For some this is sports activities, others prefer to use the time to meet with friends or be with family. It is important that we recognize the influence of leisure activities on a child's cognitive, emotional, and social development. It is especially important to be aware of the influence of leisure activities on a child's health. Through these activities children can improve their motor skills, they can acquire new skills and knowledge. Leisure activities where children are active, such as sports activities, have more positive effects on a child's growth and development and health than passive activities, such as watching television. As modern technology improves, passive recreation is becoming more common among adolescents than it was a few years ago, which can have many negative consequences. It is important for parents and teachers to be aware of this. Parents play an important role in choosing leisure activities for their children as they are the ones who can offer different activities to their children, encourage them and also model how to spend quality leisure time. Teachers can also guide their students in choosing leisure activities. In addition, they can try to incorporate as much exercise and outdoor lessons as possible in their work in order to have a positive impact on their students. In the empirical part of the master's thesis, we focused on the leisure time of fifth graders. We conducted a research with 145 students from nine different elementary schools from nine different Slovenian cities, who attended the 5th grade of an elementary school in Slovenia in the school year 2019/20. For data collection, we used a questionnaire that was sent online to the students. The questionnaire was sent to the students during the pandemic COVID -19 when they had school from home. We were interested in how students define leisure time, where and with whom they spend it, and what activities they do in their leisure time. The data obtained were processed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results showed that students most often define their leisure time as a time to do whatever they want. Most students play sports, often talk with their parents, or watch television. The study also found that students spend more leisure time indoors than outdoors. They love to spend their leisure time with their friends, but they spend it more often with their brothers or sisters. The data showed that students mostly spend their leisure time at home. Most students have one activity during extended classes and one activity after school. They plan them all by themselves. The results of the research can be a great help for the primary school teachers as well as for the planners of the educational process for more qualitative planning of the school lessons