While the Outdoor Foundation's 2019 Outdoor Participation Report (PDF) showed that while a bit more than half of Americans went outside to play at least once in 2018, nearly half did not go outside for recreation at all. Americans went on a billion fewer outdoor outings in 2018 than they did in 2008. The number of adolescents ages 6-12 who play outdoors has fallen four years in a row, dropping more than three percent since 2007.

The number of outings for kids has fallen 15 percent since 2012. The number of moderate outdoor recreation participants declined, and only 18 percent of Americans played outside at least once a week.

The report did not really go into why suddenly people were not interested in the great outdoors any more but the interest in the internet, streaming television and a general fear of being swallowed into the greater expanse is pretty likely.

While the decline in participation is disconcerting for the industry, there were some highlights. Female participation rates are up 3.2 percent over last year. Hispanics are getting outside twice as often as they were a decade ago, with the strongest growth of any ethnicity.

Some sports, like BMX cycling and sailing, are seeing surges in numbers. Most people's outdoor activities are close to home, with more than 63 percent of Americans playing within 10 miles of their houses. Less than 19 percent travelled 25 miles or more to play outside. So the Outdoor Foundation is on a mission to bolster participation in outdoor play near homes, in urban areas where residents might not have as many opportunities to get outside.