This document is a report on American leisure activities and how people spend their free time. It examines the most popular leisure activities people engage in at home, including watching TV, surfing the internet, listening to music, reading books, and watching movies. For each activity, it analyzes data on household penetration, demographics like age and gender, and trends over time. The report aims to provide insights into how Americans spend their leisure hours both inside and outside the home.

1. Today’s American Leisure:
How & Where We Hive
March, 2008

2. Table of Contents
I. Objectives……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. v
II. Methodology…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….vii
III. Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
IV. Detailed Findings…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10
a. American Home Leisure Activities – Hiving At Home ……………………………………………….10
1. Most Popular Home Leisure Activities…………….……………………………………………………..10
a. Household Penetration In The Past Year…………………………………….…………….….….11
2. Watching TV………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….12
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status.…………………………………………….13
b. Age…………………………………………………………………….………………….…………………………14
c. Income……………………………………………….………………….………………………………………..15
3. Surfing The Internet……………………………………………………………………………………………..16
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status…………………………………….……….17
b. Age…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….18
c. Income……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19
4. Playing Or Listening To Music………………………………………………..……………………….….…20
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status………….………………………………….21
b. Age……………………………………………………………………………………………………….………….22
c. Income……………………………………………………………………………….…………………………….23
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3. Table of Contents
5. Book Reading…………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………...24
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status…………………………...……………..………….……………...25
b. Age………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………..…..26
c. Income……………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………….27
d. Change In Reading Versus Year Ago……………………………………………………….………………………………..28
e. Most Popular Topics Read………………………………………………………………….……………………………………...28
6. Watching A DVD, Video Or Pay-Per-View/On Demand Movie…………….……….…………………………………29
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status……………………………………………………………………..…30
b. Age…………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………
31
c. Income………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………..
32
7. Cooking Or Baking……………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..
33
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status…………………………………………………….…………………..
34
b. Age……………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………
35
c. Income…………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
36
8. Dog Ownership……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………..
37
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status………………………….………….………………………..……….38
b. Age………………………..…………………………………………………………………………….……….…………………………….39
c. Income……………………….…………………………………………………………………………….………………………………..
40
d. Household Penetration of Dog Acquisition In The Past Year…………….……………..……………………. 41
e. Household Penetration of First-Time Dog Ownership In The Past Year...............................42
f. Household Penetration of Dog Training In The Past Year……………………………..…………………………43
g. Frequency of Playing With Household Dog………………………………………………………………..………………44
ii

4. Table of Contents
9. Home Improvement & Repair………………………………..………………………..……………………………………………….45
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status …………………………………………............................46
b. Age …….………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………47
c. Income……………….…………………………………………………………………………..…….……………………………………...48
d. Household Penetration By Residence Type …………………………………………………………………………………49
e. Change In Completion Of Home Improvement & Repair Versus Year Ago ………………………….….49
f. Average Annual Number of Home Improvement Projects or Repairs ………….…………………….…….49
g. Most Popular Household Room To Improve Or Repair………….…………………………………………………….50
h. Most Popular Types of Home Improvement Projects Or Repairs…….……………….………………………..50
10. Entertaining………………………………………………………………..………..……………………………………………………………51
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status…………………………………………………………………………..52
b. Age……………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………...
53
c. Income……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………54
d. Household Penetration In the Past Year of Entertaining 12+ Guests, 6+ Non-Family…………….55
e. Household Penetration In The Past Year of Attending A Neighborhood Block Party………………..56
f. Household Penetration In The Past Year of Cooking A Romantic Dinner For Two…………….….….57
g. Most Popular Types of Parties or Get-Togethers……………………….……………………………………………..…58
11. Second Home Ownership……………………………….………..………………………………………………………………………...
59
a. Household Penetration.………………….…………………………………..………………………………………………….…….60
12. Class Or Seminar Enrollment To Learn A New Skill………………………………………………….……..……………….61
a. Household Penetration In The Past Year……………………………….……………………………………………………62
b. Most Popular Class Or Seminar Topics……………………………………………..………………………………………..63
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5. Table of Contents
b. American Away From Home Leisure Activities – Hiving Away From Home………………….64
1. Dining Out To Spend Time With Family & Friends……………………………..……………..……64
a. Household Penetration In The Past Month……………………………..………………....…….65
b. Frequency of Going Out To Dinner…………………………………………………………..…..……66
2. Shopping To Spend Time With Family & Friends…………….…..………………………....…….67
a. Household Penetration In the Past Month…………………………………………………..…….68
b. Frequency of Shopping………………………………………………………………………………...……69
3. Vacation To Spend Time With Family & Friends…………………………..……………....……….70
a. Household Penetration In The Past Year………………………………………………..….………71
4. Bowling To Spend Time With Family & Friends………………………..…………….……..……….72
a. Household Penetration In The Past Month…………………………..…………………………...73
b. Frequency of Bowling………………………………….……………………………………………………..74
V. Appendix………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………..75
a. Questionnaire……………………………………………………………………………………..…………..……………75
ii

6. I. Objectives
Man has always needed and thrived on the warmth of personal connection. Throughout the
evolution of mankind, this desire for connection, as reflected in emotional and real ties to
home, family and friends, has set human beings apart from all other organisms. Personal
connection, “homing” or most commonly known today as “hiving”* has driven man to excel
and prosper over all other species in communication, teamwork and problem-solving.
People are driven to hive to share quality experiences with the people one cares most
about, whether it is spending time at home doing “nothing,” going out to a neighborhood
restaurant, coffee shop or ice cream parlor, attending a ticketed event outside the home or
going on vacation together. Depending on the nature of a given relationship, hiving can be
spontaneous or require careful planning to get together with those living across town, the
country or the continent.
Technology plays a dual role in both facilitating and impeding our ability to hive by allowing
us to be able to communicate with anyone whenever and where ever we/they are, but also
luring us to be always tuned in and beckoning us to work and play faster and accomplish
more in any given day.
Crunched for time and forced to be higher-tech, Americans crave hiving time now more
than ever. Consumers are exhausted from too much work and responsibilities and want to
start living and enjoying today. In fact, 57% of American adults say that “[leisure time]
gives me time for activities that I really enjoy and look forward to doing.”**
* Faith Popcorn, The Popcorn Report, Iconoculture and Yankelovich Monitor, 2006
** Yankelovich Monitor, 2006
v

7. I. Objectives
General Growth Properties, Inc.’s has
commissioned this study to determine how and where
American consumers hive and to profile those who
participate in the most popular leisure activities.
The following report summarizes the findings of “Today’s
American Leisure – How & Where We Hive.”
vi

8. II. Methodology
A nationally representative sample of 1143 online adults 18+ was conducted January 8 –
11, 2008. Approximately one-half (561) of qualified respondents are women and one-half
(580) are men.
The following special notations were applied in the data tables.
 Bolded numbers indicate a statistically significant difference between groups at a
90% confidence level or above, and
 □’s indicate a dominant trend in the data across groups, which may or may not be
supported by statistical significance relative to other groups.
vii

9. IV. Detailed Findings
a. American Home Leisure Activities – Hiving
At Home
1. Most Popular Home Leisure Activities
Prediction is that the majority of North American homes will be wired with a centralized
smart home computer system that will be accessed by computers and laptops at home
and away from home on PDA’s and cell phones by 2020.* All household activities,
including television-watching, will be done on or through the web and accessed through
personal household computer systems.* Americans will need to multi-task to keep up
with faster and smarter technology and globalization, such that watching television
directly through a TV box with a tuner will become a thing of the past. In fact, a recent
study of the European market shows that 16-24 year old Europeans already prefer
going online to watch TV (82% regularly online watching TV versus 77% regularly
watching the box). **
 Contrary to concerns and dark predictions of people being left in the dust in a mass
conversion to an online lifestyle, Americans still love to watch an old-fashioned
television at home. Most Americans (87%) watch TV offline for leisure at home. This
study shows that the U.S. is not even close to Europe, as though surfing the internet is
currently the second-most popular at-home leisure activity at 69%, only 14% of
Americans currently watch TV online (31% of people age 18-34).
 Americans seem to gravitate toward the traditional in their at-home leisure selections,
in that playing or listening to music (64%), reading a book (60%), watching a movie at
home (59%) and cooking or baking (54%) are still enjoyed by over half of Americans.
* futureconsumer.com by Frank Feather, 2000
** European Interactive Advertising Association, 2007
9

10. 1. Most Popular Home Leisure Activities
a. Household Penetration Past Year
Most Americans (87%) watch TV for leisure at home. Surfing the internet is the second
-most popular activity at 69%. Traditional activities like playing or listening to music,
reading, watching a movie and cooking or baking are enjoyed by over half of Americans.
Household Penetration of American Home Leisure Activities in the Past Year
(Base: Total Sample) (1087)
%
Watching TV 87
Surfing the Internet 69
Playing or Listening to Music 64
Reading a Book 60
Watching a DVD, Video or On Demand Movie at home 59
Cooking or Baking 54
Playing Cards 40
Playing Video Games 37
Talking or Texting with Friends on the Phone 34
Gardening 34
Playing with the Dog 33
Playing Board Games 32
Home Improvement project or repairs 32
Talking with Friends on the Internet 31
Home Entertaining 29
Working Out at home 25
Knitting 14
Watching TV on the Internet 14
Maintaining and updating my personal Web site 13
Scrapbooking 10
Sewing 9
Q1: In the past year, which of the following leisure activities do you consider a hobby or enjoyable past time for you, yourself at home?
10

11. IV. Detailed Findings
a. American Home Leisure Activities – Hiving
At Home (Con’t)
4. Playing Or Listening To Music
Listening to or playing music is the third-most popular home leisure
activity. It is currently enjoyed by 64% of Americans and profiles similarly
to internet surfing.
 More music players have no children (38%) living at home.
 The young, particularly women, listen to music the most.
11

12. 4. Playing Or Listening To Music
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child
Status of Music Listeners
More music players have no children (38%) living at home.
Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status of American Music
Listeners in the Past Year
(Base: Total Sample) (1087)
%
Total Household Penetration 64
Gender
Female 33
Male 31
Child Status
Without Children 38
With Children 26
Q1: In the past year, which of the following leisure activities do you consider a hobby or enjoyable past time for you, yourself at home?
12

13. 4. Playing Or Listening To Music
b. Age of Music Listeners
The young, particularly women, listen to music the most.
Age of American Music Listeners in the Past Year
Total 18 - 34 35 - 44 45+
(Base) (1087) (310) (215) (561)
% % % %
Total 64 76 67 56
Gender
Female 33 43 34 28
Male 31 33 33 28
Q1: In the past year, which of the following leisure activities do you consider a hobby or enjoyable past time for you, yourself at home?
13

14. 4. Playing Or Listening To Music
c. Income of Music Listeners
Household income is not an indicator of American music playing.
Income of American Music Listeners in the Past Year
Less Than $30,000 - $70,000 - $100,000
Total $30,000 $69,999 $99,999 & Over
(Base) (1087) (281) (490) (173) (134)
% % % % %
64 67 62 64 65
Q1: In the past year, which of the following leisure activities do you consider a hobby or enjoyable past time for you, yourself at home?
14

15. IV. Detailed Findings
a. American Home Leisure Activities – Hiving
At Home (Con’t)
7. Cooking Or Baking
Cooking or Baking is a popular home leisure activity. It is
currently enjoyed by 54% of Americans.
 Cooking and baking is a female-dominated activity (33%),
particularly among those households with no children at
home (31%).
 Young women (18-34) are the biggest cooks and bakers
(65%), though more women than men cook or bake as a
whole.
15

16. 7. Cooking Or Baking
a. Household Penetration, Gender & Child
Status of Cooks/Bakers
Cooking and baking is a female-dominated activity (33%), particularly among those
households with no children at home (31%).
Household Penetration, Gender & Child Status of Cookers/Bakers In
The Past Year
(Base: Total Sample) (1087)
%
Total Household Penetration 54
Gender
Female 33
Male 21
Child Status
Without Children 31
With Children 23
Q1: In the past year, which of the following leisure activities do you consider a hobby or enjoyable past time for you, yourself at home?
16

17. 7. Cooking Or Baking
b. Age of Cooks/Bakers
Young women (18-34) are the biggest cooks and bakers (65%), though more women than
men cook or bake as a whole.
Age of Cookers/Bakers in the Past Year
Total 18 - 34 35 - 44 45+
(Base) (1087) (310) (215) (561)
% % % %
Total 54 65 51 49
Gender
Female 33 40 34 29
Male 31 25 17 20
Q1: In the past year, which of the following leisure activities do you consider a hobby or enjoyable past time for you, yourself at home?
17

18. 7. Cooking Or Baking
c. Income of Cooks/Bakers
Household income is not an indicator of cooking or baking in America.
Income of Cooks/Bakers in the Past Year
Less Than $30,000 - $70,000 - $100,000
Total $30,000 $69,999 $99,999 & Over
(Base) (1087) (281) (490) (173) (134)
% % % % %
54 54 56 53 49
Q1: In the past year, which of the following leisure activities do you consider a hobby or enjoyable past time for you, yourself at home?
18

19. IV. Detailed Findings
b. American Away From Home Leisure
Activities -- Hiving Away From Home
4. Bowling To Spend Time With Family Or Friends
The bowling industry is a $4B industry in the United States.* Well over 50M Americans bowl at least once
every year, with about 10 million classifying themselves as “frequent bowlers,” and about 4 million
participating in league play.* This represents an increase of 3.5% in penetration over the prior year, with
young adults (ages 18-24) and families showing the greatest growth.* As of late 2006, there were 5,580
sanctioned ten-pin bowling centers throughout the country, with 114,866 lanes, and about 143 duckpin and
candlepin centers operating with approximately 2,680 lanes.*
Bowlers describe the appeal of the sport as a “fun activity” to be shared with family and friends of all age
groups.* And, most centers report significant increases in patronage in recent years as more people seek
reasonably-priced and family-oriented recreational activities close to home.* Changes in the industry have
also likely increased consumer appeal, as older and smaller centers closed and have been replaced by new,
larger, and many times multi-entertainment-oriented facilities.
 About one in six consumers (15%) in this study cite having bowled with family or friends to spend time
together at least once in the past month, which is consistent with the industry statistics above. This
survey also finds adults with children (i.e., “families”) as the biggest bowlers (10% of total population,
two-thirds of all bowlers).
 Families go bowling about once a month, but among regular bowling households, the average is twice a
month. The very young (18-34), particularly men, and higher income earners bowl the most frequently
at just over the once a month average.
* Sandy Hansell & Associates, Inc., Overview of the Bowling Industry, 2007
19

20. 4. Bowling To Spend Time Together
a. Household Penetration Past Month
About one in six consumers (15%) cite having bowled with family or friends to spend time
together at least once in the past month, with adults having children being the biggest
bowlers (10% of total population, two-thirds of all bowlers).
Household Penetration of Americans Bowling To Spend Time With
Family Or Friends In The Past Month
(Base: Total Sample) (1141)
%
Total Household Penetration 15
Gender
Female 8
Male 8
Child Status
With Children 10
Without Children 5
Q15: In the past month, about how many times have you gone bowling with family or friends to spend time with one another?
Would you say you went bowling (CHOOSE ONE RESPONSE) 20

21. 4. Bowling To Spend Time Together
b. Frequency of Going Bowling
Families go bowling about once a month, but among regular bowling households, the
average is twice a month. The very young (18-34), particularly men, and higher income
earners bowl the most frequently at just over the once a month average.
Frequency of Going Bowling With Family Or Friends By Gender, Age &
Income
Gender Age Income
Less Than $30,000- $70,000- $100,000
Total Female Male 18 - 34 35 - 44 45+ $30,000 $69,999 $99.000 & Over
(Base) (1143) (561) (580) (329) (224) (586) (298) (504) (185) (145)
% % % % % % % % % %
2+X/Week 2 2 2 3 - 1 - 2 3 1
(1.5)
1X/Week 4 3 5 6 5 2 5 2 4 6
(1.0)
1X Every 3 2 3 7 1 1 2 3 2 3
Other Week
(.5)
1X/Month 7 7 8 14 9 3 7 9 8 4
(.25)
<1X/Month (0) 85 87 82 69 85 93 87 84 83 86
Mean .09* .08 .11* .18* .08 .05 .08 .09* .12* .10*
* Once a week or more
Q15: In the past month, about how many times have you gone bowling with family or friends to spend time with one another?
Would you say you went bowling (CHOOSE ONE RESPONSE) 21