‘Heartbreaking’ new research shows millions of Aussie families can’t afford to participate in recreational activities

Sport and other recreational activities are now too expensive for millions of Australian families who can no longer afford to participate in activities.

Shocking new research revealed “play poverty” was affecting 7.6 million Australians who believe summer sport and play were now luxuries they could not afford.

Charity Good360 Australia conducted the research, finding more than one third of Australians worried cost of living pressures had forced more children and families to spend more time indoors instead of participating in organised activities.

The charity is Australia’s largest digital marketplace for retailers to donate unused and unsold items to people in need that are given to charities and disadvantages schools across the nation.

Good360 Australia head of government and philanthropy Susan Wallis said it was devastating that things so many people took for granted were outside the budget for too many Australians.

“One in seven Australians experiencing play poverty are unable to afford items to participate in sport or play,” she said.

“We’re not just talking about children, play is important for people of all ages, it is absolutely heartbreaking to be honest.”

Ms Wallis said they had never seen the level of demand they were now experiencing from so many charities and schools across the nation that were turning to them for essential items and household goods.

“In 2025 alone, we’ve already supplied more than 829,000 items to items of play, and it isn’t just sport or sporting shoes, soccer boots, soccer balls or cricket sets and that kind of thing,” she said.

“It’s also art supplies, books, toys and items that give people a well rounded experience and enable them to have some downtime and creative time.

“Everybody needs play, whether we recognise it as play or not, we all need that mental health brain break to do something outside of our everyday activities and to just give us that little bit of joy and boost in our life.”

X Factor contestant and country music star Jason Owen founded the charity Doin it for Rural Aussie Kids after seeing first-hand how rural people struggled.

He grew up in a tiny NSW town and saw how one family doing it tough affected the whole town.

“I went to a school with only 100 kids about 20km away and saw at Christmas time how my friends weren’t necessarily always getting a Christmas present because mum or dad might have been doing it tough on the land,” he said.

“It could have been a bad year or it could have been a bad decade, and one thing I noticed is when things like that happen, when people on the land are struggling so do rural and remote businesses.

“If one family are doing it tough, the whole district is, which means the rural businesses and local companies are all going belly up at the same time.”

Mr Owen’s charity teamed up with Good360 Australia to donate toys and other items to children living in rural Australia.

He said charities like Good360 helped them deliver Christmas toys and Santa sacks to children at schools in struggling regional towns.

“The cost of everything is so expensive and we raise money each and every year for rural kids,” he said.

“You know $3000 to $4000 in toys is a lot of money, but it’s amazing how much that has changed in just a few years.

“Three years ago that was nearly a truckload of toys, now that money does not go far anymore.”

Mr Owen has helped more than 6000 children living in regional Australia since he started his campaign on a GoFundMe page in 2019 before becoming a registered charity.

He visits schools and shares stories with children about inspiring people from the bush who have achieved great things or have gone onto become firefighters, doctors and nurses.

“I top it off with a Christmas present at the end of it and I’ve had kids say to me, they won’t open their present in front of me because they know that won’t get one on Christmas Day, so they’ll go home and put it under their Christmas tree,” he said.

“It really breaks your heart.

“That just keeps a fire in my belly to get out there and put a smile on these faces because it means a lot to them and this little Christmas present takes so much weight off the parents shoulders as well.”

Good360 collects donated items to help charities such as Mr Owen’s to spread some cheer to families who will face one of the toughest Christmases in years.

Ms Wallis said this time of year should be full of joy, but for many, the reality was far from it.

“Every Australian deserves the dignity and happiness that comes with the holiday season – and Good360 is helping to lift financial pressures to make this season brighter for families.

“During holidays like Christmas, when families look forward to connecting and creating memories together, the impact of these financial barriers is felt even more.”

She urged businesses and corporations around Australia to get involved at good360.org.au.