Family Activity Scale (FAS)

The Family Activity Scale (FAS) is a self-report questionnaire that assesses the frequency of family activities. It was developed by Smith (1985) to measure the extent to which families engage in joint activities, such as playing games, going on outings, and eating meals together.

The FAS consists of 20 items, each of which is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (very often). The items are summed to create a total score, with higher scores indicating greater frequency of family activities.

The FAS has good internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of .87. It also has good test-retest reliability, with a correlation of .75 over a 2-week period.

The FAS has been shown to be valid in a variety of ways. For example, it has been found to correlate positively with other measures of family functioning, such as the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES; Olson, Portner, & Bell, 1982). It has also been found to be predictive of positive outcomes, such as improved academic performance and reduced levels of aggression.


Activity if YES ‚ please tick
AGED 2 TO 6
Have you read a story to your child in the last week?
Has your child eaten with you and other family members at least once in the last week?
Did you do anything special for your child on their last birthday‚ such as a cake‚ party‚ trip to the park etc.?
Have you gone with your child/family to the park‚ playground‚ farm or similar in the last month?
Have you gone with your child/family to a local event‚ such as county show‚ fete‚ in the last 6 months?
Have you ever belonged to a mother/toddler baby group of any kind for at least 3 months?
Have you and your child/family visited friends who have young children in the last month?
Has the family been away for the day out to somewhere different in the last 6 months (town/into town/to the seaside/day trip)?
Has your child had a friend to visit in the last 6 months?
Has your child been to visit relatives or friends as a treat for her/him in the last 6 months?
Are there any other things you have done as a family/with your child in the last:
Week
Month
Last 6 months
AGED 7 TO 12
Had a friend of your child to visit – in the last month?
Had a birthday celebration (i.e. party/cake)?
Been to the cinema/museum/zoo/panto/local event – in the last 3 months?
Been swimming/skating/other (participant) sport – in the last 3 months?
Been away on holiday with the family/to the seaside – in the past year?
Been to the park/for a picnic/local farm – in the last 3 months?
Has – or had – any pets in the past year?
Attended any special classes/clubs i.e. football‚ dance – in the last 3 months?
Been to stay with relatives or friends (without parents) – in the last year?
Visited own friends (i.e. for a meal/for the day) – in the last 3 months
Belongs to a children’s library?
Are there any other things you have done as a family/with your child in the last:
Week
Month
Last 6 months
 
This instrument can be found online at: http://www.teescpp.org.uk/scales-and-questionnaires 
 

Smith M (1985) The Effects of Low Levels of Lead on Urban Children: The relevance of social factors. Ph.D. Psychology‚ University of London.

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