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ITOKI CORPORATION (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Koji Minato) conducted an "Elementary School Entrance Trend Survey" targeting 1,100 parents nationwide with first-grade children (enrolling in 2025) to understand the actual situation of households before and after enrollment, including "lifestyle habits after enrollment," "home learning," "playing style and play areas," "digital contact," "extracurricular activities and costs," and "pocket money."
In this survey, in addition to examining how the "place" for home learning relates to study time and digital utilization, we also analyzed differences based on gender, birth order, parental age, etc. We visualized the "realities of today's first-grade families" that will be useful for preparing for school entrance and planning daily life.

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What changes are occurring in the daily rhythms, learning, and play patterns of families with first-graders now entering elementary school? This survey asked about wake-up and bedtime times, home study, digital use, frequency of play, and more. Here, we've compiled a number of figures that show the typical daily routines seen in families with first-graders today, focusing on the most frequently selected answers for each question.
*The time spent using digital devices in this survey was limited to use at home, excluding time spent at school.

When asked about problems they are facing in their lives since entering school, the most common answer was "more time spent looking at smartphones/tablets" (29.0%), followed by "more time watching TV/games" (28.5%) and "later bedtimes" (27.0%), suggesting that many families are struggling with digital contact and time management.

When asked about the type of extracurricular activities they are currently taking, the most common answer was "sports (soccer, swimming, gymnastics, dance, etc.)" at 37.7%, followed by "music (piano, violin, singing, etc.)" at 23.1%.
"Cram school" (22.5%) and "English conversation/English classes" (21.8%) follow closely behind.
While physical activities are the most common, language and learning-related activities also rank highly, suggesting that children are choosing activities with the aim of balancing exercise and learning, even as early as the first grade of elementary school.

When asked about the "most important purchase" in preparation for school entrance, the top answer was "school bag" (40.4%), followed by "smartphone, tablet, PC" (12.0%). Following that, in third place was "study desk" (11.5%). This suggests that after essential items, there are a certain number of families who are conscious of making choices that create a good learning environment.

• In families using study desks, first graders spend more time studying at home – about 46% spend more than an hour studying at home
• In first grade, outdoor and digital play coexist, but the ratio is different for girls who play outdoors and boys who play digitally.
• Families with younger parents tend to spend more time studying at home and make greater use of digital learning
• Are middle children more likely to receive higher allowances? Birth order makes a difference in pocket money

Looking at study time at home, in households that use a study desk, the percentage of those who study for "more than one hour" on weekdays was 46.0%, far exceeding the percentage of those who use the dining table (18.7%). Also, there is a tendency for the more "dedicated study space" a household has, including regular desks and low tables, the longer the study time.
For first graders who have just started school, the ability to "switch between tasks independently" is still in the process of being developed, and it is thought that the ease with which students know where to study helps them develop daily study habits.

When looking at the types of play they do with friends, the percentage of girls who play games that involve running around outdoors (tag, hide-and-seek, etc.) is higher than boys, at 40.0% compared to 34.1%. Girls also tend to play on indoor and outdoor play equipment, at 36.1% compared to 28.5% for boys. Meanwhile, boys tend to play digital games, watch videos, make calls, and chat.

Looking at home study situations by parent age, 50.0% of households with parents in their 20s spend "more than one hour" studying at home on weekdays, a higher level than those in their 30s (33.9%) and 40s (31.3%).
Additionally, when looking at the use of YouTube and social media for studying and learning, approximately 80% of households where parents are in their 20s responded that they "use" them, a higher result than those in their 30s and 40s.
It appears that videos and online content are being naturally incorporated into home learning.

These results suggest that the younger generation of parents may be able to secure time for home study by incorporating a variety of learning methods, including digital methods, in addition to paper drills and studying at a desk.
It seems that differences in learning styles, not just the length of study time itself, but also the means by which children learn, are beginning to emerge between parent generations.

When looking at the amount of allowance given per month, the middle child had the highest percentage of people who answered "5,000 yen or more." On the other hand, the youngest child tended to receive "no allowance" or "small amount."
The difference in the amount of allowance based on birth order may be influenced by factors such as awareness of roles within the family and judgments based on comparisons with older siblings. This suggests that pocket money is designed by each family as an opportunity to learn how to manage money, rather than the amount itself.