Americans’ three favorite outdoor activities have one thing in common

Some surveys and studies surprise you. Others do not.

Into the latter category goes a new survey from the National Recreation and Park Association that asked Americans to select their favorite summer outdoor activities.

The top three — taking a walk or hike, going to the beach, and having a picnic or barbecue — share one thing in common: They’re all activities you can do in Scouting.

Each summer, Scouts and Venturers go hiking and backpacking. They swim and kayak at beaches. And they prepare food — some gourmet, some merely edible — on portable stoves and in Dutch ovens.

On the best days, they do all three before sunset.

So I can’t say I was surprised to see these results, which confirm that Scouting has the top outdoor activities American families crave.

In other breaking news, water is wet and s’mores are delicious.

Kidding aside, the National Recreation and Park Association study pairs nicely with the Tufts study that analyzed the effects of Scouting and the Baylor study that showed 46 ways Eagle Scouts are different.

The results are in, and Scouting takes young people where they want to go, doing the activities they want to do — all while helping prepare them for life’s adventures.