Busy lives

59% like swimming 33% play football 14% rollerblade 43% play instruments 79% use computers for study

BBC Education executive Jane Quinn said the study showed children were not stuck to their sofas.

"It makes them out to be much more rounded than the public perception.

"They are doing a range of activities - like swimming and football - but also have computer skills, which they put to constructive use such as research for schoolwork," she said.

The favourite activity for children aged between seven and 12 was swimming (59%).

The only stress that comes from this could be competition for getting on the computer

Jane Quinn, BBC Education

About one in three play football and nearly half of all children questioned said they played musical instruments.

If children have many more hobbies than their parents, they are also more likely to be able to sort out a problem on the computer.

Of parents who work full-time, 58% thought their children had better computer skills than they had.

Jane Quinn believes most families are pleased: "The only stress that comes from this could be competition for getting on the computer."

The study - which involved nearly 550 children aged between seven and 12 - found that 79% were using computers for research to help them with their homework.