SALT LAKE CITY — It’s official. Not all fun is created equal.

At least, that’s what Professor Bradley H. Smith from the University of Houston’s College of Education found. Smith believes society undervalues fun, especially in work or learning settings.

“I don’t think people take fun seriously enough,” Smith said. “It’s a basic human need, and we’re better off doing it.”

Smith, who works in the Department of Psychological Health and Learning Sciences, developed a new theoretical framework for understanding fun: the “Four Types of Fun” model.

Smith’s model was detailed in a study published in the August edition of the Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education.

The Four Types of Fun model

Before Smith’s article was published, researchers had not defined outdoor fun within academic literature. Instead, three categories had existed informally.

Smith’s model formally describes the categories of outdoor fun and expands them from three to four:

• Type 1 (recreational fun): Low-effort, relaxing activities such as lounging on a beach.
• Type 2 (challenging fun): Outdoor activities that may not feel fun in the moment but are rewarding after, such as hiking or rock climbing.
• Type 3 (adventure fun): High-adrenaline experiences such as rollercoasters or bungee jumping.
• Type 4 (overindulgent fun): Enjoyable experiences that can become excessive, such as eating too much pizza and getting a stomachache later.

Smith’s research focused on Type 2 fun, involving challenge, novelty and a small-group environment for youth while being overseen or led by an adult leader or mentor.

He believes conventional environments like classrooms or workplaces can do more to apply the four types of fun.

“To what extent can we try to cultivate Type 2 fun in schools?” he said. “What if we really try to make learning fun and challenging?”

Smith plans to explore the subject further by developing tools to measure the presence and impact of Type 2 fun in organizations, while also surveying participants about their experiences.

The ideal Type 2 activity, according to the school, would involve an engaging and slightly uncomfortable challenge, such as navigating a tough hike, running a marathon or skiing a difficult slope.

Fun in Utah

Each of these activities can be found in abundance in Utah, with 15 different ski resorts found right beside beautiful hikes and scenic vistas. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis found that Utah’s outdoor recreation economy reached $9.5 billion in 2023.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox recently revealed a map of the upcoming Utah Trail Network, designed to allow Utahns to travel from Bear Lake to St. George, or from Castle Valley to Hinckley. As Smith’s study suggests, hiking along trails like the ones planned can give hikers a sense of accomplishment.

Cultivating Type 2 fun experiences for youth may be a challenging experience itself, but Smith’s study shows purposeful and challenging experimental learning opportunities promote positive youth development and character building.

Parents and mentors can cultivate positive traits within the youth they oversee, all while encouraging them to continue to have fun, Smith says. The right type of fun.