Recreation is the employment of time in a non-profitable way, in many ways
         Early Classical Theories
also a refreshment of one's body or mind. Recreation is often distinguished
from leisure. Where leisure is, or ought to be, restful, recreation is refreshing
and diverting. As we lead more and more sedentary life styles, the need for
recreation has grown. The rise of so called active vacations exemplify this.
The weekend is typically a time for recreation, perhaps (in Judeo-Christian
and Muslim cultures) because the Sabbath falls on the weekend and the
Sabbath is "the day of rest." Holidays are also a common time for recreation.
Traditionally music and dance serve as recreation in many cultures, as do
sports, hobbies, games and tourism. Watching TV and listening to music are
common forms of recreation, or rather leisure.
Many activities may be functional and/or recreational:
 eating and drinking
 shopping
 hunting and fishing
 travel
 sexual behavior
 using internet and telephone and talking with people face-to-face
 reading a book
In recent years, more 'exciting' forms of recreation include: skiing,
snowboarding, bungee jumping, sky diving, hang gliding, paint balling, rock
climbing, Backpacking, canyoning, caving, BASE jumping.
Some people enjoy forms of recreation that are considered immoral by
others, for example drug use, gambling, nudism and some forms of sex. Also
some people believe that there are restrictions in time for certain forms of
recreation, e.g. not on Sunday, sabbath or during Ramadan.
Recreation – What is it?
 Often perceived as physical activity.
 Voluntarily chosen.
 Primary reason for participation maybe for personal satisfaction.
 Maybe intrinsically motivated by desire for personal enjoyment
rather than by extrinsic rewards.
 It may help fulfill physical, mental and/or social needs of people.
Play refers to a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities that are
normally associated with pleasure and enjoyment.[1] Play may consist of
amusing, pretend or imaginary interpersonal and intrapersonal interactions
or "interplay". The rites of play are evident throughout nature and are
perceived in people and animals, particularly in the cognitive development
and socialization of those engaged in developmental processes and the
young. Play often entertains props, tools, animals, or toys in the context of
learning and recreation. Some play has clearly defined goals and when
structured with rules is entitled a game. Whereas, some play exhibits no such
goals nor rules and is considered to be "unstructured" in the literature.
Defining Play
 In general, play may be considered human behavior that is self
motivated and done for it’s own sake.
 It is not motivated by extrinsic factors.
 It is pleasurable.
 It may appear to lack structure, however, it may have rules and
expected behaviors.
THEORIES OF PLAY
A.
 1. Surplus Energy       (Schiller 1873    Spencer 1875)
Play is the result of surplus energy that exists because the young are freed
from the business of self-preservation through the activities of their parents. 
Energy finds its release in the aimless exuberant activities of play.
2. Relaxation Theory    (Lazarus 1883    Patrick 1916)
(Recreation)        Play is seen as a mode of dissipating the inhibitions built up
from-fatigue due to tasks that are relatively new to the organism.  Thus, play
is found more often in childhood.  Play replenishes energy for as yet
unfamiliar cognitive activities of the child and reflects deep-rooted race
habits -- phylogenetically acquired behaviors that are not therefore new to
the organism.
 (Phylogenetic - functions common to the race Ontogenetic - functions
specific to the individual requiring training)
3. Pre-Exercise Theory- (Groos - 1898) Play is the necessary practice for
behaviors that are essential to later survival. The playful fighting of animals
or the rough and tumble play of children are essentially the practice of skills
that will later aid their survival
4.  Recapitulation Theory     (G ' Stanley Hall - 1906    Wundt - 1913)
Play is seen not as an activity that develops future instinctual skills, but
rather, that it serves to rid the organism of primitive and unnecessary
instinctual skills carried over by hereditary.  Each child passes through a
series of play stages corresponding to and recapitulating the cultural stages
in the development of the race. (Plays roots are in the ritual of the savage
and his need for magic)
5. Growth Theories      (Appleton 1919)
Play Is a response to a generalized drive for growth In the organism.  Play
serves to facilitate the mastery of skills necessary to the function of adult
behaviors.
6. Ego Expanding      Theories - (Lange - 1902 Claparde - 1911)
Play is nature's way of completing the ego an expressive exercising of the ego
and the rest of the personality; an exercising that develops cognitive skills
and aids in the emergence of additional skills.
 Current Theories of Play
1.       Infantile Dynamics (Lewin)
Play occurs because the cognitive life space of the child is still unstructured,
resulting in failure to discriminate between real and unreal.  The child passes
into a region of playful unreality where things are changeable and arbitrary.
        (Buytendijk)
The child plays because he is a child and because his cognitive dynamics do
not allow for any other way of behaving.  Play is an expression of the child's
uncoordinated approach to the environment.
 2.         Cathartic Theory -         (Freud 1908)
Play represents an attempt to partially satisfy drives or to resolve conflicts
when the child really doesn’t have the means to do so.  When a child works
through a drive through play he has at least temporarily resolved it.
  3.         Psychoanalytic Theory - (Buhler - 1930.  Anna Freud 1937)
Play represents not merely wish-fulfilling tendencies but also mastery -- an
attempt through repetition to cope with overwhelming anxiety-provoking
situations.  Play is defensive as well as adaptive in dealing with anxiety'.
  4.         Cognitive Theory       (Piaget - 1962)
Play is derived from the child's working out of two fundamental
characteristics of his mode of experience and development.  These are
accommodation and assimilation -- the attempts to integrate new
experiences into the relatively limited number of motor and cognitive skills
available at each age.
Accommodation- the attempt to imitate and interact physically with the
environment.
Assimilation -    the attempt to integrate externally derived precepts or motor
actions in a limited amount of schemata.
Leisure Theories
Csikszentmihalyi Flow Theory
 Flow can be a state of being that the activity or experience is the
only thing the participant is involved with.
 These are times that people remember as outstanding moments
of their life.
 Flow is an optimal experience
Elements of Flow Theory
 The activity is challenging and requires skill.
 Action and awareness merge to such a point that one is
completely absorbed in the experience
Compensation Theory
 Leisure helps people find satisfaction they do not have through
work.
 People may participate in activities that are quite opposite from
the type of work they do on a day to day basis.
Neulinger’s Theory
 This theory deals with perceived freedom and constraints in a
person’s life.
 Major components deal with work, leisure and job.
Kelly’s Theory
 Freedom to choose (high to low continuum) and meaning
(intrinsic and social continuum)
 Unconditional leisure – leisure for its own sake. The Greek ideal.
 Recuperative – rest and relax
 Relational - desire for social participation
 Role related – one participates in leisure because of expectations
of others
Kelly’s Theory
 Components are:
 Freedom
 Meaning of participation
 Leisure for its own sake and for intrinsic value of participation
Spillover Theory
 Work “spills over” into leisure.
 Leisure participation is similar to work tasks and may have similar
characteristics.
 Leisure becomes an extension of skills and attitudes people have
for their work.
Types of Play
Throwing balls, reading books, dressing up, painting pictures — children can
learn and play in so many ways! To help shoppers find the most appropriate
toys for children, Growing Tree Toys provides information on 6 types of play
for every toy on the website, which help outline the various play behaviors
associated with the toys. We have separated the “play” of our toys into the
following six types of play:
Active Play
Play that involves movement and physical activity. Active play is the perfect
type of play to tucker any youngster out! Whether running around in the yard
or building sand castles at a local playground, active play is an essential part
of a child's development. Some examples of active play are:
 Riding Bikes
 Swinging at the playground
 Kickball
Our toys will be the perfect outdoor companion, providing sporting fun and
activity galore!
Cooperative Play
Play for your child and a group of friends. Cooperative play can take place
almost anywhere — outside on the playground or downstairs in the basement.
In any environment, children learn from watching other children play and
interacting with them socially. Some fun cooperative play activities are:
 Interactive pretend play
 Basketball
 Board games
Game time, make believe time — it's all fun time when other children are
around to take part in play!
Creative Play
Play that ignites a child's imagination and makes something out of nothing! A
box of crayons, construction paper, pipe cleaners, scissors and glue – they are
all staples in the home, but when they come together in the hands of a child,
they become magical works of art. But, Creative Play extends beyond art,
entering a world of music, dance, building — even dirt! Creative play includes
such things as:
  Painting

Sculpting play dough

 Building or creating crafts

Providing a child a creative outlet will lead to many amazing things, and as
you may know already, some not so amazing things if it involves drawing on
furniture or a wall!

Dramatic Play
Play that involves pretend and make believe, or whatever the imagination
dreams. Have you ever found a child in your clothes? Carrying your
briefcase? Wearing your old uniform? What seems commonplace to you
opens a whole new world of possibilities to a child. Dramatic play can
include:

 Simple role playing

 Using props to create a "new" environment
 Creating scenes or situations with dolls and puppets

Children love role-playing and exploring worlds outside of their everyday,

creating new and fun situations with every costume and prop. Imagine what
they think you do at work!

Manipulative Play
Play that involves hand-eye coordination and motor skills. Children need the
opportunity to work on finer skills that involve a little more control and
direction. Manipulative play develops the sense of coordination, challenging
their little fingers to follow the lines or use their tools properly. Some
examples of manipulative play are:

 Coloring, especially in a defined area

 Paper crafts and art involving moving parts that need to be "put
together"
 Using a safe and simple tool kit to help with tasks around the
house

Cutting out a sunshine for the window or painting within the lines — all these
activities are the perfect exercise for this type of play.

Quiet Play
Play that keeps children's mouths shut but their minds open. Playtime for
children should have the opportunity to be quiet — the playtime for which
adults are sometimes grateful! Children need quiet time to intently digest the
items in their learning environment, like books and puzzles. Quiet play
provides children an opportunity to think and reason and can include such
activities as:

 Beading a necklace
 Working on puzzles
 Reading or looking at pictures