Recreation and Play

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Recreation and Play

• March 10, 2003

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What is recreation? What is play? Are they
occupations?

• Webster defines recreation as refreshing of
  spirit or strength after work diversion,
  entertainment, amusement.
• Olson DeRuyter state Play is the process
  through which children develop their physical,
  mental, and social skills ( 2002, p. 451).
• Leisure and play are both roles we as individuals
  have and therefore would be defined as
  occupations.

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Recreational Therapist vs Occupational Therapist

• Recreational therapists help people who are sick
  or hurt get active again. They use sports, games,
  arts, crafts, and music to help patients build
  confidence and get back into life. These
  therapists are not the same as the recreation
  workers who conduct games and pastimes for fun
  Retrieved from http//stats.bls.gov/k12/html/gym_0
  02.htm on March 10, 2004.
• Occupational Therapist use leisure and play as
  occupation to assist the client(s) back to their
  optimal level of health.

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Universal Design

• If the site services a range of users it is
  universally designed (Olson DeRuyter, 2002).

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Where do the interests lie?

• Just fun group
• Pet therapy group
• Donnie
• Know the interests of your clients
• Do an occupational profile or thorough intake

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Access

• Design
• Attractiveness
• Environmental awareness
• Education
• Maintenance
• Accessibility for all

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Function

• Adaptable
• Incorporates many types of mediums for access
• A universally designed play setting is not high
  tech it is design tech (p. 454).
• Common areas for all people (socializing, eating,
  gathering, etc)
• Signage and entrances- defined or not to a
  play/leisure area and to exits
• Accessible routes of travel within leisure/play
  activity

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Diversity

• Variety
• Having a variety of events/equipment
• Changing the location of equipment/events for
  participation
• Changing the surface or adding a ramp/transfer
  platform

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Safety

• Above all consider safety
• Think about contraindications of the clients
  conditions
• Shade/Heat in outdoor events
• A/C in indoor events
• Ratio of adults/workers to children/participants
  especially in water events

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Resources

• http//www.ci.boulder.co.us/parks-recreation/progr
  ams/expand.htm
• http//www.ncpad.org/Factshthtml/football.htm
• http//www.lakeshore.org/
• http//www.svayam.com/Production/sports/
• http//www.shareyourstate.com/OK/horses.htm
• http//www.icdri.org/News/evas_news.htm

• http//www.ncpad.org/factshthtml/Golf.htm
• http//dlrp.org/html/publications/adaag/finalrule_
  aan.html
• http//www.whitehutchinson.com/children/articles/p
  laygrndkidslove.shtml