Concepts and Definitions

Play is an activity undertaken purely for enjoyment and amusement with no oother objectives

Characteristics of Play:

• Play is fun
• Play can be spontaneous, it requires little pre-planning and organisation
• Rules are changeable, negotiated and freely accepted
• Play is not strictly structured, participants numbers can vary, physical boundaries can be negotiated or adapted to fit loacal conditions, the length of the play activity is flexible or constrained by outside influences
• Play is undertaken for its own sake, it has intrinsic value, there are no external rewards, it has no purpose
• Play, despite being fun and purposeless can be serious - watch the arguments that can break out when children play
• Play allows an individual to be in a fantasy world, to be self-fulfilled outside of their normal life
• play can be childlike

Objectives of Play:

For Children -

• allows a child to test boundaries
• allows a child to experience risk whilst keeping the safe from harm
• enables a child to learn social rules - teamwork, sharing, the nature of rules/authority
• fosters independence and self esteem
• develops children's respect for eachother
• offers opportunities for social interaction

For Adults -

• adults play to escape reality
• adult play is about being childlike
• adult play gives opportunity for creativity and fantasy

Leisure is time during which you have no obligation to work, friends or family and are free to engage in self-directed and chosen activities

Characteristics of Leisure:

• Something that is engaged in, in free time
• A time where you engage in freely chosen activities
• Use for ease and relaxation
• Done for enjoyment
• During leisure time you can choose to do nothing

Recreation is time engaged in activities that refresh, relax or enable the recreation of oneself after the rigours of work or day to day life

Physical Recreation is time engaged in physical activity that refresh, relax or enable the recreation of onself self after the rigours of work or day to day life

Characteristics and Objective of Recreation:

• Escaping/freeing oneself from day to day life
• Allowing time fore recuperation/recovery
• To recreate oneself and engage in activities which reflect ones personality
• To refresh the mind or body

Outdoor recreation is recreation that takes place and uses the natural environment

Adventurous Activity is a form of outdoor recreation that involves a degree of risk or challenge. The level of challenge or risk is determined by the nature of the environment and the experience of the participants

Characteristics of Outdoor Recreation and Ane Adventure Activity:

• Not all outdoor recreation would be classed as adventure activity
• All adventure activity would be classed as outdoor recreation
• Adeventure activity can take place as adventure education where risk and challenge can take place in a natural environment
• Outdoor recreation can therefore take the form of outdoor education

Types of Risk:

Perceived risk is risk where the participant believes themselves to be at risk or in some form of danger. Linked to the performers level of experience and skill. Sometimes known as subjective risk/danger.

Actual risk is risk where the…