Creating Analyzing Finding Appropriate Recreational Activities Learning Objectives

Creating, Analyzing & Finding Appropriate Recreational Activities

Learning Objectives You’ll learn: • Benefits & goals of recreation/leisure • Brainstorming 101: important for finding potential activities in the community • Activity Analysis to help in planning adaptations • More about finding quality inclusive programs

Who Are You?

About Me • • • Dad had a brother with multiple disabilities Ben Becker’s Camp Nassau in the ‘ 60’s Former Art Teacher Licensed Recreation Therapist Formerly, Inclusion Consultant/ DD Case Manager in Wake County through Community Partnerships • Currently Coordinator of Adapted Recreation & Inclusion program, Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation

Recreation & Leisure How would you define recreation? How do you define leisure?

Recreation is an activity that people engage in during their free time, that people enjoy and that people recognize as having socially redeeming values. The activity performed is less important than the reason for performing the activity, which is the outcome. Parks & Recreation Professional’s Handbook by Amy Hurd & Denise Anderson.

Recreation - activity that one is doing in order to rejuvenate oneself physically and mentally.

Leisure Free time A state of mind An activity …or inactivity

Leisure and recreation are crucial for the wellbeing of a person!

Benefits of Recreation Pleasure Providing Interaction generating Creating group cohesion Thought stimulating Providing relaxation (stress relief) Protective Rehearsing

Protective Rehearsing Pokemon Cards Playing store, house, school Playing doctor, fireman

Ultimate State of Leisure

Flow Theory The experiences of intrinsically motivated people, those who were engaged in an activity chosen for its own sake (Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, 1975, 1997)

What Happens When Flow Occurs? Our worries and concerns disappear We lose track of time, pain, sadness. . . A loss of self-consciousness Receive direct & immediate feedback

Challenging activity, requiring skill (but not too challenging) Merging of Action & Awareness Concentration on the task at hand * Not all of these components need to be present together for Flow to be experienced.

Choosing Recreation

The Right Time for the Right Goal: Is this a good time to teaching a leisure skill ? Should this be simply leisure time?

Choose a Goal or Goals Deliberately Pleasure Providing Interaction generating Educational Providing relaxation (stress relief) Protective Rehearsing

Work is Play & Play is Work

What do you like about it? . . . Because it has music Because the other kids are doing it Because I feel like an expert Because they serve pizza Because there are girls there

Dancing Learning to Dance Exercise Joy!

Drama. Pleasure Providing Protective Rehearsing

Interaction Generating Helping in the Kitchen Setting the Table Refilling everyone’s drink

Activities That Can be Interaction Generating… Tend a community garden Working on a Habitat House Meet Ups Group Hiking Interest Groups Stream Clean ups

Finding an Activity to Fit an Interest

Comic books Looking for a particular comic book Selling/trading a comic book Comi-con Convention Softball Game Keep Score Batboy Referee/Umpire

Civil War Reenactment Have a role Photographer Prop person Theater, Drama Sets Lighting Props

A Group w/Defined Purpose or Interest Legos Stamps/Coins Photography War Battles Movies Cooking Fixing Bikes

Meet Ups People getting together to learn something, do something, share something… Gathering of people with a particular interest Moderator/Organizer/Host Focus on the activity Look at who else is participating

“Hey Marian Kaslovsky, There are 1, 704 Meet ups happening this week in your area, about everything from careers to hiking, parenting, tech, photography and urban gardening …”

Hobbies & Crafts 5 Hiking and Adventure 6 Community & Environment 1

Tons of Interest Categories “Do Gooders" Cycling Meditation & Reiki Pick up soccer games Raleigh/Durham Web Design Group Free line dancing lessons

Slow Spokes-Road Cycling (A 18+ mph; B 16 -18 mph; C 13 -15; D 10 -12 mph; Beginner under 10 mph. ) We Play! Playgroup for Infants/Toddlers Indie Film Meet Up Group Chapel Hill/Carrboro Community Games

“Cuisine Artisans” Fall Fruits, Berries and Greens Market Walk & Mushroom Talk Chef's Wild: Cocktails, Wines & Sodas Cheese and Italian Wine Pairing http: //www. meetup. com/cities/us/nc/chapel_hill/

Brainstorming

Start with a concrete problem Generate ideas Build on others ideas NO CRITICIZING IDEAS Free up your brain Wacky and out there! Bizarre ideas can be honed into innovative & workable solutions

Let’s Brainstorm!

1 sentence description of person: Age & gender Current interests Limitations …then we’ll all brainstorm

Activity Analysis

A good analysis includes: Equipment required Simple description of directions/rules Administrative and leadership concerns Purpose or goal

What is required to participate? Physical/sensorimotor Mental/cognitive Social interaction Affective/emotional

Activity Analysis: Ping Pong Physical/Sensorimotor Grasp and hold a paddle Needs sufficient elbow, shoulder, and wrist movement to hit the ball Must have enough mobility to move quickly Mental/Cognitive Remembering the rules Considering strategies

Ping Pong, continued Social Interaction: Must be willing to play fair Must take opponent’s ability into consideration Affective/Emotional: Must feel comfortable with “losing” Must be willing to take turns

Adaptations Paddle: Change the grasp, size of face, length of handle Table: Height, distance from opponent Teach the skill first. Then find an opponent!

Adaptations Increase or decrease activity space Reduce/increase amount of time to score or win Allow peer assistance (play doubles!)

Modify Procedures or Rules Increase or decrease the available space Reduce/increase amount of time to score or win Permit assistance Substitute actions or rules

Adaptation to Help with Turn Taking

Candy Land PUT LAST Purpose or goal: Equipment required: Simple directions: Administrative and leadership concerns

Finding the Right Activity Are the players good losers? Activity NOT appropriate for socializing! Activity that requires talking Parallel play or OTHER level of interaction

Group Games Number, age, size of participants Time on task Importance of speed to complete activity Staff, facilities, equipment, supplies Cost of activity (now & future) Usefulness of products made during activity

Finding an Appropriate Inclusive Program

Ask questions of staff member supervising the program. Ratio of students/staff & # in each group Experience with kids with disabilities? GET SPECIFICS Children assigned to a consistent group? Typical daily schedule? How much variation? Structured hours of program? Discipline policy? How much of the day is outdoors? . . . in air conditioning?

If unable/unwilling to do an activity…alternate activities? Individualized accommodations? (help changing to swim, headphones for loud times, help in bathroom)? Layout of the spaces used (ex: hills, black top, paved trails) Sensory Environment

Be Honest re Individual’s Abilities/Needs Be direct about child’s specific needs Best and worst behavior/health issues Can you observe in advance? Can your child visit first? Inclusion Subcommittee of Durham’s Council for Children with Special Needs, March 2011

Any Questions?

Marian Kaslovsky 919 968 -2813 mkaslovsky@townofchapelhill. org View our programs at www. chapelhillparks. org Activity Registration Adapted Recreation