Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

Leisure Education
Christoph Ingram
LEI 4724
Florida International University

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

Introduction
Everyone has the right to a meaningful leisure lifestyle. Through leisure, individuals can
attain physical, mental and social benefits that can help them to carry out daily activities and
develop skills that can bring out the best in an individuals life. This is why Leisure Education is
emphasized in schools today to promote a healthy lifestyle for all children growing up. However,
some individuals find it harder to participate in Leisure activities due to disabilities or
impairments that they were either born with or developed due to an accident in their life. These
individuals face different barriers daily and it is our job (the RT specialist) to educate these
individuals on how to still live a healthy leisure life style by analyzing and understanding our
clients so that we can accommodate different leisure activities to allow all individuals with any
disability or impairment to participate in leisure.
Definitions
The term Leisure Education is often used by professionals in TR, what is meant by the
term can vary widely. There are several terms used to discuss Leisure Education that may seem
interchangeable. For instance, people use play, free time, recreation, or leisure to
describe Leisure Education (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.187-188). When I was younger my
parents would always tell me to go and play, play is a common term most children are familiar
with because they do it at school and at home, children play whenever they can get an
opportunity to. Play does not seem to be a behavior limited to humans. Play has been defined as
behavior that is engaging, intrinsically motivated, and chosen (Huizinga,1955), that results in a

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

transformation of reality (Schwartzman,1978). Usually, play involves making believe that one
object is another (Hughes, 1991) (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.188). When nine years old I use
to play house with my friends where I would sometime be the father or the uncle and my other
friends would be the other family members. I would always have fun being the father and I
would copy the things my own fathers does and implement it in the game.
Free Time can be conceived as a time when there are few or no obligations to work,
school, chores, or other responsibilities(Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.188). Frequently, free
time is valued because people choose to use free time in ways that are enjoyable. However free
time can pose a serious challenge to people. Many people with disabilities have an abundance of
free time (Hoge & Dattilo,1995), but lack the leisure skills needed to make the time meaningful
as mentioned in the introduction ( Dattilo,2008). (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.188). Free Time
is an important source to a leisure lifestyle, people always crave free time to do what they want
to do to enjoy life whether it is hanging out with friends, partying, playing sports for fun,
snowboarding etc. Being a RT specialist I am going to have to be able to teach clients with
different disabilities to use their free time do whatever they want to do with confidence.
Recreation is an organized activity people do for enjoyment that is often believed to be
beneficial for individuals or society or both (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.189). Speaking on
my behalf; Recreation is very beneficial for individuals because it mostly involves thinking,
physical activity, and being social. I played in recreation soccer when I was younger and that
developed my self-confidence, social kills, I made friends, my strength and endurance, and my
overall healthy. Recreation gave me a path to follow because I gained love for the sport and kept
on playing until a received a scholarship to college through the sport (soccer) that I am still
participating in and gives me a dream to work towards which is being a professional soccer

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

player. This dream kept me disciplined all my life as a person, discipline to get good grades, stay
out of trouble, do not smoke or do drugs, take my vitamins, eat healthy, get adequate sleep and
exercise hard on my own. This is all things to Recreation sports, that is where it all started and
now I play for my country Jamaica.
Leisure has been defined as a subjective state of mind when individuals experience a
sense of freedom and are motivated to participate in an activity primarily for the enjoyment
associated with the activity (Neulinger, 1981). It is a positive experience that requires people to
use their abilities and resources to engage in personally satisfying and fulfilling experiences
(Stebbins,2005). Leisure is subjectively experienced; therefore, some individuals may experience
leisure engaging in an activity, while others may not experience leisure in the same activity
(Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.189). In other word; leisure depends on the person and what they
enjoy doing in their free time, some may enjoy sports and partying while others may just want to
be simple by listening to music while laying down or reading different articles and books to
increase their knowledge. In my leisure time I enjoy hanging out with friends, going out to eat,
going to the movies, going to the mall and watching YouTube videos. These are my top options I
choose from that will make me enjoy my free time.
Leisure promotes Self- Discovery and Growth. These are two important and useful
benefits that leisure participation provides naturally. Experiencing leisure is about discovering
what one loves, and as we discover what we love we can choose to do things that are personally
pleasing, intuitively worthwhile, and provide a basis of faith. This is known as self-discovery
(Discover Leisure Education,2013). I agree with this quote because when I was a child
participating in leisure I discovered a lot on my own. Example; I used to go to the pool often by
myself in my free time when I was around 9 years old because I enjoyed swimming. I use to

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

always stay in the shallow end but one day I started taking my time going deeper and deeper
until I learned how to float. After I learned how to float my confidence when sky high then I
learned how to back flip, dive and swim from end to end under water. Experiencing leisure is all
about learning who we are as individuals, and that takes time, exploration, and discovery. It may
several attempts to determine which activities bring your child most enjoyment, and this is okay.
It is also important to allow your child to have as much freedom as possible, even if that is
selecting a particular toy to play with; this is called growth. The goal of leisure for children with
disabilities is to teach them that a disability does not limit their ability to have enjoyable life
experiences (Discover Leisure Education,2013). When children discover new things through
leisure, things that are good and bad, fun and not fun, and dangerous or beneficial this is good for
their growth and maturity because people learn better through experience and life is about
experiencing things and exploring.
Leisure Education is a human right in that it can enable choice, freedom, and selfdetermination identified by Dattilo and Murphy (1991). Leisure Education is important to
improving the human condition since it is a way to enrich the lives of people who feel their
leisure lifestyle is too uninteresting, unexciting, incomplete, or even nonexistent ( Cohen-Gewerc
& Stebbins,2007) (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.190). Leisure Education aims to assist
children, youth and adults, to reach the good life and the best usage of leisure through the
cultivation of their personal intellectual, emotional, physical and social development (Ashton &
Pesavento,2011). Leisure Education is also described as a conscious and systematic education
for and/or in leisure which aims to bring certain desirable changes in the use of leisure. These
changes may be stated in terms of beliefs, feelings, attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behavior,
and may take place in formal and informal educational and recreational settings for children,

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

youth, and adults (Ruskin & Sivan, 1995, p. 147) (Ashton & Pesavento,2011). Leisure
Education is very essential to a childs development as stated above, it is important ant to give
your child as much freedom as possible to experience new things and grow through leisure also
stated above.
Descriptions
There are many leisure education interventions developed over the years. The most
common elements found in many models are: Leisure Appreciation, Self- Awareness, Decision
Making, Self- Determination, Leisure Activity Skills, Community Skills, Social Skills, and
Leisure Resource Awareness (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.190). These Eight elements are
most influential on Leisure Education models. They give many benefits to people of all ages, and
all disabilities.
Leisure Appreciation is the task of making individuals become more aware of the
concept of leisure. By becoming aware of leisure and by gaining a deeper understanding of it,
people may be in a better position to access the experience. To facilitate leisure appreciation, a
TR specialist can help participants understand leisure, the important roles leisure plays in society,
and the beneficial out comes of participating in leisure. For instance, some people have negative
attitudes about leisure or feel that they do not deserve to experience leisure, by addressing such
attitudes, a TR specialist can help participants experience a more enjoyable and meaningful
event (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.190-191). As discussed previously, leisure participation is
loaded with countless benefits and it is important that as TR specialist to make people of all ages
aware of the many benefits of leisure participation and that they have a right to participate in
leisure.

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

Self-Awareness is having and understanding of oneself. This is beneficial to develop a

satisfying leisure lifestyle. To understand ones self requires self- examination which involves
past involvement, goals, skills, attitudes, and satisfaction related to leisure ) (Dattilo &
Mckenney, 2011, p.191). Leisure education can help a person to understand examine their self to
develop an understanding of their personal preferences and their choice of leisure.
Decision Making is a fundamental skill needed to live an independent leisure lifestyle.
Some individuals live in environments that do not foster decision making skills causing them to
be dependent on others.TR specialist can teach decision making skills to others by helping them
to develop appropriate leisure goals. Once participants learn effective goal setting they are more
capable of making decisions about leisure (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.192). As discussed
previously, people with disabilities sometimes dont think they deserve leisure so they probably
dont have strong decision making skills as people without disabilities, but leisure education can
address that issue.
Self- Determination has been described as being in control of the course a life takes
(Wehmeyer, 1996). Being self- determined is important to being able to experience leisure fully (
DAttilo & Kleiber, 1993). Illness and Disabilities can affect self-determination negatively but
leisure education can address these adverse conditions ( Dattilo, Kleiber, & Williams, 1998). TR
specialist can facilitate self- determination in participants by conducting role playing exercises
that allow participants to practice assertive behaviors (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.192-193).
Self-determination results in having control over our lives in valued contexts, making decisions
without interference from others, and having the freedom to live as we choose (within cultural
contexts and mores).Self-determined people exert some level of control over what happens to
them, when and where it occurs, and with whom it takes place (Ashton & Pesavento,2011). Self-

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

determination is very important when it comes to leisure. Individuals must be intrinsically

motivated and self determined for any activity they choose to participate in. Reason being; if
individuals feel obligated to participate in an activity, the activity cannot be called leisure
participation.
Leisure Activity Skills are the skills that participants require to perform fundamental
leisure related activities. Each activity has a unique set of skills required for full participation in
the activity. Without a variety of leisure activity skills, people will not have many options to
participate, and thus little opportunity for self-determination. Leisure education can best serve
participants by teaching skills associated with activities likely to lead to leisure and enjoyment
(Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.193). Teaching leisure activity skills is a big part of leisure
education because these skills are required to even perform the most simple leisure activity. By
learning these skills, individuals will have more confidence and self determination to participate
in leisure.
Community Skills enable people to participate in community-based programs. The two
most common community skills addressed by leisure education is public transportation and
money management. Lack of transportation is a barrier to leisure participation identified by
people with disabilities. Without the ability to drive of use public transportation is hard to go to
places where people often go for recreation, such as shopping malls, movie theaters, libraries,
and athletic facilities. TR specialist can help them to overcome these barriers by teaching them to
count money, make change, and handle money with confidence by using role playing activities
(Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.194). Once clients learn how to handle money to take public
transportation. Then transportation will no longer be a boundary. TR specialist have different
ways and means to teach clients to handle money when needed in any situation.

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

Social Skills are a valuable component of leisure education. Social Skills is the most
important skill needed to be accepted in inclusive community settings. Social Skills can include
sharing, communicating verbally and nonverbally, and determining appropriate rules for different
situations. Social Skills development are often included in Leisure education because most
activities involve people (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.195). Social skills are necessary for all
individuals all ages because people encounter social interactions daily, whether it is talking to
friends, asking a questions, shopping, saying good morning or good evening. There will always
be social situations in a persons life so the better you are socially the better your life will be.
Leisure Resource Awareness is being aware of the resources in your community. Dattilo
and Bemisderfer identified the 3 Ps of community resource: people, places, and printed
materials. People act as sources of information. Places may include community centers, shopping
malls and movie theaters. Printed materials are like phone books and newspapers. These can all
be sources of information pertaining to recreation opportunities. The Internet is another
additional important leisure resource. TR specialist can help people learn about community
leisure resources both in a classroom setting and by taking a more hands on approach (Dattilo
& Mckenney, 2011, p.195-196). Being aware of leisure resources are very important to living a
leisure lifestyle. Leisure Education can once again point out leisure resources so participants can
be aware of them. Once aware of them participants can use these resources to find out different
leisure options in their community or comfort zone.
Theory
It appears that social psychological theories of motivation are at the foundation of the
most familiar ingredients of leisure education. One common topic of study in social psychology
is motivation (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.198). Motivation is an issue of particular interest for

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

leisure educators. Two approaches that have been taken to explain motivation in leisure include:
Intrinsic Motivation and Goal Orientation (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.198). Intrinsic
motivation is when individuals participate in activities simply for the fun and excitement they
experience during participation and Extrinsic motivation is when someone engage in an activity
for an external reward, such as money, praise or food (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.198). As TR
specialist we always aim for our clients (participants) to be intrinsically motivated to participate
in activities thats the short term goal and long term goal we want our clients to reap all the
benefits of leisure activities such as Cognitive, Physical and Social benefits as mentioned
previously.
Goal Orientation included four components: (a) needs or motives, (b) behavior or
activity, (c) goals or satisfactions, and (d) feedback. By reaching their goals, people receive
feedback as to whether they are satisfied or whether the still have a need. The sole purpose of
goal orientation is to satisfy ones goals by giving negative or positive feedback after or during
recreation activities (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.199). Leisure Education gives participants the
tools and skills to reach their leisure related goals. Therefor if participants pay attention to TR
specialist and try their best their feedback will always come back positive.
Effectiveness
This study was very effective based of my readings so far. Leisure education has been
used with a variety of people and effects of leisure education appear to be quite varied. While
results missed, there is ample evidence to support use of leisure education for many people with
disabilities to facilitate independent and appropriate leisure expression (Dattilo & Mckenney,
2011, p.208). People with disabilities benefit from leisure education that emphasizes instruction
related to social skill, decision making, accessing leisure information and resources, and motor

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

skills. Through leisure education, people with disabilities develop competencies necessary for
leisure participation, confidence to use community-based resources, and friendships that are the
foundation of social inclusion (Patterson,2007) (Dattilo & Mckenney, 2011, p.208). The study
of leisure education seems to be accurate based of my readings. Although researchers got to
different conclusions, they were mostly similar. The benefits, the goals and the skills were
similar.
Conclusion
Leisure Education is a teaching method used to make people aware of leisure benefits and
importance of leisure. Everyone has the right to participate in leisure. Leisure related skills are
necessary for participation. With these skills individuals with and without disabilities can
overcome boundaries. The most important of the leisure skills is social skills because all
activities require some form of sociability. Leisure Education has many benefits including
physical, mental and social. Leisure Education gives individuals the tools to enjoy a meaningful
life.
Implementation Exercises
Activity 1) Playdough "Pictionary"
Size of Group: 10-12
Equipment: Playdough, note cards with leisure activities written on them.
Objective: To increase leisure awareness
Description: Split the group into two teams. Give each group a clump of Playdough. Show one
person from each group a leisure activity from one of the note card. They then go to their
designated group and form the leisure activity with the Playdough. You may suggest to the
individual using the play dough to "use" the item once they shape the leisure activity idea to help

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

the guessers determine what the activity is. The first team to guess the activity wins a point
(Dixon, n.d.).
Activity 2) Leisure/Recreation Jeopardy
Size: 2-10
Equipment: Paper, noise makers, and maybe prizes
Objective: To gain an understanding of various leisure/ recreation activities.
Description: It is played like the game show jeopardy. Create categories that involve leisure
activities. It is good to have the activities range from arts and crafts to more physical activities.
Create clues (answers). Have "contestants" pick a category and then the first person to know the
answer (or I should say question)rings a bell, honks a horn etc (Dixon, n.d.).

Intervention Presentation on Leisure Education

References
Dixon, C.C. Leisure Education Activities and Ideas. Retrieved
from http://www.recreationtherapy.com/tx/txleised.htm
(2013). Discover Leisure Education. Retrieved
from http://www.nchpad.org/discoverleisure/leisure.html
Ashton, C., & Pesavento, L.C. (2011, April 2). Leisure Education in the Schools: Promoting
Healthy Lifestyles for All Children and Youth.Retrieved
from http://www.shapeamerica.org/advocacy/positionstatements/loader.cfm?
csModule=security/getfile&pageid=5851
Dattilo, J., & McKenney, A. (2011). Facilitation techniques in therapeutic recreation (2nd ed.).
State College, Pennsylvania: Venture Publishing