Opportunities for participation

Definition: an activity that is undertaken purely for enjoyment or amusement and has not other objective.

Characteristics: fun, spontaneous, requires little planning or organistation, for intrinsic value, no strict structure

Objectives: allows children to test boundaries, allows children to experience risk whilst keeping safe from harm, develops childrens respect for one another, teamwork, offers social interaction, develops independance and self-esteem

Benefits to individuals: promotes confidence in sport, improves physical, cognitive and social skills

Benefits to society: brings people together, keeps children off streets, teaches them how to react in different situations

Definition: time during which you have no obligations to work or family,  and are free to engage in self-directed and chosen activities.

Characteristics: engaged during free time, used for ease and relaxation, done for enjoyment

Objectives: provides relief from stress, promotes physical and mental well-being, aquirement of new skills, integrates society, recreates energies for work

Definition: engaged in activities that refresh, relax or enable the recreation of oneself after the rigours of work or day-to-day life.

Characteristics: to refresh the mind and body, being creative, recuperating from a stressful work life

Objectives: activity for an individual or group, in-between play and sport, relax and unwind, socialise and meet new people

Benefits to society: less strain on NHS, social control and crime reduction

Definition: being phyically active in leisure time. Physical exertion during free time.

Characteristics: done in spare time, release from stress of everyday life, physically exerting

Objectives: improve health and fitness of public

Benefits to individuals: brings community together, meet people with the same interests, improves health

Benefits to society: brings community together, source of income, less strain on NHS

Definition: recreation that takes place and uses the natural environment. Adventure activities involve a degree and challenge and risk.

Characteristics: takes place in the natural environement, include an element of challenge and risk

Objectives: learn about natural environment, extending experiences beyond everyday life, escaping everyday life, experience fear and excitment, develop self- reliance, develop teamwork, accepting trust of others

Definition: an institutionalised, competitive activity that involves vigorous physical exertion or the use of relatively complex physical skills by individuals whose participation is motivated by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

Charcateristics: competitive, skilful, administered, highly structured, serious, tactical and strategic, extrinsic

Objectives: develop health and fitness, develop skills, achieve success, build self-esteem, learn to accept rules and decisions of others, release of tension and stress, fulfilling individual potential and talent

Benefits to individuals: keeps you fit, improves skills, allows socialising,

Benefits to society: prevention of anti-social behaviour, reducing social unrest, improvement in international relationships, improvement in social morale

Definition: a formalised body of knowledge and experience taught within educational establishments

Characteristics: compulsory, physically exerting, concerned with learning fundamental physical/motor skills, involves learning rules, tactics and etiquette, enables understanding of health-related fitness issues

Objectives: increase participation of sport outside school, improve knowledge of sports for children, reduce obesity in children, improve socialisation in school

Benefits to individuals: increases fitness, teaches you about sport and keeping fit, gives children a break from lessons, increases confidence, improves social skills

Benefits to society: decreases obesity, increases participation, more sports clubs opened, creates employment