Recreation

"Fun" redirects here. For other uses, see Fun (disambiguation).

For the 1914 Charlie Chaplin film, see Recreation (film).

Not to be confused with re-creation.

People participating in summer luge as a form of recreation, in the Vosges.

Recreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's body or mind. While leisure is more likely a form of entertainment or sleep, recreation is active for the participant but in a refreshing and diverting manner. As people in the world's wealthier regions lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles, the need for recreation has increased. The rise of so called active vacations exemplifies this.

Recreation as a career

Becoming a recreation specialist often requires a bachelor of arts degree in recreation management. A recreation specialist would be expected to meet the recreational needs of a community or assigned interest group. People with such degrees work in parks and recreation centers in towns, on community projects and activities. Networking with instructors, budgeting, and evaluation of continuing programs are common job duties. Most U.S. states have a professional organization for continuing education and certification in recreation management. The National Recreation and Park Association administers an examination called the CPRP (Certified Park and Recreation Professional) that is considered a national standard for professional recreation specialist practices.

Examples

Attending sporting events, like baseball games in the United States is an example of a recreational activity.

Practicing or appreciating:

• Art
• Computer games
• Cycling
• Dancing
• Drawing
• Eating and drinking
• Going to the beach
• Hobbies
• Humor: jokes, riddles, anecdotes
• Hunting and fishing
• Kite flying
• Music
• Partying
• Martial arts
• Pet ownership
• Reading a book
• Sex
• Sledding
• Shopping
• Singing
• Spending time with friends and loved ones
• Sports and exercise
• Surfing the web
• Travel and tourism
• Using the internet
• Video games
• Visiting an amusement park
• Watching movies
• Watching TV
• Writing
• Yoga
• Painting
• Massaging

In recent years, more extreme forms of recreation have received more attention, such as skiing, snowboarding, bungee jumping, sky diving, hang gliding, paintball, rock climbing, backpacking, canyoning, caving, BASE jumping, adventure tourism and motor sport.

See also

• Work-life balance

External links

• USA: Recreation.gov website
• USA: National Recreation and Park Association website
• USA: Washington State Professional Recreation website
• USA: Department of Fun