Introduction
Photo Credits
L-R top: Photo by Neora Aylon, Unsplash License, Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel, Unsplash License, Photo by Marcelo Uva, Unsplash License, Photo by Yassine Khalfalli, Unsplash License, Photo by Jeffrey F Lin, Unsplash License, Photo by Gerhard Crous, Unsplash License; L-R bottom: Photo by Unsplash+ in collaboration with Getty Images, Unsplash+ License, Photo by Haniel Espinal, Unsplash License, Photo by Fabian Kühne, Unsplash License, Photo by Caught in Joy, Unsplash License, Photo by Anderson Schmig, Unsplash License, Photo by Dylan Gillis, Unsplash License
“Recreation programming is designing, staging, and delivering leisure opportunities by intervening in social interactions; by manipulating and creating environments in a manner that maximizes the probability that those who enter them will have the leisure experience they seek” (Rossman & Schlatter, 2015, p. 6).
Recreation programming happens everywhere in Canada and is considered an essential skill in the field of Parks, Recreation and Leisure Services. No matter where you go, you will find parks, recreation, leisure and tourism professionals creating and facilitating dynamic, client-centered, engaging programs for all ages – from the very young to the very old. Recreation programming can be found in municipally-run Community Recreation Centres, Long Term Care homes, at children’s summer camps, in nonprofit organizations, retirement homes, libraries, eco-tourism outfits, healthcare settings, wilderness therapeutic programs…and beyond.
The venues and programs vary widely, from indoor-adventure facilities offering structured trampoline and high ropes experiences to outdoor guided sea-kayaking adventures on the open ocean; from seated chair yoga in a multi-purpose room to exploring the unstructured delights of a Snoezelen room in a therapeutic recreation facility, recreation programming is everywhere!
The purpose of this OER is to provide Recreation & Leisure Services students an introduction to the art of recreation-based program planning. By following 12 detailed ‘STEPS’, students will learn how to bring a recreation-based program or event to life and how to take a program from the dreaming “idea” stage to reality.
This textbook contains introductory-level information, principles and fundamentals of recreation program planning to equip the novice program planner with the tools necessary to dream up, design, deliver and evaluate quality recreation programs that will benefit the participants and allow all involved to “re-create” and improve participants’ leisure experiences,
Program-planning skills develop over time. The more you do it, the better you get at it. It all starts with learning how to use a step-by-step process to design, organize, administer and evaluate quality, meaningful recreation and leisure activities. Let’s go!
