Recreation, Leisure and Dance Activities – JSS3 Physical & Health Education Lesson Note (First Term)

Recreation is any activity a person takes part in during leisure hours, alone or with others, to develop physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Leisure is the free time after the day’s work. Recreation can be indoor or outdoor, and dance is one way of spending leisure time through expressive body movement to rhythm or music.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define recreation and leisure;
2. distinguish between indoor and outdoor recreation and give examples of each;
3. explain dance, rest, sleep and relaxation as ways of spending leisure time;
4. state the benefits of recreation, leisure and dance;
5. state the characteristics of recreation, leisure and dance.

What is recreation?

Recreation is the activities which a person takes part in during leisure hours, either individually or collectively, and through which one may develop better physically, mentally, emotionally and socially.

What is the scope of recreation?

1. Indoor recreation: activities performed inside the house, in a hall, or generally under a roof. Examples are playing music, watching television, playing ludo, draughts, or snake and ladder, and reading or writing.
2. Outdoor recreation: activities performed outside or in an open place such as parks and sports fields. Examples are swimming, gardening and jogging.

What is leisure?

Leisure is the free time after the day’s work. Recreational activities take place during leisure time in the form of games, dancing, singing and so on.

What are the ways of spending leisure time?

Ways of spending leisure time include dance, rest, sleep and relaxation.

Dance

Dance is an expressive movement of turning, twisting and rolling of the body (or a part of it) to conform to the rhythm of a sound, beat or music. It involves body movement meant to achieve physical fitness through the five fundamental movements of walking, running, jumping, leaping and hopping. There are different dance steps for different beats, songs and sounds.

Rest

Rest is a state of inactivity that occurs when an individual is in a comfortable place and is not using any part of the body to do any work.

Sleep

Sleep is a complete resting state in which the eyes are closed.

Relaxation

Relaxation is the state of being free from stress and anxiety.

What are the benefits of recreation, leisure and dance?

1. They refresh both body and mind.
2. They create room for fun and enjoyment.
3. They carry over the values of skills learned in physical education classes.
4. They promote mental alertness, and social and emotional stability.
5. They help to correct bad posture.
6. They prevent crime among young people.

What are the characteristics of recreation, leisure and dance?

1. It must be voluntary.
2. It must be enjoyable for the participants.
3. It does not require a great deal of skill.
4. It may or may not be competitive.
5. It must be beneficial and socially approved.

Evaluation

1. What is dance?
2. What is outdoor recreation? Give examples of outdoor recreation activities.

Assignment

1. List the ways of spending leisure time and explain two of them.