Recreation

Recreation or fun is the use 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 rest, recreation is active for the participant but in a refreshing and diverting manner. As people in the world's wealthier regions lead increasingly sedentary life styles, the need for recreation has increased. The rise of so called active vacations exemplifies this. Recreation, play, and fun are not the preserve of humans. Play is essential for the development of skills, the most basic of which are motor skills in young creatures. The choice of hours for recreation is, for employees, restricted by the requirements of, and agreements with, the employer (working time), and for students by school hours. For people with their own business it is also restricted by the requirements of the work, such as the opening hours of the business based on wishes of customers, laws, and customs. The weekend is usually a time for recreation, perhaps because in Judeo-Christian and Muslim cultures the weekend Sabbath is "the day of rest". Holidays are also a common time for recreation, though recreation may take place at virtually any time. Recreation commonly occurs during an individual's discretionary, or free, time. Traditionally Olympics, music and dance serve as recreation in many cultures, as do sports, hobbies, games and tourism. On the other hand, watching TV, playing video games, and listening to music are common forms of leisure