 CHILDREN  The developmental stages of childhood are: Infancy Early Childhood Preschoolers Middle Childhood

Infancy – birth to 18 months  through play, infants explore their bodies, and learn to manipulate objects in their environment.  Play can be a means of self expression and can also be an indicator of emotional and social adjustment.  In general, children of this age develop a unique personality and are very egocentric.  Children should be building self confidence and self esteem; this can be done through play.

Early childhood – toddlers 18 months to 3 years of age  Children grow faster during this stage than any other time of their life.  They become more mobile, verbal and independent.  This is the sensory-motor stage during which they learn to deal with objects, time and space on a concrete basis.

Preschoolers – 3 to 5 years of age  they enjoy greater mobility and increasing mental powers.  They develop an awareness of gender differences and of relationships with others.  Play continues to occupy most of the preschoolers waking hours however, it is still not highly structured.  They learn more about their physical abilities and enhance their problem solving skills.  They enjoy handling objects, eye hand coordination exercise, creative opportunities and sensory experiences.

Middle childhood – 5 to 12 years of age  This stage is marked by slower growth and allows children to engage in activities without the energy draining changes that result from rapid physical growth.  Physical differences between the sexes are minimal during this stage.  They continue to master more complex motor skills and to improve fine motor skills.  Cooperative play develops into competitive play through small group activity.

 In all development stages of children, you will find that children use play to develop and improve their physical skills and to gain peer acceptance.

Playground safety should be at the forefront for children, parents, recreation professionals and government bodies at all times. All antiquated and hazardous need to be taken down, unfortunately, there are lots of playgrounds that are still in operation that are outdated and dangerous. Liability becomes a huge issue for providers. Employees need to know: basic physical and cognitive skills of children at various stages of development, potential playground dangers, Continued on next slide

A set of rules that can help prevent accidents, and an established crisis management procedure. In the past few years, increases in both lawsuits and insurance rates have caused many municipalities to shut down playgrounds altogether or to be extremely cautious in playground design.

Organized sports programs have both benefits and drawbacks for children. Among the benefits are the opportunity to achieve physical fitness and master complex skills, to learn teamwork and discipline, and to enhance self-esteem and self confidence. Drawbacks include overtraining, inappropriate emphasis on winning, high risks of injury and intense pressure from coaches and adults.

 Not getting to play  Negative reinforcement  Mismatching of body weights and heights  Psychological stress  Failure  Over organization.

Adolescence is a developmental transition from childhood to adulthood that begins at the onset of puberty between 10 and 12 years of age and ends at 19 or 20 years of age.  This is a period of major physical and psychological transitions that strongly influence the recreational preferences of this age group. Continued on next slide

Adolescents also face the challenges of:  Achieving emotional maturity  Acquiring an identity  Becoming independent  Developing a set of values  Forming adult intimate relationships

Younger adolescents are between 12 and 16 years of age.  With the onset of puberty, the period of life at which the ability to reproduce begins, there comes a rapid growth spurt and various physical and hormonal changes occur.  The reproductive structures mature, the sex organs enlarge and secondary sex characteristics emerge. Continued on next slide

Secondary sex characteristics are physical characteristics that appear in only one sex and are not directly related to reproduction; examples are breasts in females and thickened vocal cords in males.

Older adolescents are between the ages of 17 and 20.  In American society, this age group is making their transition into adulthood  During this phase, people usually develop an enhanced sense of self esteem and become more emotionally stable.  They take on more adult roles and responsibility and in turn are granted more privileges.

Appropriately designed school and community recreation programs offer teens the opportunity to relax, socialize and play games and sports in a supportive, positive environment. Such programs are particularly important for youth at risk and for economically disadvantaged and minority youth because they provide positive alternatives to illegal and dangerous activities, including drug use and gang membership.

Recreation for adolescents is available in a variety of forms:  Adventure programs  Sports  Music  Travel.

Adventure: Allows teens to take on challenges, test their courage and skills, develop leadership and problem solving abilities, build self- confidence, self reliance and self-esteem. This can be done on ropes and obstacle courses. Sports: YMCA, boys and girls club, little league sports. There are some programs that have provisions for low income kids.

Music: Music plays a key role of their search for identity and independence. It also serves as a source of information about sexuality, politics and racial issues. Travel: offers teens opportunities to broaden their experience, increase knowledge and enhance their understanding of different ways of life. Cost has been a barrier, but there are options such as camping, national trails, and federal lands.

Increase in the number of mentoring programs. Assist in learning how to communicate, negotiate, and trust adults who are not part of their immediate family Including youth in the planning process and sought feedback through focus groups, or participation on a teen advisory board. Building of programs with a context of identity formation and development.

 Over scheduling  Decreased creativity and spontaneity due to video games and computers  No balance between the need for structured services and the need for young people to learn how to play on their own, with one another and without high tech devices

 Young adulthood is the period between 20 and 40 years of age, it is a period of settling down as opposed to growing up and is characterized by striving in the areas of career, marriage and family.

 Middle adulthood is the period between 40 and 60 years of age and is a time for recognizing and accepting the end of youth, for easing up in the struggle for achievement and for learning techniques for healthy aging. The body starts to show signs of aging.

 Older adulthood: begins at 60 years of age and is a time for retirement planning, relaxing, reflection on achievements and developing new interests and pursuits. Many seniors benefit from attending programs in leisure education and preretirement planning. Personality type is a strong influence on seniors’ attitudes toward recreation and leisure.

 Life expectancy in the U.S. today averages about 75 years compared with 50 years at the beginning of this century. It could extend into the mid 90’s by the middle of the 21 st century.

 heart muscle becomes less efficient  blood vessels lose some of their elasticity  bones tend to shrink in size and density  Memory tends to becomes less efficient  Skin appears thinner and more translucent  Reduction in the total amount of muscle in the body.

 Transportation  Money  Lack of previous involvement  Lack of companionship  Scheduling conflicts

 Given the variety of lifestyles in American society today, the need is increasing to develop programs of leisure and recreation that respond to the interests of these different groups.  Many community Recreation Departments have started providing services for older adults  Communities may employ a “Senior Specialist”

 Many jobs exist in:  Long term care facilities  Retirement villages  Travel and tourism support  Rehabilitation programs  Adult day care

 Recreation programs should be based on the behaviors and constraints of the potential participants.  Example: If people are economically disadvantaged or older adults that can’t come to a recreation site, then recreation professionals should reach out to them.