June 24, 2025 • 14 mins
This podcast will support listeners to:
-
Identify recreation and leisure opportunities available at school and in the community.
-
Identify recreation and leisure activities popular with other children their age.
-
Develop a list of recreation and leisure interests to get involved in.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:03):
Welcome to Vision Australia's podcast series, designed to help children
and young people develop the skills they'll need to open
their future.
Natalie (00:14):
Hi team, my name is Natalie and I'm an Occupational
Therapist and thanks for joining me today. So what do
you do to relax? Life and school can be quite
stressful and tiring. We all need activities that help us
chill out and recharge. And this is what this podcast
episode is about. We will look at what types of
(00:35):
activities you could explore, why it's important to join in
recreation and leisure, and how to get started. Maybe you
already participate in some form of recreation and leisure, but
you're interested in looking at what else is available to you.
Or maybe you've tried something when you were younger and
you'd like to go back to it and give it
another go. We'll also hear from some others. They'll tell
(00:57):
us what they do in their spare time, and will
also share some very useful and practical tips. When we
talk about recreation and leisure, what comes to mind if
we talk about activities? Sounds a bit. Well. Active, right?
And some are definitely active, but other activities are more
the kind that you do sitting on the couch. We
(01:18):
asked some other young people what they do to relax
and how they spend their time off. Here is what
they had to say.
Young Person1 (01:26):
So in my free time, I like to relax by
listening to music and sport. On the weekend I'll go
out on the trampoline, I'll get my cricket bat and
my cricket ball, and I'll just practice hitting the ball
and just pretend to commentate or commentate how I feel.
I'll just make things up and commentate until I get bored.
S4 (01:48):
I usually play guitar with my friends, either outside of school,
just in a call, or inside of school in the
class where we usually just mess around with the guitar.
S5 (01:58):
I like to relax a few different ways. My favorite
one is reading. You know I love a good book
and the reading doesn't just have to be visual, it
can be through audiobooks, which is my favorite form, or
it can be through Braille. Reading is great just because
you get immersed in another world or you just get
to learn something new. I also like watching TV and movies. Uh,
(02:19):
like most people, I especially enjoy audio description. Just because
even though I have some vision, I don't always pick
up everything on the screen. So a bit of audio
description helps me understand everything that's happening. And, you know,
even my my dad enjoys it because it means he
can close his eyes and still know what's happening on
the screen.
Natalie (02:40):
Thanks guys. Those sound great. We'll look at the different
types of activities you can do in a moment, but
first I want to find out what benefits you get
from doing these types of activities. Let's hear about some
of the benefits.
S5 (02:54):
I think the benefits of of all these things, you know,
I already said for reading, it's about getting into a
different world or learning something new or improving your literacy,
you know, for TV, it's about you learn something new
and then, uh, I think there's probably a few scientific
things that that prove how relaxing music can be and
(03:16):
and how enjoyable it can be and how calming it
can be for other people.
S4 (03:20):
Learning guitar and like feeling it out. It builds a
bond between us and it. It strengthens our friendship.
Natalie (03:28):
Great. So there are three main benefits you get from
recreation and leisure activities. Firstly, they allow you to rest
and recharge. They can help release tension and to slow
down mentally. Secondly, by participating in recreation and leisure, you
get to meet some new people and make new friends.
And often lifelong friendships are made with people that you
(03:51):
meet now that share similar interests with you. And thirdly,
recreation and leisure activities help you to stay fit and healthy.
And we're not just talking physical fitness here. They also
help you to stay mentally and emotionally Healthy. Both are
equally important. Now, when it comes to recreation and leisure activities,
(04:13):
variety is key. There are different types of activities that
you can think about. First, hobbies. There are so many
to choose from gardening, cooking, collecting, reading, playing board games,
computer and video games, Arts and craft. Some of the
others mentioned the hobbies that they did and why they
(04:34):
loved them. Let's hear a little bit more about why
they love them so much.
S6 (04:37):
One of my hobbies is drumming. I got into it
in year four. Ever since then, um, I've developed now, um,
into a decent drum kit player. And yeah, I just
enjoy the feeling of, um, playing drums and the thrill that, uh,
(04:57):
it gives you.
S5 (04:58):
I also enjoy music. Um, listening to music is really cool.
Just because, you know, you get to chill and it's fun.
Natalie (05:07):
Thanks guys. Another great way to spend your free time
is doing something creative or even performing. Think about making
music or learning an instrument or singing. And what about
dancing or acting? Perhaps you have a funny bone and
you're good at telling jokes. It's never too late to
try something new.
S5 (05:27):
For creativity, I really enjoy, you know, playing some instruments.
So I play the drums and the piano, and I
sing a bit in the school choir, and I also
produce a bit of music, and that's not hard at all.
My iPad comes free with with an app called GarageBand,
which is which is a free piece of software that
(05:48):
you can just use to make music pretty easily.
S6 (05:51):
The reason I love performing is the pure enjoyment I
get out of it. Um, you know, there's people there
listening to you. Um, and you really get to showcase
your skills and, uh, you can, you know, look back
at those performances and see, you know, how much you've improved.
S4 (06:08):
I feel a lot of passion when I start playing
the guitar. It's very hard to explain exactly how I
feel because it's a very different thing for everyone, but
it kind of warms my heart when I'm playing the
songs that I love.
Natalie (06:24):
That all sounds very rewarding. Another type of recreation and
leisure activity is to get physically active to move. You
may know that moving improves your physical health, but did
you know that it also improves your mental and emotional health?
Because when you exercise, your brain releases chemicals like endorphins
(06:44):
and serotonin that improve your mood, your memory, and your
ability to learn. Now, if you think you're often too
tired for physical activity, think again, because moving will increase
your energy and make you sleep better. So what sort
of physical activities could you do? Let's hear what the
others have said.
S4 (07:03):
So I do rollerblading and ice skating as my recreational sport.
I do them because I enjoy having the control over
myself and being able to go to the really fast
speeds that I am able to go to, because I
know that I won't be able to have that control
in something like driving, which I'll never be able to
do due to my vision impairments.
S6 (07:23):
When I was about 14 years old, I was introduced
to a tandem bike. If you don't know what a
tandem bike is, it's pretty much like if you imagine
the bike as a train and each, um, there's two
seats and they, um, sit one behind the other. Uh,
the front seat has control of the steering wheel and
(07:46):
or the handlebars, brakes and gears and the back, um,
just has pedals. Yeah, I've been riding for a fair
few years now.
Young Person1 (07:55):
So the blind cricket bat is about the same as
a normal cricket bat. There's not really any differences to
speak of with a bat. So the ball is different.
The ball instead of a normal cricket ball. This blind
cricket ball is actually made of hard plastic. So it
does hurt when you get here, but it has bells
in it. So when you roll the ball, the ball,
(08:17):
the batter can hear the ball and so can the fielders.
Bowling is a bit different because instead of normal cricket
where you bowl over and you've got to bowl underarm,
so you sort of step into a lunge and then
you bowl underarm. And it has to be straight too.
There's no flicking of the arm, there's no action. You've
just got to run in and bowl really hard and straight.
(08:40):
When I bat, the first thing I have to do
is find leg stump with my my bat, which my
runner can also do for me. And then I'll take
one step to the left so that there's no chance
of me hitting the ball ball onto the stumps. And
then I'll take three big steps forward so that I'm
facing sideways to the bowler. And then when the bowler says, ready,
(09:02):
I will get ready. And then when the bowler says play,
I have to quickly get down on one knee and
putting the bat on the ground so that I'm ready
to hit the ball? And then when the ball is nearby,
I swing as hard as possible.
Natalie (09:17):
Have you ever considered AFL, soccer, goalball, Athletics, cricket, tennis,
table tennis, squash, cycling, horse riding, martial arts, rowing. Swimming. Running. Dancing,
gym workouts, Pilates or yoga? Quite a list, isn't it?
(09:38):
How do you choose the easiest physical activities to get
started on and to stick with? Are the ones that
you actually enjoy and suit your personality? And by now,
you've probably figured out what kinds of activities you enjoy.
Maybe you prefer dancing to jogging, or maybe you're more
of a social person and do better with a team sport.
(09:58):
Here's another thing to consider what do your friends do?
Do they have hobbies or do sports that you think
you might like as well? It can be so much
easier to get started when you buddy up with someone,
and often community centers will run programs and courses, sometimes
in the school holidays. Many physical activities will require only
small adaptations to make them easy for you to participate in,
(10:20):
and others are specifically designed for people with blindness and
low vision. And there might be times when you need
a sports guide, but don't limit yourself to.
S5 (10:31):
The sport I play is called goalball, and it's one
of my you know, it's my favorite sport really, because
it's specifically for visually impaired people. And I think the
benefits of playing a sport like goalball is that you
get to meet other, you know, visually impaired people who
enjoy playing sport. It's, you know, it's got health benefits.
(10:51):
You know, it gives you a goal, like a thing
to aim for.
Natalie (10:55):
Okay. So you now know why it's so important to
do things to help you to relax and recharge, such
as hobbies and craft and creative activities and physical activities.
And you may have some ideas for activities you'd like
to do. But how do you get involved? Let's hear
from the others about how they got started.
S4 (11:14):
What really got me into ice skating. When I started
doing ice skating, it came down to this choice that
my mother gave me one day when she was going
to it, she told me that I could go to
ice skating, or I could stay at home and do
whatever lousy thing I was going to do at home,
like on a computer or a device. And then I
chose to go, and I found out that even though
(11:35):
it was the second time going, there was something massively
different about going that second time, which is why I
then got into doing ice skating.
S5 (11:44):
So getting involved in all of these hobbies and activities,
I guess is, is probably the biggest step people have
to take, because you sort of have to put yourself
out there. Um, the biggest tip I can give is
to go to come and try days because you just,
you know, everyone there is new usually, and they really
(12:05):
explain the rules, but also, you know, speak to your
friends and your and your mates about what they enjoy doing.
And um, because, you know, if you're if you're friends
with them already, then it sort of means that they
will like the same things that you do. I think
social clubs are also a really great way to get
involved because you get to, you know, meet other people
who are like minded. So whether that's joining like a
(12:27):
chess club or, or a drama club or a journalism
club even, it's also a really great way to build friendships.
S6 (12:33):
One of my main tips for actually getting involved in
recreational activities is definitely networking. Um, you know, I started through, um,
one sport because someone came into school and demonstrated it. Uh,
this then led to me meeting more people and they said, well,
you know, there's also this sport out there. How about
you give that a try? And that's what has allowed
(12:55):
me to try so many activities in, you know, my
short 18 years.
Natalie (13:00):
Awesome ideas guys. They shared some great tips. Lots to
think about, but I hope from listening to the others
it's shown you. It's all doable though. So start with
choosing one new hobby or a new activity to get
involved with, and then take that first step to get started.
Perhaps find out if you can try it somewhere for
(13:22):
free and then go for it. And that's it from
me today. I hope you enjoyed hearing some tips and
stories about getting into recreation and leisure activities, and why
you should give it a try. My question for you
is what activity are you going to try out? What
is one small step you can take right now to
(13:42):
get going? Take some time to think about these questions
and write your thoughts down in your notebook, your journal,
or your digital heart. E-portfolio. Thanks everybody for sharing with
us those activities you do and why you do them.
And thank you to you so much for listening. See
you next time.
S7 (14:03):
Vision Australia.
S8 (14:05):
Blindness. Low vision. Opportunity.
Natalie (14:08):
This podcast was written using the research and ideas of
American Printing House for the blind. The Australian Government Department
of Health, independence Australia and Blind Sports Australia.
Welcome to Vision Australia's podcast series, designed to help children
and young people develop the skills they'll need to open
their future.
Natalie (00:14):
Hi team, my name is Natalie and I'm an Occupational
Therapist and thanks for joining me today. So what do
you do to relax? Life and school can be quite
stressful and tiring. We all need activities that help us
chill out and recharge. And this is what this podcast
episode is about. We will look at what types of
(00:35):
activities you could explore, why it's important to join in
recreation and leisure, and how to get started. Maybe you
already participate in some form of recreation and leisure, but
you're interested in looking at what else is available to you.
Or maybe you've tried something when you were younger and
you'd like to go back to it and give it
another go. We'll also hear from some others. They'll tell
(00:57):
us what they do in their spare time, and will
also share some very useful and practical tips. When we
talk about recreation and leisure, what comes to mind if
we talk about activities? Sounds a bit. Well. Active, right?
And some are definitely active, but other activities are more
the kind that you do sitting on the couch. We
(01:18):
asked some other young people what they do to relax
and how they spend their time off. Here is what
they had to say.
Young Person1 (01:26):
So in my free time, I like to relax by
listening to music and sport. On the weekend I'll go
out on the trampoline, I'll get my cricket bat and
my cricket ball, and I'll just practice hitting the ball
and just pretend to commentate or commentate how I feel.
I'll just make things up and commentate until I get bored.
S4 (01:48):
I usually play guitar with my friends, either outside of school,
just in a call, or inside of school in the
class where we usually just mess around with the guitar.
S5 (01:58):
I like to relax a few different ways. My favorite
one is reading. You know I love a good book
and the reading doesn't just have to be visual, it
can be through audiobooks, which is my favorite form, or
it can be through Braille. Reading is great just because
you get immersed in another world or you just get
to learn something new. I also like watching TV and movies. Uh,
(02:19):
like most people, I especially enjoy audio description. Just because
even though I have some vision, I don't always pick
up everything on the screen. So a bit of audio
description helps me understand everything that's happening. And, you know,
even my my dad enjoys it because it means he
can close his eyes and still know what's happening on
the screen.
Natalie (02:40):
Thanks guys. Those sound great. We'll look at the different
types of activities you can do in a moment, but
first I want to find out what benefits you get
from doing these types of activities. Let's hear about some
of the benefits.
S5 (02:54):
I think the benefits of of all these things, you know,
I already said for reading, it's about getting into a
different world or learning something new or improving your literacy,
you know, for TV, it's about you learn something new
and then, uh, I think there's probably a few scientific
things that that prove how relaxing music can be and
(03:16):
and how enjoyable it can be and how calming it
can be for other people.
S4 (03:20):
Learning guitar and like feeling it out. It builds a
bond between us and it. It strengthens our friendship.
Natalie (03:28):
Great. So there are three main benefits you get from
recreation and leisure activities. Firstly, they allow you to rest
and recharge. They can help release tension and to slow
down mentally. Secondly, by participating in recreation and leisure, you
get to meet some new people and make new friends.
And often lifelong friendships are made with people that you
(03:51):
meet now that share similar interests with you. And thirdly,
recreation and leisure activities help you to stay fit and healthy.
And we're not just talking physical fitness here. They also
help you to stay mentally and emotionally Healthy. Both are
equally important. Now, when it comes to recreation and leisure activities,
(04:13):
variety is key. There are different types of activities that
you can think about. First, hobbies. There are so many
to choose from gardening, cooking, collecting, reading, playing board games,
computer and video games, Arts and craft. Some of the
others mentioned the hobbies that they did and why they
(04:34):
loved them. Let's hear a little bit more about why
they love them so much.
S6 (04:37):
One of my hobbies is drumming. I got into it
in year four. Ever since then, um, I've developed now, um,
into a decent drum kit player. And yeah, I just
enjoy the feeling of, um, playing drums and the thrill that, uh,
(04:57):
it gives you.
S5 (04:58):
I also enjoy music. Um, listening to music is really cool.
Just because, you know, you get to chill and it's fun.
Natalie (05:07):
Thanks guys. Another great way to spend your free time
is doing something creative or even performing. Think about making
music or learning an instrument or singing. And what about
dancing or acting? Perhaps you have a funny bone and
you're good at telling jokes. It's never too late to
try something new.
S5 (05:27):
For creativity, I really enjoy, you know, playing some instruments.
So I play the drums and the piano, and I
sing a bit in the school choir, and I also
produce a bit of music, and that's not hard at all.
My iPad comes free with with an app called GarageBand,
which is which is a free piece of software that
(05:48):
you can just use to make music pretty easily.
S6 (05:51):
The reason I love performing is the pure enjoyment I
get out of it. Um, you know, there's people there
listening to you. Um, and you really get to showcase
your skills and, uh, you can, you know, look back
at those performances and see, you know, how much you've improved.
S4 (06:08):
I feel a lot of passion when I start playing
the guitar. It's very hard to explain exactly how I
feel because it's a very different thing for everyone, but
it kind of warms my heart when I'm playing the
songs that I love.
Natalie (06:24):
That all sounds very rewarding. Another type of recreation and
leisure activity is to get physically active to move. You
may know that moving improves your physical health, but did
you know that it also improves your mental and emotional health?
Because when you exercise, your brain releases chemicals like endorphins
(06:44):
and serotonin that improve your mood, your memory, and your
ability to learn. Now, if you think you're often too
tired for physical activity, think again, because moving will increase
your energy and make you sleep better. So what sort
of physical activities could you do? Let's hear what the
others have said.
S4 (07:03):
So I do rollerblading and ice skating as my recreational sport.
I do them because I enjoy having the control over
myself and being able to go to the really fast
speeds that I am able to go to, because I
know that I won't be able to have that control
in something like driving, which I'll never be able to
do due to my vision impairments.
S6 (07:23):
When I was about 14 years old, I was introduced
to a tandem bike. If you don't know what a
tandem bike is, it's pretty much like if you imagine
the bike as a train and each, um, there's two
seats and they, um, sit one behind the other. Uh,
the front seat has control of the steering wheel and
(07:46):
or the handlebars, brakes and gears and the back, um,
just has pedals. Yeah, I've been riding for a fair
few years now.
Young Person1 (07:55):
So the blind cricket bat is about the same as
a normal cricket bat. There's not really any differences to
speak of with a bat. So the ball is different.
The ball instead of a normal cricket ball. This blind
cricket ball is actually made of hard plastic. So it
does hurt when you get here, but it has bells
in it. So when you roll the ball, the ball,
(08:17):
the batter can hear the ball and so can the fielders.
Bowling is a bit different because instead of normal cricket
where you bowl over and you've got to bowl underarm,
so you sort of step into a lunge and then
you bowl underarm. And it has to be straight too.
There's no flicking of the arm, there's no action. You've
just got to run in and bowl really hard and straight.
(08:40):
When I bat, the first thing I have to do
is find leg stump with my my bat, which my
runner can also do for me. And then I'll take
one step to the left so that there's no chance
of me hitting the ball ball onto the stumps. And
then I'll take three big steps forward so that I'm
facing sideways to the bowler. And then when the bowler says, ready,
(09:02):
I will get ready. And then when the bowler says play,
I have to quickly get down on one knee and
putting the bat on the ground so that I'm ready
to hit the ball? And then when the ball is nearby,
I swing as hard as possible.
Natalie (09:17):
Have you ever considered AFL, soccer, goalball, Athletics, cricket, tennis,
table tennis, squash, cycling, horse riding, martial arts, rowing. Swimming. Running. Dancing,
gym workouts, Pilates or yoga? Quite a list, isn't it?
(09:38):
How do you choose the easiest physical activities to get
started on and to stick with? Are the ones that
you actually enjoy and suit your personality? And by now,
you've probably figured out what kinds of activities you enjoy.
Maybe you prefer dancing to jogging, or maybe you're more
of a social person and do better with a team sport.
(09:58):
Here's another thing to consider what do your friends do?
Do they have hobbies or do sports that you think
you might like as well? It can be so much
easier to get started when you buddy up with someone,
and often community centers will run programs and courses, sometimes
in the school holidays. Many physical activities will require only
small adaptations to make them easy for you to participate in,
(10:20):
and others are specifically designed for people with blindness and
low vision. And there might be times when you need
a sports guide, but don't limit yourself to.
S5 (10:31):
The sport I play is called goalball, and it's one
of my you know, it's my favorite sport really, because
it's specifically for visually impaired people. And I think the
benefits of playing a sport like goalball is that you
get to meet other, you know, visually impaired people who
enjoy playing sport. It's, you know, it's got health benefits.
(10:51):
You know, it gives you a goal, like a thing
to aim for.
Natalie (10:55):
Okay. So you now know why it's so important to
do things to help you to relax and recharge, such
as hobbies and craft and creative activities and physical activities.
And you may have some ideas for activities you'd like
to do. But how do you get involved? Let's hear
from the others about how they got started.
S4 (11:14):
What really got me into ice skating. When I started
doing ice skating, it came down to this choice that
my mother gave me one day when she was going
to it, she told me that I could go to
ice skating, or I could stay at home and do
whatever lousy thing I was going to do at home,
like on a computer or a device. And then I
chose to go, and I found out that even though
(11:35):
it was the second time going, there was something massively
different about going that second time, which is why I
then got into doing ice skating.
S5 (11:44):
So getting involved in all of these hobbies and activities,
I guess is, is probably the biggest step people have
to take, because you sort of have to put yourself
out there. Um, the biggest tip I can give is
to go to come and try days because you just,
you know, everyone there is new usually, and they really
(12:05):
explain the rules, but also, you know, speak to your
friends and your and your mates about what they enjoy doing.
And um, because, you know, if you're if you're friends
with them already, then it sort of means that they
will like the same things that you do. I think
social clubs are also a really great way to get
involved because you get to, you know, meet other people
who are like minded. So whether that's joining like a
(12:27):
chess club or, or a drama club or a journalism
club even, it's also a really great way to build friendships.
S6 (12:33):
One of my main tips for actually getting involved in
recreational activities is definitely networking. Um, you know, I started through, um,
one sport because someone came into school and demonstrated it. Uh,
this then led to me meeting more people and they said, well,
you know, there's also this sport out there. How about
you give that a try? And that's what has allowed
(12:55):
me to try so many activities in, you know, my
short 18 years.
Natalie (13:00):
Awesome ideas guys. They shared some great tips. Lots to
think about, but I hope from listening to the others
it's shown you. It's all doable though. So start with
choosing one new hobby or a new activity to get
involved with, and then take that first step to get started.
Perhaps find out if you can try it somewhere for
(13:22):
free and then go for it. And that's it from
me today. I hope you enjoyed hearing some tips and
stories about getting into recreation and leisure activities, and why
you should give it a try. My question for you
is what activity are you going to try out? What
is one small step you can take right now to
(13:42):
get going? Take some time to think about these questions
and write your thoughts down in your notebook, your journal,
or your digital heart. E-portfolio. Thanks everybody for sharing with
us those activities you do and why you do them.
And thank you to you so much for listening. See
you next time.
S7 (14:03):
Vision Australia.
S8 (14:05):
Blindness. Low vision. Opportunity.
Natalie (14:08):
This podcast was written using the research and ideas of
American Printing House for the blind. The Australian Government Department
of Health, independence Australia and Blind Sports Australia.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.