INDOOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. Chess

Chess is a strategy board game played by two people, each with sixteen pieces that are moved
across the checkerboard and used to capture opposing pieces according to precise rules with the
objective of bringing the opponent’s king into checkmate. It is a recreational activity that can be
easily learned and enjoyed by people of all ages, with many cognitive benefits such as enhancing
mental development, improving memory, and nurturing creativity.

2. Table Tennis

Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is an indoor variation of tennis in which two or four players
hit a lightweight ball back and forth across a table divided by net using small rackets. While table
tennis is a complex physical sport, it is definitely good for the body, mind and soul, as it provides
many physical as well as mental health benefits.

3. Bowling

Bowling, also called tenpins, is a game in which a heavy ball is rolled down a long, narrow lane
toward a group of objects known as pins, the aim being to knock down more pins than an opponent.
For the recreational bowler, the game provides endless social and competitive opportunities, as well
as many health benefits such as promoting muscle growth, weight loss, and muscle toning and
strengthening.

4. Scrabble

Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual
lettered tiles on a gameboard marked with a 15-by-15 grid, with the words spelled out by the tiles
interlocking like words in a crossword puzzle. The objective is to have the highest number of points
at the end of the game when the extra letters run out, and one person doesn’t have any more letters
in their hand.

5. Dominoes

Dominoes is a game played using small rectangular blocks, called dominoes, each with a line
dividing its face into two square ends where it is marked with a number of spots or is blank. This is
played usually by matching the ends of pieces and laying the dominoes down in lines and angular
patterns.

OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. Camping

Camping is as an outdoor recreational activity that entails spending time outdoors overnight in a
temporary makeshift shelter or tents, usually at serene, underdeveloped and natural locations.
Camping is arguably one of the best act of recreation that brings human beings closer to nature
while simultaneously establishing a deeper connection with their companions, such as their family,
friends, and special ones.
2. Golf

Golf is a game played on a large open-air course, in which a small hard ball is struck with a club into
a series of small holes in the ground, with an objective of using the fewest possible strokes to
complete the course. The golf course has different terrains and players have to play the ball across
the different landscapes to get to a hole.

3. Swimming

Swimming is one of the most common recreational activities for all ages which involves self-
propulsion through water using coordinated movements of the limbs and body. Swimming is also
proven to be one of the most beneficial recreational activities, providing many physical and mental
health benefits such as serving as a full body workout, providing cardiovascular fitness, lowering
stress, depression, and risk of diseases, and providing good low-impact therapy.

4. Canoeing

Canoeing is an outdoor recreational activity which involves paddling (the act of propelling a canoe
forward using a paddle) a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. A few of its recreational forms involves
canoe camping, canoe racing as well as a wide range of canoeing on lakes, rivers, oceans, ponds
and streams.

5. Hiking

Hiking is also one of the most common recreational activities which means taking a long, vigorous
walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Hiking is also considered to be very good for
health as it can help improve cardio-respiratory fitness, enhance muscular fitness, and minimize the
risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

IMPORTANCE OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Recreational activities, whether it be outdoors or indoors, can ultimately enhance our quality of living
as they provide numerous physical and mental health benefits. For instance, recreational activities
that require a lot of physical movement can contribute to the enhancement of one’s physical aspect
such as maintaining/regulating body weight, lowering blood and cholesterol levels, increasing
muscular strength, flexibility, body composition and cardiovascular endurance, and sometimes even
serving as a form of therapy for some injuries and other conditions. Recreational activities also
largely contribute to our mental health as they provide an area for relaxation and help in managing
stress as well as building self-esteem, which can directly reduce anxiety and depression. Moreover,
those activities that require our critical thinking, such as chess and other boardgames, can help
improve our cognitive skills and development, nurture our creativity and improve our decision-
making, problem-solving, and analytical skills, thus stimulating our intellect. Lastly, recreational
activities also serve as a way for us to develop our social skills through building stronger
relationships with other people, creating memories and even meeting new friends.