At school, I really like playing tag with my friends at recess. I like hanging out with my friends, and just doing nothing much. Children grow and develop through participation in many different activities, from playing with friends, reading and colouring, to sports and extracurricular activities at school. There are many factors surrounding a child, the family and the environment in which they live that have the potential to influence participation in everyday activities. For example, whether a child lives in a big city or in a rural area will have important influence on the types of activities that are available and that they are able to participate in.
Participation can mean many things.
For example, health experts, specifically The World Health Organization, define participation as the nature and extent of a person s involvement in life situations and includes the activities of personal maintenance, mobility, social relationships, education, leisure, spirituality and community life. Participation in activities is the context in which children form friendships, develop skills and competencies, express creativity, achieve mental and physical health, and determine meaning and purpose in life. Some examples of the activities would be music or art lessons organized sports, youth groups, etc. Disabilities and Participation Participation enables children to understand the expectations of society and gain the physical and social skills needed to function and flourish in their homes and communities. Unfortunately, people who are unable to participate frequently face social isolation and lower life satisfaction.