Human Development Characteristics of Life

Developmental Characteristics of Younger Children (Ages 6-8)

Characteristics

• Beginning to become competitive
• Relatively short attention span; frustrates easily
• Involved in magical world of play
• Desires to impress peers
• Social rules are important
• Play and learning are an integrated process
• Motor development proceeds downward from head and outward from center of the body; hand and eye coordination are developing.
• Shows pride and affection for parents
• Social skills developing; developing sense of humor; more thoughtful of others

Program Implications for Leisure Service Organizations

• Specific programs to help children experience varied activities that encourage peer interaction and motor development. Leisure activities for this group tend to be found in the public and private nonprofit sectors.
• Play is particularly important for this age group. Play offers intrinsically rewarding experiences which help children gain competence in both problem solving and creativity. Play is an important means of learning and socialization.
• Programs should emphasize gross motor activities including throwing, climbing and rolling, as well as provide high-energy activities alternated with periodic quiet activities. In the later stages of this age span programs should introduce cooperative activities, such as new games.
• Programs tend to be more leader-directed. Staff need to be aware that they are role models for children and they need to provide consistency and emphasize fairness.

Activities

• Sports and Games: Chasing games, singing games, individual games of skill (e.g. jacks), stunts, bike riding and scavenger hunts. Some organized sports are introduced (e.g. baseball). Active hobbies (e.g. hiking, climbing) are often encouraged by parents.
• Social: Individuals are likely to interact with same-sex friends. Cliques are likely to form (e.g. treehouse club). Classes (e.g. karate, swimming, dancing), school, day camps-all foster socialization.
• Miscellaneous: Reading, board games, video games.

Developmental Characteristics of Older Children (Ages 9-12)

Characteristics

• Girls are approximately one year older than boys
• Fitness improves as individuals gain more stamina; realization of personal limits (through peer comparison) occurs
• New interests develop; competitiveness lessens
• Selective memory engaged
• Creative imagination along with the development of abstract logical thinking exists
• Pride in traditions
• Responses to various situations are more in control, less impulsive
• Good sense of humor
• Role models are extremely important; children are easily influenced
• Closeness of peers, focus on Abest@ friends; some arguments; can conceal hurt feelings
• Importance of peers increases dramatically
• Onset of adolescence: often more self-conscious about their bodies at this stage

Program Implications for Leisure Service Organizations

• Individuals are beginning to establish themselves outside the family unit. Individuals are also beginning to be interested in members of the opposite sex. Leisure organizations should give participants opportunities to develop specific skills and to socialize with peers. Leisure continues to take place mainly in the public and private nonprofit sectors; Individuals begin to explore more school opportunities and commercial alternatives (e.g. movies).
• Programs should offer opportunities for gradual acceptance of additional responsibility.

Activities

Sports and Games: Team games, hobbies (camping with parents, organizations), physical sports, initiatives, spectator sports).

Social: Clubs, social activities (dances) hanging out at the mall with friends. music becoming more important.

Miscellaneous: Movies, video games, reading.

Developmental Characteristics of Adolescence (Ages 13-21)

Characteristics

• Period of transition between childhood and adulthood
• Struggle over the lack of clearly defined roles in society
• Search for personal identity and independence from parents
• Period of increasing freedom and access to resources
• This stage (Adolescents) tend to be idealistic and egocentric
• Great confusion of values
• Affiliation and acceptance by peer group is of major importance
• Body experiences a number of internal biological changes as it begins to reach physical maturation
• Psychological reaction to badly changes creates dissonance
• Interest in potential intimate relationships intensifies
• Have more time for leisure

Program Implications for Leisure Service Organizations

• Programs should provide opportunities for social interaction, developmental and achievement as leisure experiences can provide the opportunity to establish relationships and desired independence. The majority of leisure opportunities take place in schools and the commercial sector. Some sports leagues are offered by the public or nonprofit organizations.
• Programs should help adolescents develop concepts of adequacy, self-respect and self-confidence. Adolescents need a sense of who they are as they move from childhood to adulthood.
• Leisure service providers need to recognize that adolescents should active and will be interested in trying out a wide range of activities; therefore, programs should offer variety and be sensitive to ongoing teenage fads. Areas for adolescents to safely Ahang out@ allows them to experiment with various roles and behaviors.
• Adolescent leisure provides a margin of freedom within institutionalized constraints.
• Programs can create opportunities for Arites of passage@ into adulthood.

Activities

Sports: Organized sports are very important. Great emphasis should be placed on helping adolescents develop lifelong sport interests. Outdoor and adventure activities offer many adolescents opportunities for Arites of passage.@

Social: Music becomes important, dancing, places to Ahang out@ with friends, movies.

Miscellaneous: Opportunities to help others, videos.

Developmental Characteristics of Early Adulthood (Ages 21-30)

• Establish autonomy from parents while seeking and maintain some type of connection
• Builds life structure (marriage, family, friendships)
• Completes forming, concern for occupation increases, emphasis on success in career
• Develops an identification with social institutions
• Develops the ability to be intimate and to make commitments
• Structures a dream of the future

Program Implications for Leisure Service Organizations

• Early in this stage recreation is commercial and school based. As People establish families and settle down, however, recreation tends to be home based. Especially when children are young and money is tight. Public recreation agencies can become important as families are established. Leisure activities with new couples and young families can encourage interactions and development of shared commitments to a new life together.
• This stage can be a time of new experiences; organizations should attempt to offer variety and opportunities to try new things.
• Opportunities for socio-sexual contact and activities are still important as are activities which have a strong physical component.

^Activities

^{Sports: Outdoor pursuits (rock climbing, water skiing, backpacking), team sports (softball, basketball, volleyball) still important, starting to make the transition to lifelong sports such as tennis and golf. Spectator sports are also enjoyed.}

^{Social: Movies, concerts, music, dancing, dating and courting, and bars.}

^{Miscellaneous: Shopping, television and videos.}

Developmental Characteristics of Middle Adulthood (Ages 31-50)

• Settling down, established in career and family
• Self-refection of goals and decisions, can be period of skepticism and self-questioning
• Adjustments to aging parents; often involves some types of care for parents
• Career development becomes a predominate concern as individuals seek to fulfill their earlier dreams
• Physical maturity peeks in the early thirties and then begins to decline
• Deadline decade-the halfway point of one=s life brings with it the realization of one=s mortality; that there is limited amount of time left to find fulfillment in life which can lead to mid-life crisis
• Divorcee and career changes can happen frequently as people search for fulfillment.
• As cultural bearers, norms and values of culture are passed to maturing children
• Involvement in civic and community organizations increases

Program Implications for Leisure Service Organizations

• Leisure pursuits are among the significant means of achieving family growth as well as individual emotional health,. Leisure is found primarily in the commercial sector with some involvement in public and private, nonprofit sectors (especially with children). The most frequent leisure activities are home and family centered. Physical activities are need as the body starts to decline.
• Physical activities can improve a person=s general well being as well as improve work performance.
• Leisure service organizations should not be bound by stereotypes of what this group of people want to do in their free time. A variety of experiences need to be offered in innovative ways (e.g. time schedules, settings, bundling of services) to meet the needs of individuals and family units during this stage of life.
• Activities begun in the early thirties determine the quality of subsequent life. Attention should be paid to making an orderly transition into lifetime sports and other activities that can be enjoyed throughout the rest of one=s life.
• Emphasis should be placed on self-directed rather than leader-directed activities.

Activities

Sports: Golf, Tennis, Swimming, bicycling, volleyball, bowling and exercising. Involvement in team sports continues to diminish. Spectator sports, car camping, hunting and fishing become prevalent.

Social: Social interactions become more prevalent and socializing become more important than sexualizing. Traveling becomes feasible again. Trips and tours can be important leisure outlets.

Miscellaneous: Gardening, hobbies, crafts, driving.

Developmental Characteristics of Late Adulthood (Ages 51-65)

• AEmpty nest syndrome@ encourages to re-connect with each other; adjusting to being grandparents
• Fulfillment or failure of life goals
• Search for meaning in past living and current life
• Concern with unmet needs of self
• Start of physical deterioration; bodies take longer to recover from exhaustion and shoe lack of endurance
• Transition from job to retirement: anxiety over loss of work role. Increase in concern over issues such as social security, health care and leisure activities during retirement
• Shift from body to intellect
• Assume role of mentor
• Involvement continues to increase in professional organizations, civic and social clubs as well as religious organizations

Program Implications for Leisure Serves Organizations

• Leisure serves three basic functions during this time: acceptance, dispel personal despair and give structure to increasing free time. Majority of leisure takes place in the commercial sector during this time period.
• In some instances, this group has an increase in free time as children leave the home. Leisure programs and activities can encourage individuals in this age group to volunteer and share their experience in a variety of ways.
• Programming should continue to take a self-directed focus rather than a leader directed focus although individuals need to be informed about leisure/recreation opportunities that are available to them and educate about the importance of developing meaningful leisure pursuits for retirement.

Activities

Sports: Spectator sports, fishing, bowling, golf, tennis, walking, exercising, bicycling, swimming. For the majority, team sports have come to an end.

Social: Increased group participation and socializing. involvement in social organizations often increases.

Miscellaneous: Gardening, relaxing, reading, church related activities, picnics, hobbies, travel and service to others.

Developmental Characteristics of Older Adults (Ages 65+)

• Emphasis shifts from work television: older adults want to stay active and feel good about themselves
• Issues include integrity/integration vs. despair. In later stages of old age there is an attempt to maintain independence, self-direction, self-esteem and self concept
• Life review and introspection occurs during this stage
• Coping with the loss and the prospect of widowhood
• Physical healthy declines
• Tendency to be alone increases
• Decline in income, income often fixed

Program Implications for Leisure Service Organizations

• The importance of leisure is most evident in offering seniors an identity and purpose for life. The majority of leisure takes place initially in the commercial sector. However, seniors increasingly turn back to public recreation programs. In the end the majority of leisure is home based.
• Meaningful integration is important for individuals in this stage. Opportunities should be created for intergenerational events as well as activities that encourage companionship and socializing. Meaningful and purposeful leisure is important rather than just trivial activities created to fill people=s time. People want to feel needed; organizations can create opportunities for seniors to volunteer and share their skills and expertise.

Activities

Sports: Spectator sports, golf, tennis, fishing, walking, bowling, swimming, bicycling.

Social: Socializing with extended family and longtime friends, involvement in recreation centers, more activities are all done alone. Many activities are centered around children and grandchildren.

Miscellaneous: Gardening, relaxing, reading, church-related activities, picnics, television, hobbies, travel, museums, board games and cards.