Leisure refers to that time when a person is not involved in his or her routine work or professional duties. It is time when a person is free from work and free to do what he likes. Leisure activities must not be tiresome.

Important to note about leisure

We have active leisure. This is when an individual is fully participating in a leisure activity like playing football or dancing.

We have passive leisure. This is when an individual is just entertained.

For example sitting in a hall while watching a film or listening to music.

Passive leisure is not completely passive. One who watches a play cannot be said to be completely passive because he gets excited, jumps up and down, claps, laughs or cries.

The needs of various people cannot be met by the same leisure activities.

People who do manual work tend to go in for passive leisure which relaxes their bodies while those who do mental jobs tend to go in for active leisure such as jogging so as to ease their mental fatigue.

vi)     A person who earns a living as a professional musician or footballer needs some other forms of leisure because when he is singing or boxing he is not at     leisure but at work. 

Is Leisure Important For Us?

Yes, if leisure is well handled it is so helpful and valuable.

It gives man a break from work. Man is not a machine, he needs leisure time to rest, relax his body and regain energy for the following day's work. Note that even machines are given rest. Then how about man?

Leisure time affords us the opportunity to get into contact with new people. This helps to create new relationships in addition to those we create at our places of work. Note that even old relationships can best be strengthened during leisure time.   

There are many ways in which we can serve those in need, one of them being leisure. During our free time, we can offer practical help to the needy such as washing clothes for the old.

During the time when we are working, we can face tensions and frustrations. So, we need leisure time to ease these tensions and restore us to our good moods.

Leisure time affords us the opportunity to move around, make tours and explore the world around us. Important discoveries can be made during this time.

Leisure gives us an opportunity to discover, exploit and develop our talents. For instance at school, a child can develop his talent of playing football that would otherwise remain hidden if he weren't exposed.

Leisure time is a valuable source of income to a number of people in the leisure industry. Such people as hotel owners, theatre owners, basket weavers and so on earn a living from leisure. Besides that, the actors, gatekeepers and so on also get income by organising suitable leisure activities for others.

Leisure time is for personal enjoyment, excitement and pleasure. It enables man to enjoy life while drinking, singing, dancing and so on.

It promotes spiritual growth in the sense that a person gets time to pray, read spiritual literature and preach the gospel.

It helps to strengthen family relationships. This is time when the working mother and father come together with their children and other family members. They chat, crack jokes, advise each other; eat and drink together. The saying goes 'a family which eats together keeps together'

It gives a person an opportunity to think about his/her past mistakes and plan for the future.

During leisure tune we can promote our cultures. 'Ibis can mainly be done through African music, dance and drama. The good cultural values can be passed on from one generation to another through leisure time.

Through leisure activities, we are able to gain knowledge about various things. Such activities as debates, tours and so on are very educational.

Leisure time is the mother of all inventions, innovations and discoveries.

During free time, people get a chance to exercise their imaginative powers. Through imagination, important discoveries have been made.

During leisure time, we learn to listen to others, to share, to be cooperative and appreciate each other.

Leisure helps a person to keep physically fit through making exercises such as jogging, jumping, athletics and so on. This in turn makes a person healthy.

Leisure reveals the person. It helps you to know yourself better and- to discover the people, ideas and talents one has. So, leisure is you since it reveals what you are- and what you want.

Leisure reveals the boredom created by monotonous work and helps a person to suspend or forget his problems for a while.

Leisure time can be used to join clubs like boy scouts and girl guides, rotary clubs, etc. Through these, we learn to be disciplined and to help others especially the needy.