According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children, and on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, engaging in play and leisure activities in the community is a human right.

For children and young people with CP, participating in leisure and recreation activities should be an important part of their daily life. It helps them improve skills, interact with others and expand their interests.

Research has found that when young people with CP are able to pursue leisure activities of their choice, with their peers, it improves their quality of life. This can benefit their health and fitness levels.

Families of children and young people with CP also report experiencing less stress when they participate in leisure and recreation activities as a family.

For children and young people with CP, there are many ways to incorporate leisure and recreation activities into their daily life. If you would like some advice about how to do this, talk to their healthcare team about helping you to identify the activities that best suit their individual interests, needs and abilities level.

You may be referred to a diversional and recreation therapist, who can assess your child or young person, and develop a plan for them that:

• takes into account their interests, hobbies and preferences
• can recommend various activities based on their capacity
• uses their skills with adaptive strategies
• motivates them to take part in activities with encouragement and support
• modifies equipment and techniques to promote inclusion
• expands their ability to socialise and make friends
• enhances their self-confidence
• helps them develop interests that they enjoy

Contact your local council or community organisations, for information about the types of group activities that are available.

Some suggestions for activities that children and young people with CP may enjoy include:

• creative arts, such as painting, drama or dance
• listening to music or playing an instrument
• board games
• computer games, some of which use adaptive technology – MusicGlove, for instance, is a fun, one-handed game designed to stimulate adaptive changes in the brain and improve fine motor skills
• cooking – there are tools such as rocker knives and adaptive cutting boards that help with one-handed cooking, and bench height can be adjusted for use with a wheelchair
• adaptive sports – many sports can be adapted for children and young people with CP, and provide a way to socialise, have fun and get active.