An important part of children’s every day activities includes social and recreational activities with peers, family, and community members. Within the ISVI residential department, a major focus is in planning and carrying out activities with and for our students that are fun as well as educational.

Our Recreation Worker, Joe Lewey, works to plan play and leisure activities with the students that will help them develop social relationships and encourage participation with others.

Experiences that the students get at home help them be aware of activities they would enjoy at school and help them become familiar with a wide variety of options to fill their leisure time.

Children of all ages and ability ranges should be encouraged to engage in physical play, physical games, and sports. Some examples include, throwing or rolling and catching a ball, playing on playground equipment, swimming, bowling, running, and taking walks. Students at ISVI are fortunate to have a large playground area with a variety of stationary equipment as well as bikes, roller skates, the gym, and pool area. Many physical leisure activities promote health and fitness and provide opportunities for social involvement.

Social activities are also an important way to foster good social interactions among children. Social activities would include playing card or board games with family members and friends, engaging in pretend play, participating in activities for special days (birthday parties for example), participating in community organizations or clubs. One of the favorite social activities at ISVI are the dances that are held at least once a month. Generally held in the dining hall, students dance to music played by a DJ (Mr. Thompson, ISVI educator) and enjoy snacks and drinks provided by the dietary staff. Other social activities include a shared meal, either in the dorm as a group or in the community at a restaurant.

Developing a good sense of play and leisure is an essential part of becoming independent. ISVI strives to give students a good base of knowledge and experience in the area of recreation and leisure activities.