Creative Leisure for Children and Families

Abstract

The origin of this workshop, ‘Creative Leisure for Children and Families’ is traceable to the World Federation for Mental Health Congress held in Vancouver, B.C., August 1977. At that time, the late Dr. Margaret Mead participated in a discussion on the importance of leisure and suggested that a conference focusing on the subject be held in the future. Her concerns were shared by several Japanese colleagues who were also in attendance and who subsequently organized the Tsukuba Conference in late 1978. It was most unfortunate that Dr. Mead did not live to attend what was a truly interdisciplinary experience. Representatives from academia, government and business gathered for a memorable time of planning for the future on the theme, ‘Toward the Social System of the 21st Century: Free Time and Quality of Life’. The present workshop grew out of the Tsukuba experience and is a continuation of that look into the future. In it one finds the extension of a relatively new idea; that leisure is important in the future development and well-being of humankind.