Leisure skills IEP goals and activities

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Leisure skills IEP goals teach a student to choose a free-time activity, stay with it, play with others and plan recreation outside school. A strong goal names the activity setting, the support and a measurable criterion, such as choosing an activity from a board of 4 and staying with it for 10 minutes on 4 of 5 indoor recess days.

Free time is where many students with disabilities have the least to do. Without leisure skills, unstructured time turns into wandering, screen time with no end, or a request for an adult to fill it. Leisure goals give a student activities they enjoy and can start on their own, which matters for recess now and for evenings and weekends after school ends.

The 12 goals below cover four sub-skills. Each has an illustrative baseline and a template link. Activity ideas by age are near the end. The life skills IEP goals pillar places leisure among the other life skills domains.

How to choose a leisure goal

Start by finding out what the student likes. Offer 6 to 8 activities over a week and note which ones the student picks, how long they stay, and which ones they avoid. That short preference check is your baseline.

Student profile	Sub-skill	Measure	Data sheet
Wanders or waits during free time	Choosing an activity	Choices made out of opportunities	Opportunity data sheet
Picks an activity, leaves it within a minute	Staying with an activity	Minutes engaged	Duration data sheet
Plays alone, not with peers	Games and group play	Game steps or turns completed	Task analysis data sheet
Has interests but no plans outside school	Community recreation and planning	Plan steps completed	Task analysis data sheet

Goals for choosing an activity

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
1. During free time, given a choice board of 4 activities, the student will point to or name one and go to it within 1 minute on 8 of 10 opportunities.	2 of 10, waits for an adult	Opportunities	Template
2. When finished with one activity, the student will put it away and choose another from the board without a prompt on 4 of 5 free periods.	Leaves materials out on 5 of 5	Task analysis	Template
3. Once a week, the student will try a new activity for at least 3 minutes and rate it on a 3-face scale on 4 of 4 weeks.	Refuses new activities	Opportunities	Template

Weak: "The student will make choices during leisure time."

Measurable: "During free time, given a choice board of 4 activities, the student will point to or name one and go to it within 1 minute on 8 of 10 opportunities, measured on an opportunity data sheet."

Goals for staying with an activity

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
4. During indoor recess, the student will stay with a chosen activity for 10 minutes without adult redirection on 4 of 5 days.	Median 2 minutes	Duration	Template
5. Using a leisure kit (puzzle, music, drawing supplies), the student will spend 15 minutes on kit activities during a work break on 4 of 5 breaks.	4 minutes	Duration	Template
6. When a timer ends video game time, the student will save and stop within 1 minute on 8 of 10 sessions.	Stops after 5 or more minutes of prompting	Latency	Template

Goal 6 belongs with leisure because ending a preferred activity is part of using free time well. A visual timer and a "what's next" card usually help more than warnings.

Weak: "The student will play appropriately for longer periods."

Measurable: "During indoor recess, the student will stay with a chosen activity for 10 minutes without adult redirection on 4 of 5 days, measured by duration."

Goals for games and group play

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
7. With 1 or 2 peers, the student will play a simple board game to the end, taking turns, moving the right number of spaces and staying until the winner is named, on 4 of 5 games.	Leaves mid-game on 4 of 5	Task analysis	Template
8. At lunch, the student will invite a peer to play a card game, using a script card if needed, on 3 of 4 weekly opportunities.	0 of 4	Opportunities	Template
9. During a unified or intramural game, the student will stay in the game for the full time, following the coach's directions, on 3 of 4 games.	Leaves after 10 minutes	Duration	Template

Group play overlaps with social skills. Link these goals to social skills goal examples when turn-taking or sharing is the main barrier.

Weak: "The student will play games with peers."

Measurable: "With 1 or 2 peers, the student will play a simple board game to the end, taking turns and staying until the winner is named, on 4 of 5 games, measured by task analysis."

Goals for community recreation and planning

For older students, leisure moves into the community. These goals connect free time to transition planning and to community-based instruction planning.

Goal	Baseline (illustrative)	Measure	Template
10. Using a community events calendar, the student will find 2 free events that match their interests and add them to a phone calendar on 3 of 4 weekly probes.	Has never used an events calendar	Opportunities	Template
11. The student will plan a weekend activity (choose it, check time and cost, plan the ride, tell family), 6 of 6 steps, on 3 of 4 weeks.	2 of 6 steps	Task analysis	Template
12. At a recreation center, the student will check in, change, use the equipment they chose and check out, 10 of 11 steps, on 3 consecutive visits.	4 of 11 steps	Task analysis	Template

The library and community services side of recreation, such as getting a library card, is on the community services goals page.

Weak: "The student will participate in community leisure."

Measurable: "The student will plan a weekend activity, completing 6 of 6 planning steps, on 3 of 4 weeks, measured by task analysis."

Leisure activity ideas by age

Age	Solo activities	Activities with others	Community
Preschool and K-2	Puzzles, building blocks, music with headphones, picture books	Simple matching games, ball rolling	Playground, library story time
Grades 3 to 5	Drawing, Lego kits, audiobooks, sensory bins	Uno, Connect 4, tag, four square	Swimming lessons, scouts
Middle school	Craft kits, video games with a timer, collecting, gardening	Card games, board games, clubs	Bowling, rec center, movies
High school and adult	Playlists, hobbies, exercise routines, cooking	Game nights, team sports, online groups with safety rules	Gyms, community classes, volunteering

Choose activities that are age-respectful. A 17-year-old who loves bright colors and music might enjoy a rhythm game or a playlist project more than a toddler toy.

How to measure leisure goals

Use duration recording when the goal is about time engaged. Start the timer when the student begins the activity and stop it when they leave it for more than 30 seconds. Record on the duration data sheet, one row per session.

Use the opportunities method for choosing and inviting goals. Each free period or lunch is one opportunity. Use task analysis for games and planning goals with steps.

Leisure data is easy to skip because it feels less urgent. Pick 2 probe days a week and keep them.

Adapting by support level

Support level	Focus	Criterion example
High	Choosing from 2 or 3 options, short engagement	5 minutes on a chosen activity on 4 of 5 days
Moderate	Longer engagement, simple games with peers	4 of 5 board games played to the end
Low	Planning, community recreation, balancing solo and group time	6 of 6 weekend planning steps

More templates are on the leisure recreation goals page (45 templates) and the functional skills hub. Related guides: cooking activities, which many students choose as a hobby, and daily living skills goals. Check each draft in the goal checker.

Recreation is one of the services IDEA lists as a related service.^[2] Students with disabilities also take part in nonacademic and extracurricular activities with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, which makes recess, clubs and teams natural places to practice leisure goals.^[1]

Frequently asked questions

Are leisure skills appropriate IEP goals?

Yes, when present levels show a need. Leisure skills affect behavior during free time, social connection and quality of life after school. They are measured like any other goal, often by duration or opportunity data.

How do I find leisure activities a student will enjoy?

Offer 6 to 8 different activities over a week and record which ones the student picks and how long they stay. Ask the family what the student does at home. Repeat the check each year, since interests change.

Who teaches leisure skills?

Usually the special education teacher, with help from paras, adapted PE, recreation therapists or community programs. Families play a large part, since much leisure happens in evenings and on weekends.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.117: Nonacademic settings, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.34: Related services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.