recreational therapy
(REH-kree-AY-shuh-nul THAYR-uh-pee)
A type of therapy that uses activities to help meet the physical and emotional needs of patients with an illness or disability and help them develop skills for daily living. These activities include arts and crafts, music, spending time with animals, sports, and drama. Recreational therapy is being studied as a way to relieve distress in cancer patients who are being treated for pain.