The document discusses various methods for spending free time, including cooking, sports, reading, volunteering, movies/TV, board games, meeting friends, attending events, and hobbies. It encourages youth to engage in offline activities rather than spending all their time online. Specific activities mentioned include cooking classes, various sports, reading books in different genres, volunteering at organizations, going to the cinema, playing board games, regularly meeting with friends, attending local events, and pursuing hobbies like crafts, music, or gardening. The overall message is that a balanced lifestyle incorporating both online and offline activities is important for well-being.

2. Yellow Shirts
yellow_shirts_ro@hotmail.com
Facebook: YellowShirtsRomania
coordinated and edited by Andreea Căplescu
Rural-Urban-Nature, 2014

3. Contents
Yellow Shirts .............................................................. 4
Erasmus + ................................................................. 5
Rural-Urban-Nature .................................................... 6
44 methods of spending the free time ......................... 12
To sum up with... ...................................................... 36
Thank you ................................................................. 37
Useful links ................................................................ 38

4. Yellow Shirts
Discover the world with us...
... the world as you haven't seen it!
Yellow Shirts Association has been
founded in April 2010 with the purpose
of facilitating the integration and to
sustain the youth in the society. The
organization is led by young people,
these having the ability to understand
easier the problems which the nowadays
young people are confronting with.
The activities that we are implementing
are organized at the local, regional,
national and international level through
projects developed by our association,
but also by our collaborators.
These activities consist of training
courses, youth exchanges, study visits,
public debates, language courses,
informative campaigns, working camps
conferences, competitions, seminars,
social meetings, exhibitions, etc. in
domains such as art, culture,
environment, human rights, sport, active
citizenship, health, etc.
Starting with 2013, our association is
also accredited to coordinate, host and
send volunteers in European Voluntary
Service projects, under Erasmus+
programme.
So far, our association has organized 7
international projects on topics such as
car accidents, abuse of narcotics and
alcohol (My life has priority! Would you
let me live?), partnership building
(Creating New Bridges), team building
(All for one and one for all), wedding
traditions (The Fellowship of the
Cultures), project writing (Taking the
First Step), protection of the
environment and recycling (Reuse or
Lose) and last but not least, the present
project, Rural-Urban-Nature that aims at
offering to youth diverse alternatives of
spending the free time away from the
online environment. We participated as
well in more than 100 projects all
around Europe.
Nonetheless, we have sent more than
500 young people abroad and hosted
over 200 in Romania.

5. Erasmus+
The new EU programme for education,
training, youth and sports
Erasmus+ is the EU Programme in the
fields of education, training, youth and
sport for the period 2014-2020.
Education, training, youth and sport can
make a major contribution to help tackle
socio-economic changes, the key
challenges that Europe will be facing
until the end of the decade and to
support the implementation of the
Europe 2020 strategy for growth, jobs,
social equity and inclusion.
The Erasmus+ Programme is designed
to support Programme Countries' efforts
to efficiently use the potential of
Europe’s human talent and social
capital, while confirming the principle of
lifelong learning by linking support to
formal, non-formal and informal learning
throughout the education, training and
youth fields. The Programme also
enhances the opportunities for
cooperation and mobility with Partner
Countries, notably in the fields of higher
education and youth.
The Erasmus+ Programme shall
contribute to the achievement of:
the objectives of the Europe 2020
Strategy, including the headline
education target
the objectives of the strategic
framework for European cooperation
in education and training (ET 2020),
including the corresponding
benchmarks
the sustainable development of
Partner Countries in the field of
higher education
the overall objectives of the renewed
framework for European cooperation
in the youth field (2010-2018)
the objective of developing the
European dimension in sport, in
particular grassroots sport, in line
with the EU work plan for sport
the promotion of European values in
accordance with Article 2 of the
Treaty on the European Union

6. Rural-Urban-Nature
From theory....
Rural-Urban-Nature is a youth
exchange that took place in several
locations of Romania (Muncelu de Sus,
Durău, Săcel and Baia Mare) in the urban
and rural areas, with the main activities
implemented between 26th
August and
9th
September 2014 with 8 Romanian
and 8 Turkish high school students.
The aim of our project is to help the
young people discover that the offline life
brings more benefits than the online one.
To obtain this, we focused on promoting
the socio-cultural activities, offering
alternatives of spending the free time
and encouraging the young people to
take part in and create new activities in
their communities.
The potential longer term benefits are
the changes that these teenagers can
bring firstly in their life and then in their
activities' circle, promoting more the
socio-cultural activities inside their
community, thus becoming active in the
development of their society.
Among the activities implemented
during the project we remind games
team building, city hunting, handicraft
workshops, environment presentations,
cleaning the surrounding places, cultural
trips, Erasmus + and Youthpass
presentation, photography, hiking on
mountains, project drafts, life in the
country side, workshop on how to spend
the free time, visits to other youth
NGOs, debates on the urban-rural
difference, cultural nights, workshops on
jobs and careers in urban and rural area
as well as interactive nights with
karaoke, movies or games. The activities
were done in rural and urban areas as
well as in the nature.
The chosen working methods use the
non-formal tools such as games and
energizers, presentations, working in
teams, cleaning and recycling activities,
handicraft workshops, discussions and
debates, outdoor sports and games,
cultural events and expression through
photography.

7. Rural-Urban-Nature ... to practice
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world;
getting to know each other
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead

8. Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
working together
Working together is success.
Henry Ford

9. I've always enjoyed travelling and having
experience with different cultures and different
people.
learning new cultures
But it's also a wonderful thing to be able to
benefit and enable research, not only in our
country but around the world.
Laurel Clark

10. It's all about having fun and smiling
having fun together
and shaking hands.
Tone Loc

11. Friendship is born at that moment when one
person says to another:
and so much more...
‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one. ‘
C.S. Lewis

12. Methods of spending the free time
We got to live in an era where the
technology has an important role in
everyone's lives. Sometimes these lives
are dictated by what is happening in the
virtual environment while we forget to
enjoy the real life we live day by day.
Everybody, but in particular the youth of
21st
Century have the tendency to live
more and more in the virtual world.
They often use the so called 'social
networks', to the detriment of the real
world, without realizing that, actually,
the real social network is the one that
survives without internet. The young
generation has gained unwillingly the
powerful, yet potential destroyable tool
of human relations.
Although the technology plays an
important role in our life and we use it
to ease our tasks, house choirs or solve
our work faster, we shouldn't forget that
it will never replace the role of the
human beings in our lives.
Have you often asked yourself what else
could you do in your free time when
you're bored?
Have you asked yourself what could you
do so you can use your time in a useful
way?
Have you asked yourself what other
skills you could develop?
Have you asked yourself how would it
be to discover a new hobby?
If 'yes' is your answer, than this
brochure might be a good place to start!
This brochures aims to promote the
socio-cultural events that the young
people can organize and attend to, thus
socializing with people with similar
interests and detaching themselves from
the virtual world. Also, it is offering
several alternatives of spending your
free time in a social, cultural,
educational and fun environment.
Be the one that controls technology and
not the way around. Use it in your
advantage!

13. Cooking Sports
Discover new flavors, combine
different spices, prepare healthy and
fresh meals - you have the possibility to
spoil yourself with anything you'd like to
eat!
If you like cooking or you would like to
try it, this is your chance: waist no more
time and start preparing your favorite
childhood recipes or even create new
ones on your own.
You may not want to become a
professional cook, but that doesn't mean
you can't search for new recipes, join
diverse cooking groups and exchange
recipes, advices and tips or attend to a
cooking class.
Ask your family or friends to join you
and be sure you'll enjoy not only the
cooking part, but as well your delicious
results.
Look for recipes, buy or prepare your
ingredients and let the cooking begin!
Practicing sports it's not just useful for
your health and body care, but it also
develops your team spirit, coordination
or way of thinking.
Choose the type of sport fits you the
best and try to do it regularly. You'll see
it's benefits quite soon as it will give you
a good mood and you'll feel more
energetic, enthusiast and of course
healthier.
There are sports that you can do on
your own like jogging, going to the gym,
swim, cycle, climb, do yoga, practice
karate, skate, fish, dance or ski.
Ask your friends to join you in a group
activity and play all together basketball,
volleyball, football, tennis, badminton,
handball or go karting.
Combine them, check them all and
decide on the one you like the most.
The important thing is to always enjoy
what you do!

14. Reading - literature Reading - development
Reading develops your vocabulary,
creativity, imagination, way of thinking
and may even change the perception
you have over life in general or your
own person.
Discover your inner child by reading
your favorite childhood books, train your
brain through police novels, challenge
your imagination through adventurous
books, check your cold blood with
thrillers, see the beauty of life in
romantic novels and poetry, dream
about future with science-fiction ones,
search someone's biography, research
historical events, laugh through
comedies.
The type of the book it doesn't even
matter as long as it keeps you captivate
in its inner world. Don't let the books
you start unfinished as you may never
find out the faith of your favorite
character, discover new places or join
adventurous trips around the world!
The more we get older, the more we
want to develop ourselves. Be the best
in what you do, enjoy every single
minute of it and you will never feel like
you are actually working.
Achieve higher steps in your career by
reading books, researches, articles and
every single thing you find interesting
and connected to your job. Invest in
yourself as no one will do more than
you can.
Although the career can bring us lots of
benefits, the personal developments
matters as well. Mind your soul and
spirit, feed them with knowledge, take
them to upper levels. Develop your
patience, communication skills or learn
to meditate.
Become a better person, change your
bad habits, improve your qualities, try to
always bring a better and improved
version of you at the surface. And most
important, let the others see it too!

15. Volunteering Movies and TV
Volunteering allows each individual to
identify themselves with a good cause
while you help and get helped at the
same time. Volunteer and you are going
to get in return the things you need; it's
an exchange in a win-win situation.
The benefits you gain are the new
friends, the wonderful experiences, the
happy memories, the smiles and joy that
you will always cherish.
In some countries the volunteering
system is not yet so well developed in
formal terms, but yet you can always
find a place where you could be useful:
churches/mosques, orphanages, day
care centers, asylums, hospitals or
educational institutes. There are so
many opportunities you can find in an
association or foundation.
It doesn't matter how old you are,
where you are from or who you are.
Volunteering is for everybody!
If it is to use the technology, than do it
in your advantage. Watch TV not just
for entertainment, but look also for the
ones with a message worth listening to.
Movies are an easy way to understand
better the literature or history, but they
can also give a different perspective on
life. Documentaries, art performances,
travelling advices, cooking, carpentry or
diverse skills developing shows are just
few of the things you can find on TV
and that can help you escape the daily
routine.
Fan of serials? Don't go for the whole
series, episode after episode as
interesting as it may be. Enjoy it, but
don't forget your other chores.
Fan of movies? Leave the TV and the
computer at home and go out with your
friends to the cinema. The feeling the
cinemas give you and that atmosphere
can not be created at home by having a
headphone on.

16. Society/board games Meet your friends
Playing such games can be a fun way
to spend your free time. Use the society
or board games when you are at
parties, in a rainy day, during holidays,
or while travelling.
Many of them, besides their
entertainment purpose, can help you
develop certain aspects about you like
the team work, drawing, verbal,
gestures or mimic communication,
counting, reaction speed, movements'
coordination, creativity and imagination
or logics. Playing with your friends will
bring you guys closer to each too.
Spend time with your family members,
especially with the younger ones, by
playing together. You will have the good
mood activated guaranteed and they will
be happy to be spending time together
with you.
Don't miss the opportunity to play new
games. You may discover things about
you and your friends!
There aren't too many better things to
do in your free time than meeting with
your friends and spending it together.
Call them, text them or even better:
establish a meeting with them regularly.
Meeting with your friends improves your
social skills, keeps you updated with the
news in their life and of course, they
guarantee you the good mood and
entertainment.
Try different places each time until you
find your perfect spot. Don't always go
for big meetings with all your friends at
the same time. Save some time for your
relationship with each one of them. For
sure you have different friends with
different interests, not to mention the
attention you are giving to each and one
of them.
Go out for a coffee, play bowling or go
to movies; it doesn't really matter what
you do as long as you are with your
friends!

17. Events Do It Yourself
There is always something new
happening in your town. Somebody is
launching their book, your friend is
opening a bookshop or your neighbor is
making a public debate on local
environmental aspects.
It doesn't matter what's the event about
nor that you didn't have even the
minimum contact with the topic before.
You may never find out if you don't go
and see, isn't it?
Such events are perfect occasions to
discover new passions or interests, new
people, hang out with your friends or go
out more often.
Being always updated with the events
happening in your city is giving you an
inner update of what is going on around
you socially, economically, educationally
or culturally.
Don't say no to such invitations as you
may never know what you're about to
find out!
Do It Yourself or handmade objects
start to gain a lot of advantage in front
of bought items.
Besides being a good way to fill in your
free time, it gets more interested and
careful with the objects that you use.
Maybe you're not the best carpenter in
town, but if you do handmade objects
often, you will find a creative way to fix
that broken chair you have.
When we talk about handmade items,
we talk about every item you see in
your house around you from food,
furniture, body care lotions or soaps to
clothes, decorative objects, toys, jewelry
and accessories.
There are so many tutorials to show you
how to do your own broche, a soap or
how to sew.
Soon enough you won't be spending
your money on already made things, but
rather on materials to do them on your
own!

18. Concerts and cultural events Hobbies
The first image I get in my mind when
'concert' is mentioned, is with a lot of
people coming together and singing
with the band/singer. Never miss the
opportunity to see my favorites when I
could. If this is your type of concert that
you are up for and your favorite band or
singer is in town, buy your ticket and
prepare your voice.
If you're the type of person that prefers
rather less noisy places, search for a
symphonic music or a classic music
concert, opera, theatre play or a ballet
show.
Needless to say that if you're in a town
that can't offer these soul enlighten, you
can have a ride to the closest city that
offers such events. Use this opportunity
to get out of your daily routine and grab
some friends with you. For sure you will
have a nice time even if you don't spend
the night over there.
Feed your soul once in a while!
We all have hobbies that we'd like to
have fun with every once in a while.
Take advantage of your free time and
explore your hobbies.
No matter what your passions are, find
the right amount of time for them at
least once per week. Your free time is
not to be spent on house choirs, family
duties or work related.
Spending our free time in a convenient
and pleasant way is not only a relaxing
activity, but it also allows you to expand
your knowledge it in that domain,
improve the skills connected to and
more important to enjoy yourself.
Search for people with common
passions and you will have lots of things
to share with them, exchange
information and learn from others. Look
for forums or practical courses related to
it.
Develop every interest you may have
and it may turn into a hobby!

19. Help your family Get involved, participate
House choirs were never fun to do,
especially when you were in your early
stages.
We all know how important they are and
especially how essential they are. Look
at this duties as an opportunity to spend
the time with your family.
Share the tasks among you, involve
everyone in with as much as they can
do, but most important: make it as fun
as it may get. Turn the cleaning into a
competition or think of more hands in
the kitchen may come as useful.
Visit your grandparents and help
around. Ask them in return to share
with you their childhood memories or
remind you more of your own. Get to
the countryside relatives that you have
and remember the good old times you
had while picking up fruits or playing in
the fresh hay.
Turn the duties into something fun!
Nowadays there are so many
opportunities for your self development
as they may never were before.
Conferences, exhibitions, international
meetings, debates, projects, anything
you want!
Take advantage of the events organized
by others. You may learn a lot of things
from them as well as you may get the
chance to travel, visit new places, meet
new people, get a totally new cultural
experience.
Take as an example this project. It may
not have been life changing in terms of
a career, but they now have friends
from a different country, got to know
their culture better and enjoyed the
other's, had a great time together as
well as developed several skills.
Departing with tears in their eyes is a
good to express the best the way they
spent their summer!

20. Dance Music
If you're a fan of listening to music and
dance around your house, than you
should definitely spend your time with
rhythm.
Be it that you dance with your friends or
alone, it creates lots of joy and gets
your body moving (especially if sports
are not your favorite thing).
Search for 'how to' courses online, join
local classes or turn on the music and
start dancing. Try to learn different
styles of dances and practice them with
your friends or family. Once you learn a
new technique share it with the others.
If you have a big enough group of
friends, create together your own
dance. Pick up a song that suits you the
best and try lots of moves to fit in. Not
only that you'll have fun preparing the
choreography, but this will be another
special thing to be connecting you all.
Dance like you've never danced before!
It is said that the music influences your
mood through their lyrics, rhythm or
style.
Listening to music is a relaxing way to
spend your free time especially when
you manage to detach yourself from
your daily life.
A lot of people listen to the music
according to their state mood. If you
have a lot of energy, go for a music type
that will get you dance around while if
you need a quite time go for classic,
slow or meditative one.
No matter the type you are listening to,
enjoy every second of it. If the lyrics get
you thoughtful, look for their deepest
meaning and connect it with some of
your life moments. Each time you'll here
that song, you'll get a smile across your
face while remembering that memory.
The music you listen to follows your
heart beats!

21. Internships IT
Most of the youth nowadays confront
with the same situations when wanting
to get employed. Freshly graduated
from university, with no experience we
look for our chances in obtaining a job.
While you're still a student, sure you will
have fun, but try to get involved in as
many working experiences as you can.
The internships give you the possibility
to learn the job you are about to do
when graduating from a very practical
point of view. Not only that you learn
from experienced people in that domain,
but you also have the chance you to do
the things.
A job experience is something that we
gain, but more than that is something
that we 'steal' from those that are
already doing that job for quite a while.
Take advantage of it.
Do your job good and your internship
place might be your first job as you
graduate!
If you are passionate about computers
and IT, spending your free time in this
field may be a pleasant work to do.
Take advantage of this time to research
more about that web designing you
wanted to do a while ago, check the
new encoding programmes or join a IT
forum.
Search for online courses that can help
you specialize in what you want or go to
classes that run in your city, research
about your topics online or go to
libraries in the search of IT thematic
books.
Meeting new people from your domain
may turn to be productive for your
knowledge as well. Not only that you
will find other people with same passion,
but you will have for sure a person with
whom to exchange trials or test each
other's products.
If IT:=your passion than go for IT!

22. Travel Visit and discover
Travelling allows you to get to know
the people in their own habitat along
with their customs, traditions, language,
art, handicraft, clothes and daily life.
Take advantage of every travelling
opportunity you may get. Save money
to visit the places you dreamed. Take
your friends and the next train to a new
destination. Get in your car and start
driving. Don't underestimate the beauty
of your country by desiring to reach only
foreign countries.
Nowadays there are many possibilities
to travel on a low budget - coach surf
before you leave so to have a place to
sleep, hitch hike or share the gas
expenses, be even more brave and get
on your bicycle and start cycling. There
are endless possibilities as long as you
look for them.
You don't need to have a big budget to
travel. Pack your bags and no excuses.
Allow yourself to discover!
When was the last time you went out
in the town? Not for a meeting with
your friends, not to work or school, not
to shopping, but to visit your city?
If you live in a place that has a history
behind, for sure it has a old center,
historical buildings and museum.
Start seeing your place from the
perspective of the tourists. Where do
the go? What do they see? What has
that museum to offer?
Eat out in a different place every time.
Check the museums once again even if
you saw them all as a child. Ask for
guidance and for sure you will discover
new things about your city!
Get rid of your GPS and start walking on
the old streets without necessary
knowing where you go. Cause it doesn't
even matter.
Get to know your town from a different
perspective by discovering it!

23. Photography Drawing
You don't need to have the latest
camera model to take good pictures.
There are 3 main type of pictures:
landscapes, steady nature and portraits.
If you like to play with the camera, don't
waist more time and pick it up!
Get to know your or your friends' traits
better by shooting portraits, define your
city's beauties or express your feelings
through country side landscapes.
Photography is an easy way to express
your feelings and your point of views as
you need to analyze the shot subject:
check the angle, the light, the
surroundings, your position towards it,
everything that could help you express
what you see through a photography.
Register yourself for an online course or
look for a local one, read some books
about it or sign up to a photography
group.
Get the beauty in a picture!
While the photography can offer you
a possibility to show to the others what
you have seen and how it is from your
perspective, drawing has the advantage
of allowing you to model your view as
you see it.
As a beginning you may try with the
imitation of some objects or pictures,
but as you learn the basic tips and
tricks, you can allow your imagination
run to start working.
Same as the photography, drawing
offers you a wide freedom to enjoy the
combination of colors and shapes,
angles, lights and shadows.
There are plenty of online tutorials or
books from where you can learn how to
draw certain items. Use them to get the
technique and perfect its steps and then
let your imagination go wild.
You can draw anything you want as long
as you keep trying it!

24. Tailoring Writing
Be it a boy or a girl, you had for sure
moments in your life when you wanted
to buy a piece of clothe, but you
couldn't - not enough money, there
wasn't your size or you didn't like the
colors.
Search for the model of clothing you
would like to have. Can you find also its
sketch? Seek for the best materials that
you also like. What is it going to be:
blue or white? green or yellow?
Once you have the sketch ready,
materials by your side and a sewing
machine you can start creating the
clothes you want as you want.
Go to tailoring classes if you're a
beginner, look up for advices and tips,
ask your parents and grandparents.
Eventually you'll figure it out and your
clothes will look amazing on you.
There is no better pleasure than using
the things you created yourself!
Writing is an easy way to express
your feelings, ideas or states of mind.
The letters won't judge the way you
combine them and definitely won't mind
expressing your sadness, happiness,
exciting news or the great new ideas
you lately had.
If you do have talent for this, give your
friends the pieces of writing you have.
Create for them for special occasions
like their birthdays or holidays. They'll
enjoy having something done by you
rather than bought.
Mother nature skipped you from getting
a writing talent? You don't need to be as
talented as William Shakespeare was in
order to write something. Note down
your ideas and your thoughts even if
they're just for yourself. You may find it
amusing to read your thoughts from
previous years.
Writing is just another way to keep an
open communication with ourselves!

25. Foreign languages Hiking on mountains
Filling up the spare time with learning
a foreign language might be useful not
just as a fun activity, but it may be also
for your professional career or while
traveling.
There are so many online courses that
you can subscribe to. Even more, the
big majority of them offer forums and
chat groups where you can practice the
selected language.
In addition to that, listening to music,
reading books or watching TV in that
language can help you a lot with
improving the vocabulary. If you're a
beginner, go for the children destined
items: comic books, children stories,
cartoons, etc.
You may try the local courses also, be
them private or in a group. By having a
tutor nearby, you can get help
correcting your grammar or speaking
mistakes as you learn.
Get international!
Hiking on mountains can get you
more than just a trip outside, but it can
get you closer to the nature, fresh air
and quiet moments.
The beauties that you encounter on
mountain are not the same as a walk in
the nature. You must enjoy discovering
let yourself mesmerized by the beauties
it has to offer.
Before you plan a hike, bare in mind the
track you are to chose. If you're a
beginner try the easy ones as you get
more experience to get to more
spectacular ones.
Be careful to always have the necessary
equipment that suits the track you
follow, the season or the weather
conditions. Nevertheless, be sure to
have enough supplies, especially water.
The mountain is very friendly and open
to receive new guests all the time, don't
make it an enemy of yours!

26. Clean Donate
As unattractive as it sounds and
sometimes it has the best reasons to be
so, cleaning your house is a must.
Although is nothing shameful to have a
messy way of being, we all like to have
a clean house, tidy rooms and a bit of
order through our stuff.
Once in a while, go through your old
clothes or things, check your kitchen's
pots and plates or bathroom's towels.
Every once in a while these items need
to be replaced.
You bought so many new clothes during
the last sale season, but you don't have
any space for it in your closet. Check
your old things and decide which to
keep and put aside the ones you'll give
up on. Do the same with all your house
and you will also feel a refreshing of the
air as well as you'll now have space for
your newly bought items.
Don't let the house holds take the space
you deserve in your own house!
You finally decided to make that big
house cleaning you were planning for a
while now. You know for sure that you
will have lots of things you didn't use
them for quite a while now and probably
you won't use them any more from now
on either.
Instead of throwing the things that can
be reused, donate them or exchange
them.
There are sites and even places (bazars,
season sales) where you can either give
away, exchange or sell your stuff.
Having a mountain of clothes in your
closet that you no longer need won't
help you. Give them to the less lucky
ones. If you don't know where to go or
time to search, go to a religious
institution (church, mosque, association,
etc.). They will take your stuff with
pleasure and give it further to the ones
in need.
Reduce, reuse, recycle!

27. Walk Try something new
Walking, same as the sports do, has
a benefic impact on your body and
health, as well as on your mind state.
Doctors recommend at least 30 minutes
of movement per day. If you're not such
a big fan of sports, walking is a good
replacement that does magic to your
body.
Through walking you get your heart
pumping and improve the general blood
circulation. You will enjoy it especially
after a full day of sitting on a chair in
front of a desk or having to do your job
while standing.
Walk back home from work or school,
go in a park, visit new places, get some
friends along with you and walk
together. You may take advantage of
this time to talk about your daily events,
plan future ones or just to enjoy the
walk itself.
Walking won't get you stuck in a traffic
jam!
Did you get bored of the same old
things you do everyday? Try something
new!
There are so many activities that can be
done in the free time, but you just need
to discover or rediscover them. Are you
a fan of hand made objects? Are you a
fan of art performances? Are you an
active person with lots of energy?
Spend a little time with yourself and
make a list of the things you are
interested in, regardless you have tried
them so far or not.
If you have, look at it from a different
perspective. Do you enjoy doing that?
Does it need any improvement? Is there
anything you haven't tried about it?
What if you change the way of doing it
or the people that are around you
then?.
If you haven't, then don't waist any of
your time and get to it! You can 'update'
your old hobbies or get new ones.

28. Set up goals Gardening
Don't set up goals just as a new year
resolution, but do it all the time. Use
your time efficiently by planning
something new each time you achieve
the proposed aspect.
For sure you have something in your
mind that you're thinking you would like
to have done, but you never actually did
something to achieve it.
Take a piece of paper and a pen and
write your goal down. What is that you
want to achieve and until when? What
am I eager to give to reach my goal?
Will I need help from other people? Do I
have all the sufficient resources? Once
finished, put the paper with the goal
somewhere visible and start acting
according to your plan. Make sure you
read it every day.
You may feel like making baby steps
achieving small goals one after the
other, but at the end of the journey you
may realize just how far you went!
Plants might not be so time-taking as
a pet therefore gardening may turn to
be a good way of spending the free time
for those that don't have so much of it.
You don't need a lot of space for doing
this activity as you can take care of
some plants even in your apartment.
Make sure they have sufficient sun and
place to grow. Don't forget that same as
you, they need to be 'fed' as well so
water them regularly.
Gardening may help you relax and takes
all your negative energy away. The
good part about it is that it doesn't even
require so much time on a weekly basis.
A plant is also bringing a fresh
atmosphere to the house by the oxygen
it gives, not to mention the flowers that
spread their perfume and enlighten your
room or garden with their vivid colors.
Green power mood activated!

29. Pets Get new people around
Your pet needs you as much as you
did when you bought/adopt it. Take it
out for a walk, pet it, make or buy new
toys for it and then play together, talk to
it, anything that will have you spending
time with it.
A pet is not a toy or a knick-knack; it's a
living thing as you are. It has the same
needs as you do and the most important
is that it will be there for you no matter
what. It offers you unconditionally love
and for sure will find a way to repay you
for having it around you.
You don't own one? If you haven't
thought of taking one or you cannot
afford to keep one from different
reasons, don't worry, you can still enjoy
your time with a pet. Go to a pet shelter
and 'adopt' one from there. You may not
have the possibility to take it home, but
you can make sure your 'adopted' pet
has food daily and you as a friend to
play with each time you'll visit there!
The man is a unique creature not only
through it's ability to think, but also due
to its need of being surrounded by other
persons.
Meeting new persons can bring a
positive influence in your life. They're
like the fresh air you can breath in when
going outside or opening the window.
They can come up with ideas that you
didn't think of so far or didn't have the
chance to make them come true.
The more people you know, the richer
you are on the inside. Ever thought why
beauticians or hairstylists have so many
acquaintances? They meet new people
every time they go to work and they
take that opportunity of turning these
people into their friends. You may never
know what a person can bring with itself
or the help you may get because you
'know someone that...'
Meet new people, get new friends, but
don't forget the others either!

30. Keep a diary You with yourself
Keeping a diary is a good way to
spend your free time and to a self-
evaluation while writing.
You can use the diary to keep the track
of your days by writing, drawing or
posting pictures with all the events that
happened, describing each one of them
as detailed as you wish.
The best part of having a diary with
detailed activities is that it allows you to
think as well at your learning process.
Maybe you did nothing special by going
to the market today, but how did you
handle when you wanted to buy more
vegetables from the same man and you
bargained for a sale?
Keeping track of the small things we do
every day can help us follow our
evolution in time in terms of how we
manage in different situations.
Write down each thought you have as it
can bring you a nice memory later!
There is no other person in this whole
wild world that can know you better,
make you feel good or be your best
friend than yourself.
Take some time during the day to spend
time with yourself even if you're happy,
even if you're sad. Once in a while take
the whole day just for yourself. Do
whatever makes you happy, brings good
mood and a smile across your face.
Check your diary about your evolution,
ask your friends for things they like and
dislike about you. Analyze them and do
the changes that suit you the best.
Meditate as it can get you to have a
'conversation' with your sub-conscious.
Listening to yourself is most of the times
the answer you are looking for. Spoil
yourself once in a while because you do
deserve it.
If you don't look after yourself, who else
will?

31. Health and body care Family
As you're having some free time with
your inner self, it's also good to spare
some for your body.
Take advantage of a free day at least
once in a year and go do some health
check up. Run some blood tests, let the
doctor check your body's functionalities,
organs and systems. Not only that you
can prevent in due time if a serious
illness is about to appear, but you also
won't end up in a crisis situation and not
knowing how to solve your health
issues. Don't let any disease or illness
pass by wrongly or not treated at all as
it can bring with it many other 'naughty'
parts.
Turn that daily 10 minutes shower into a
bath, go out and eat once in a while
instead of cooking, go to spa and sauna,
keep yourself fit and go to gym, do
anything that would help your body
revitalize, gain tonicity and look good.
If you feel good, you look good too!
Regardless you are from a newer or
elder generation, your family will always
be a good way to spend your free time
with.
Visit your relatives as much as you can.
Take advantage of having people close
to you that can support you in
everything you do. Revive childhood
memories or even better, create new
ones.
Play with your children, take your
parents our for dinner, take your
children to a thematic park, surprise
your parents occasionally with
something you made, talk to each other,
laugh together.
Consider going on a holiday with them
at least once per year. It doesn't have to
be very far from home or expensive, but
a place where you can enjoy them with
no disturbance from outside.
Enjoy it as much as you can, anytime,
anywhere: you only have one family!

32. Contact your old friends Get rest and relax
We all have people in our lives that
at a certain time we stopped the contact
with. You moved away, they went to a
different high school, you decided on a
different university city, they got a job
or simply the circumstances stopped you
from continuing that relation.
Search your friend's phone number, pick
up the phone and set up a meeting. It
can be a good way to remind yourself of
the good old times you spent together
and establish back the connection with
them.
As the time goes by, we all develop our
life perspectives and people change.
You may not know so many things
about that old friend now, but it's the
best place to start reconnecting. Catch
up the lost time and you may regain a
new old friend back!
Don't be afraid to accept challenges that
the life gives, but neither be afraid to
challenge the life in return!
The routine we're spinning around
every day can bring your energy level
close to zero, change your mood or
stress you out. We need to take
decisions every day at work, to always
be alerted and ready for any new
opportunity, face problems and all sorts
of situations.
Once you step outside your office and
leave from job to home, you need to
leave all this behind you, right where
you left them. You will find them the
next day in the same place. Don't bring
your work problems with you at home.
If you travel a lot till your home, use
that time with yourself. What would you
like to do? What's your best way of
relaxing and resting? Take advice from
your body and do the first thing that
comes to your mind. Care for a bubble
bath, dinner our, sleeping or watch a
movie?
Go for it!

33. Brain games Plan your working time
You might not have been the brighter
kid in your class when it came to math
or science subjects in school. And you
don't even have to be!
The best part about the brain games is
that while practicing them you are
spending your free time in a fun way
and can be played alone as well. As a
result for your hard work, your skills
concerning attention, coordination, task
distribution or your memory will
improve.
Give your brain a workout by playing fun
games that sharpen your mind.
Challenge yourself and your reactions in
different scenarios. Begin a inner
journey of discovering your way of
thinking, reaction time, intuition and
brain connectivity.
You may be surprised what the human
body and mind is capable of if they're
put to work!
Why use your free time for work-
related things? Because as better,
concise and detailed as you plan your
working time, the more free time you
may have.
Being systematic 10 minutes in a day
can save you so much more during your
working time and bring you more
benefits in that matter.
Working by a earlier established plan
will help you being more strict to the
way you're working and the time spent
and, at the same time, you will be able
to track it for further similar tasks.
Was the time I planned enough or did I
need more? Knowing beforehand can
help you honor your responsibilities
better, will leave you more time to take
new tasks or in return, giving you more
free time to spend it as you wish.
Be as efficient as you can be and you
will enjoy your free time as well!

34. TED Talks Plan a party
The 'TED Talks' are a nice way to
spend some time at home taking
advantage of your cozy spot and get
different perspectives on so numerous
topics.
TED Talks are short videos of 5-15
minutes with a famous person invited to
deliver a speech, while the topics are
diverse. The speeches will touch the
issue from the speaker's point of view,
sharing at the same time their lifelong
experience.
Did something catch your attention?
take a pen and paper and note it down.
It may give you further ideas or make
you think about you with an 'outside'
eye. Worth trying!
Follow the speakers' public speaking
skills, presence on the scene, gestures
and postures. You can learn few tips
and if you're brave enough, you can
even practice it in front of a mirror.
Get inspired!
A party is good once in a while: it
animates you, you have fun and spend
your time with the people dear to you.
Start by planning all the details about it:
the thematic, costumes, house design
and decoration, music and the dance
floor, food and beverage, games to be
played, anything that can help you set a
great mood and enjoy your time with
your friends.
Ask everyone to contribute with
something (food, decoration, etc.) and
you won't have to work too hard for it.
It's not just your party in the end, is it?
If you're not the big party type of
person, don't worry! Plan a small dinner
or some snacks and invite fewer people.
Spend some time together over a coffee
or tea. Call some of your friends for a
sleep over.
No matter what you're up to, plan it
together with your friends and enjoy it!

35. To sum up with...
Methods to spend the free time...
... and choices we do
Enjoy every minute of your time,
regardless it's a working one or not. You
will never face that second, that minute
again as we can't turn back the time.
Be perseverant and aim up to bigger
goals once you achieve them.
Choose whatever method you like or
even better, come up with yours.
Be conservative with the things you like,
but at the same time, don't be afraid to
try new ones. Explore your inner self
and define your limits far up.
Enjoy!

36. Thank you!
Participants and...
... the help we got
Participants
ALTUĞ Ahmet SESCU Flavia
ALTUĞ Süleyman MUSTEREȚ Raluca
SEVEN Ayşe BALAN Diana
ÇEV K Ayşenur BEȚĂ Iulius
AKGÜL Esra BLĂJUȚ Eduard
AKBAŞ Hüseyin ANTONICĂ Robert
GÜLEÇ Ömer GRĂJDEANU Adrian
GÜL Selin HUIDAN Andreea
Leaders
YAMAN Ekrem BALAN Petru
KAYA Gürhan BALAN Maria
Coordinators
BALAN Georgiana CĂPLESCU Andreea
Thank you, CĂLIN Anastasia, for joining
us!
Main funder
Erasmus+ through A.N.P.C.D.E.F.P.
Partners
'Bogdan Vodă' High School, Hălăucești
Anatolian Pedagogical High School,
Gönen/Turkey
Accommodation
DJST Iași and Făget Camp, Muncelu de
Sus
DJST Maramureș and Mara Camp, Baia
Mare
Exhibitions
Children's Club, Pașcani
Butchers' Tower Baia Mare
Support for activities
History and Archeology County Museum,
Baia Mare
DEIS Association, Baia Mare
Mansio Association, Baia Mare

37. Useful links
Do a bit of research...
... find out more!
Yellow Shirts Association
facebook.com/YellowShirtsRomania
Rural-Urban-Nature
facebook.com/ruralurbannature
Rural and Urban Photography Album
(Rural-Urban-Nature)
slideshare.net/deeuta/rural-and-urban-
photography-album
Reuse or Lose - Do it yourself ideas
facebook.com/Reuse.or.Lose
slideshare.net/deeuta/brosura-final-poze
Visualize my language! - a mini
audio-illustrative dictionary with 2000
words translated in Romanian, English,
French, German, Spanish, Italian,
Turkish and Russian
visualizemylanguage.webs.com
facebook.com/visualizemylanguage
All for one and one for all - games
issuu.com/yellow-shirts/docs/
or_one_and_one_for_all_games
Erasmus+ programme
ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus
Romanian National Agency -
Erasmus+ programme
erasmusplus.ro
Salto Youth - practical online tools
for youth workers and trainings
salto-youth.net
Training kits - skills development
youth-partnership-eu-coe.int/youth-
parntership/publications/T-kitsT_Kits
Books
readanybook.com
Cooking recipes
bbcgoodfood.com/recipes
IMDB - Internet Movie Data Base
imdb.com
Gardening tips
gardening.about.com
... and so many others

38. Free time is a terrible
thing to waste
E.A. Bucchianeri

39. This project was funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+
Programme. This publication reflects only the views of the author and the
funder cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the
information contained therein