This handbook utilizes the works and words of Frederick Law Olmsted in communicating recreational needs and desires. The booklet focuses on public outdoor recreation and the importance of assessing environmental considerations when developing recreational areas. The booklet is divided into four sections: The Nature of Recreation, Our Recreational Needs, Identifying Our Needs by Performance Components, and Working with Performance. The first section introduces recreation and the ideas of Frederick Law Olmsted and encourages the reader to evaluate his recreational pursuits. Our Recreational Needs examines the need for exercise, the availability of recreation, and the educational possibilities inherent in nature. The third section describes the component factors of performance--inactive/active, individual/group, young/old, small/large--that must be considered in analyzing recreational needs and determining solutions to recreational problems. Working with Performance provides guidelines for identifying recreational possibilities, analyzing recreational resources, and developing a recreational program and recreational resources. Each section includes photographs, worksheets, and text; line drawings and information on various games, places, and recreational plans are found in the margins of the booklet. An Olmsted bibliography, recreational bibliography, and game glossary are also included. (Author/TK)