DRT Week 2026: From a Spark to Infinite Possibilities
18-24 September 2026 | This Time, We Celebrate Us
Throughout the year, Diversional and Recreational Therapy practitioners are often the people behind the celebrations. We help acknowledge milestones, organise special events, create meaningful experiences and bring people together. Across health, disability, aged care and community settings, we often find ourselves celebrating the people we support, their whānau, our colleagues and the many professions working alongside us.
We plan. We create. We connect. We make sure people feel remembered and valued.
But every now and then, it is worth asking: who celebrates the people who spend so much of their time celebrating everyone else?
From 18 to 24 September 2026, that is exactly what we are going to do.
DRT Week 2026 is an opportunity for Aotearoa New Zealand to recognise Diversional and Recreational Therapy practitioners and the contribution meaningful recreation, connection and participation make to wellbeing and quality of life. Led by the New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapists Inc. (NZSDRT Inc.), the week is both a celebration of our profession and an invitation to the wider community. Workplaces, health and disability services, allied health colleagues, whānau and communities are invited to learn about our mahi, recognise the practitioners doing this work and join us in championing recreation as an important part of human wellbeing.
And for practitioners, this week belongs to you.
It is a chance to reconnect with why you entered the profession, celebrate what you have achieved, strengthen your knowledge, connect with your professional whānau and, importantly, make time for your own recreation and wellbeing.
This year's theme, "From a Spark to Infinite Possibilities," reminds us that meaningful change often begins with something small: an idea, a conversation, a shared activity, a familiar song, a moment of trust or the courage to ask, "What if we tried this?" When that first spark is supported by creativity, professional knowledge and genuine human connection, it can grow into something transformative.
This DRT Week 2026 invites us to celebrate those sparks, recognise the contribution of our profession and look confidently towards its future.
Why do we celebrate DRT Week?
DRT Week has deep roots in the history of the New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapists Inc. The Society was formally incorporated on 18 September 1992, making this date an important milestone for the profession in Aotearoa. More than three decades later, the celebration has grown into a national week dedicated to recognising practitioners, promoting professional practice, strengthening connections and raising awareness of Diversional and Recreational Therapy.
It is also an opportunity to help others understand that our work is about much more than facilitating activities. Purposeful recreation can support identity, dignity, choice, wellbeing, participation, belonging and quality of life. It creates opportunities for people to reconnect with their strengths, interests, relationships and communities, regardless of their age, health, disability or circumstances.
Every day, DRT practitioners bring together assessment, creativity, evidence, compassion and cultural understanding to create experiences that are meaningful to the people they support. Sometimes the outcome is visible in a new skill, renewed confidence or greater participation. At other times, it appears in a smile, a memory, a conversation or a person feeling seen and valued. These moments matter.
DRT Week gives us the space to recognise this impact, honour those who laid the foundations of our profession, celebrate those carrying the torch today and inspire the practitioners who will follow.
A spark does not become smaller when it is shared. It becomes brighter. When practitioners exchange ideas, encourage one another and share their mahi, one person's inspiration can become a source of possibility for many others.
What can members expect during DRT Week?
This year's Resource Booklet will guide members through each day of the celebration. Alongside messages from the NZSDRT President and Board, members will find practitioner stories, reflective exercises, creative activities, professional learning opportunities, conference highlights, the Ignite Pen-Pal Programme and the DRT Week theme song.
Each day carries a different focus:
Friday, 18 September: Ignite Possibilities
DRT Week opens with National DRT Day, a time to proudly recognise practitioners and the ways they ignite hope, resilience, confidence and opportunity. Members are encouraged to celebrate their teams, share their stories and show their organisations and communities what Therapeutic Recreation can achieve.
Saturday and Sunday, 19-20 September: Feed Your Fire
Those who spend their days supporting others also need time to restore their own energy. The weekend focus encourages practitioners to pause, enjoy meaningful recreation and create a simple self-care plan for the mind and body. Filling our own cup helps us continue bringing presence, creativity and compassion to our work.
Monday, 21 September: Spark an Idea
Monday celebrates creativity and reminds us that ideas do not need to be perfect or complicated to make a difference. Members can explore the booklet's creativity prompts, colouring activity and idea-sharing page, then consider one new spark they could bring to their practice or to the Society.
Tuesday, 22 September: Light Up Learning
Continuous learning strengthens our confidence, professional practice and the quality of support we provide. At 11:00 am, Anna Tennent will present Negotiation & Professional Communication, a career-coaching session exploring healthy boundaries and professional communication for practitioners who often lead with heart.
Wednesday, 23 September: Ignite Connection
Connection lies at the heart of Therapeutic Recreation. Wednesday focuses on whakawhanaungatanga and the relationships we build with the people we support, their whānau, our colleagues, communities, nature and ourselves.
Members will be introduced to the Ignite Pen-Pal Programme, which will connect practitioners through encouraging, respectful correspondence. At 7:00 pm, Ahi Nyx will present Weaving Is My Healing, exploring Mātauranga Māori and how raranga can provide holistic therapy through culture, connection and wellbeing.
Thursday, 24 September: Shine a Light
The final official day invites us to shine a light on the strengths of the people we support, the achievements of our colleagues and the impact of our profession. It is a time to reflect on what inspires us, acknowledge small victories and consider the difference we hope to make through our practice.
Friday, 25 September: Rest to Rise
The learning continues beyond the official week with a special post-DRT Week session. At 12:00 pm, Laura Gordillo will present Rest to Rise, a motivational session exploring why rest, reflection and self-care are active and necessary parts of personal and professional wellbeing.
Be part of the celebration
For practitioners, this is your opportunity to participate, connect, learn, reflect and celebrate the profession you represent every day. Use the Resource Booklet. Attend a learning session. Join your Regional Support Group. Try something new. Recognise a colleague. Share a professional achievement. Tell someone why you became a DRT. And make time for recreation that is meaningful to you.
For organisations, managers and colleagues, we invite you to celebrate the practitioners who so often create celebrations for everyone else. Recognise your DRT team. Share their stories. Ask them about their work. Give them opportunities for professional development. Celebrate their achievements and take some time to understand the purpose and value behind the programmes they develop.
For communities and whānau, DRT Week is an opportunity to discover the profession and see how meaningful recreation can support connection, participation, identity, dignity and belonging throughout life. Whether you work in aged care, disability, mental health, healthcare, community services or another setting, you can be part of the celebration.
Join Our DRT Week Learning Sessions
To register for one or more of the virtual learning sessions, email Vicepresident@diversionaltherapy.net.nz with your full name, workplace or role, and the name of the session or sessions you wish to attend. Please register using the email address where you would like to receive the event link.
Most importantly, share the celebration with us! Send us your stories and photos, tag NZSDRT Inc. on social media and let Aotearoa see the people behind this profession and the possibilities created through their mahi.
This Week, Let Us Celebrate Us
For much of the year, we are the planners, facilitators, connectors and quiet champions behind meaningful moments for other people. DRT Week gives us permission to turn some of that same energy towards our profession and towards one another.
Let us honour those who built the foundations before us.
Let us recognise the practitioners doing extraordinary work today.
Let us welcome and encourage those beginning their journey.
Let us keep learning, connecting and advocating for the importance of meaningful recreation.
And when DRT Week ends, let us carry that spark forward - into our workplaces, our communities, our profession and every person whose life we have the privilege of supporting.
Because one spark can start an idea.
One idea can create connection.
One connection can change a moment.
And one meaningful moment can open the door to infinite possibilities.
Celebrate the profession. Champion recreation. Ignite new possibilities.
DRT Week 2026 | 18–24 September 2026
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