Concept of recreation in the tradition of Polish terminology The aim of the article was to show what the term of recreation meant in the tradition of Polish terminology. The notion of recreation had four meanings in Polish historical tradition. The recreation meant in Old Polish informal meetings that happened in the afternoons, friendly chats, conversations and walks. The second meaning of that term stands for the active rest of youth finishing lessons in old Polish schools. In the 19th century the notion of recreation was also used in the sense of trips to spas or thermal spas for healthcare or resting. In the interwar period the concept of recreation meant also break between lessons in the Polish educational system. Keywords: history of physical culture, recreation, motorial recreation