Children and Play

Peter K. Smith is Professor of Psychology and Head of the Unit for School and Family Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is co-author of Understanding Children's Development and co-editor of The Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development and of The Nature of Play: Great Apes and Humans. He has written widely on children's play, especially pretend play training, and rough-and-tumble play.

• ContentsSeries Editor’s PrefaceAcknowledgmentsviiixChapter 1 An Introduction to Play 1Why Play? 1Examples of What Is and What Is Not Play 2Characteristics of Playful Behavior 4Types of Play 8Things That Are Probably Not Play: Exploration, Stereotypic Behavior, Work, Rule-Governed Games 10Methods of Studying Play 12Plan of the Book 20Chapter 2 A Brief History of the Study of Play and of Play Theories 21Early European Educators and the Role of Play 22Evolutionary Theory and Play: Darwin, Spencer, and Groos 24Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Play 27The Play Ethos 27Anthropological Perspectives on Play 30Psychological Perspectives: Vygotsky and Piaget 31Developmental Sequences in Play: Piaget, Smilansky, Rubin 35More Recent Play Theorists 39Chapter 3 Animal Play: Definitions and Descriptions 41Possible Play in Birds, Lower Vertebrates, and Invertebrates 41Play in Mammals 44Some Examples of Mammalian Play 46Do All Mammals Play? 52Play in Monkeys and Apes 54Chapter 4 Animal Play: Theoretical Perspectives on Function 62Theories and Evidence Concerning the Evolution and Adaptive Value of Animal Play 62Examining Possible Benefits of Play 70General Views on the Benefits of Play 70The Possible Relevance for Human Play of Studying Animal Play 77Chapter 5 Play in Different Cultures 80(author: Yumi Gosso) Parakanã Children 81Factors Contributing to Cultural Similarities and Differences 85Similarities and Differences across Cultures 95Chapter 6 Physical Activity Play: Exercise Play and Rough-and-Tumble 99Stages in Physical Activity Play 100Rough-and-Tumble Play 104Sex Differences in Physical Activity Play 113Functions of Physical Activity Play 115Chapter 7 Object Play 124Sensorimotor or Functional Play 124Beyond the Sensorimotor Period 131Functions of Object Play 134Experiments with Object Play and Creative Problem-Solving 140Chapter 8 Pretend Play: Description 148Definitions of Pretend or Fantasy Play 148The Development of Pretend Play in Children 155Solitary and Social Pretend Play 157Sociodramatic Play 158Imaginary Companions 159Distinguishing Fantasy and Reality 161Gender Differences 163Pretend Play and Friendship 163Other Factors Affecting Pretend Play 165A Universal Human Feature? 166Children with Autism 167Pretend Play as a Lifespan Activity? 168Chapter 9 Pretend Play: Theories and Functions 170Arguments for Benefits of Pretend or Fantasy Play 170Theories Concerning the Function of Pretend Play 172Models of the Role of Pretend Play in Development 178Evidence for the Functions of Pretend Play 180Experimental Studies 188Chapter 10 Some Practical Issues Concerning Play 194The Role of Parents in Encouraging and Structuring Children’s Play 194The Role of Play in the Early Childhood Curriculum: Play Training 196Attitudes to War Play 197The Arguments For (and Against) Recess Breaks 201The Role of Play in Helping Children under Stress, or with Illness or Disability 205Chapter 11 Concluding Comments: Play and the Middle Way 213Play: Ignored or Idealized? 213References 218Author Index 247Subject Index 253