Anthony D. Pellegrini, Ph.D., is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

• Part One: Introduction and Overview 1. IntroductionAnthony D. Pellegrini Part Two: Definitions 2. Defining and Recognizing PlayGordon M. Burghardt 3. Cultural Variations in Beliefs about Play, Parent-Child Play, and Children's Play: Meaning for Childhood DevelopmentJaipaul L. Roopnarine Part Three: Theories 4. Theories of PlayPatrick Bateson 5. Comparing and Extending Piaget's and Vygotsky's Understandings of Play: Symbolic play as Individual, Sociocultural, and Educational InterpretationArtin Göncü and Suzanne Gaskins 6. Gene X Environment Interactions and Social Play: Contributions from Rhesus MacaquesKhalisa N. Herman, Annika Paukner, and Stephen J. Suomi 7. Playing at Every Age: Modalities and Potential Functions in Non-Human PrimatesElisabetta Palagi 8. Play and DevelopmentRobert M. Fagen 9. The History of Children's Play in the United StatesHoward P. Chudacoff 10. The Antipathies of PlayBrian Sutton-Smith Part Four: Methods 11. The Cultural Ecology of Play: Methodological Considerations for Studying Play in Its Everyday ContextsJonathan R. H. Tudge, Jill R. Brown, and Lia B. L. Freitas 12. Observational Methods in Studying PlayPeter K. Smith Part Five: Dimensions of Play 13. Object Play and Tool Use: Developmental and Evolutionary PerspectivesDavid F. Bjorklund and Amy K. Gardiner 14. The Development and Function of Locomotor PlayAnthony D. Pellegrini 15. Not Just "Playing Alone": Exploring Multiple Forms of Nonsocial Play in ChildhoodRobert J. Coplan 16. Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders during Childhood: Implications for Social PlayDavid Schwartz and Daryaneh Badaly 17. Gender and Temperament in Young Children's Social InteractionsCarol Lynn Martin, Richard A. Fabes, Laura D. Hanish 18. Social Play of Children with Adults and PeersCarollee Howes 19. Rough-and-Tumble play: Training and Using the Social BrainSergio M. Pellis and Vivien C. Pellis 20. Children's Games and Playground Activities in School and Their Role in DevelopmentEd Baines and Peter Blatchford 21. Mother-Child Fantasy Play Angeline S. Lillard 22. Origins and Consequences of Social Pretend PlayRobert D. Kavanaugh 23. The Development of Pretend Play in AutismChristopher Jarrold and Carmel Conn 24. Technology and PlayJeffrey Goldstein Part Six: Education 25. Playing around in School: Implications for Learning and Educational PolicyKelly Fisher, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta M. Golinkoff, Dorothy G. Singer, and Laura Berk Part Seven: Conclusion 26. ConclusionAnthony D. Pellegrini Index

"In this comprehensive handbook, psychologists, primatologists, historians and educators show convincingly that play is a many-splendored thing. Readers of this book, whether they are researchers, teachers, policy makers or parents, will be exposed to the full complexity of the phenomenon of play. Advocates of play's benefits -- as well as the skeptical Gradgrinds of this world -- would do well to read the book from cover to cover. Few will ever venture asimple-minded generalization about play again." Paul L. Harris, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education, Harvard University

Anthony D. Pellegrini, Ph.D., is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

• Part One: Introduction and Overview 1. IntroductionAnthony D. Pellegrini Part Two: Definitions 2. Defining and Recognizing PlayGordon M. Burghardt 3. Cultural Variations in Beliefs about Play, Parent-Child Play, and Children's Play: Meaning for Childhood DevelopmentJaipaul L. Roopnarine Part Three: Theories 4. Theories of PlayPatrick Bateson 5. Comparing and Extending Piaget's and Vygotsky's Understandings of Play: Symbolic play as Individual, Sociocultural, and Educational InterpretationArtin Göncü and Suzanne Gaskins 6. Gene X Environment Interactions and Social Play: Contributions from Rhesus MacaquesKhalisa N. Herman, Annika Paukner, and Stephen J. Suomi 7. Playing at Every Age: Modalities and Potential Functions in Non-Human PrimatesElisabetta Palagi 8. Play and DevelopmentRobert M. Fagen 9. The History of Children's Play in the United StatesHoward P. Chudacoff 10. The Antipathies of PlayBrian Sutton-Smith Part Four: Methods 11. The Cultural Ecology of Play: Methodological Considerations for Studying Play in Its Everyday ContextsJonathan R. H. Tudge, Jill R. Brown, and Lia B. L. Freitas 12. Observational Methods in Studying PlayPeter K. Smith Part Five: Dimensions of Play 13. Object Play and Tool Use: Developmental and Evolutionary PerspectivesDavid F. Bjorklund and Amy K. Gardiner 14. The Development and Function of Locomotor PlayAnthony D. Pellegrini 15. Not Just "Playing Alone": Exploring Multiple Forms of Nonsocial Play in ChildhoodRobert J. Coplan 16. Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders during Childhood: Implications for Social PlayDavid Schwartz and Daryaneh Badaly 17. Gender and Temperament in Young Children's Social InteractionsCarol Lynn Martin, Richard A. Fabes, Laura D. Hanish 18. Social Play of Children with Adults and PeersCarollee Howes 19. Rough-and-Tumble play: Training and Using the Social BrainSergio M. Pellis and Vivien C. Pellis 20. Children's Games and Playground Activities in School and Their Role in DevelopmentEd Baines and Peter Blatchford 21. Mother-Child Fantasy Play Angeline S. Lillard 22. Origins and Consequences of Social Pretend PlayRobert D. Kavanaugh 23. The Development of Pretend Play in AutismChristopher Jarrold and Carmel Conn 24. Technology and PlayJeffrey Goldstein Part Six: Education 25. Playing around in School: Implications for Learning and Educational PolicyKelly Fisher, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta M. Golinkoff, Dorothy G. Singer, and Laura Berk Part Seven: Conclusion 26. ConclusionAnthony D. Pellegrini Index

"In this comprehensive handbook, psychologists, primatologists, historians and educators show convincingly that play is a many-splendored thing. Readers of this book, whether they are researchers, teachers, policy makers or parents, will be exposed to the full complexity of the phenomenon of play. Advocates of play's benefits -- as well as the skeptical Gradgrinds of this world -- would do well to read the book from cover to cover. Few will ever venture asimple-minded generalization about play again." Paul L. Harris, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education, Harvard University

Anthony D. Pellegrini, Ph.D., is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

• Part One: Introduction and Overview 1. IntroductionAnthony D. Pellegrini Part Two: Definitions 2. Defining and Recognizing PlayGordon M. Burghardt 3. Cultural Variations in Beliefs about Play, Parent-Child Play, and Children's Play: Meaning for Childhood DevelopmentJaipaul L. Roopnarine Part Three: Theories 4. Theories of PlayPatrick Bateson 5. Comparing and Extending Piaget's and Vygotsky's Understandings of Play: Symbolic play as Individual, Sociocultural, and Educational InterpretationArtin Göncü and Suzanne Gaskins 6. Gene X Environment Interactions and Social Play: Contributions from Rhesus MacaquesKhalisa N. Herman, Annika Paukner, and Stephen J. Suomi 7. Playing at Every Age: Modalities and Potential Functions in Non-Human PrimatesElisabetta Palagi 8. Play and DevelopmentRobert M. Fagen 9. The History of Children's Play in the United StatesHoward P. Chudacoff 10. The Antipathies of PlayBrian Sutton-Smith Part Four: Methods 11. The Cultural Ecology of Play: Methodological Considerations for Studying Play in Its Everyday ContextsJonathan R. H. Tudge, Jill R. Brown, and Lia B. L. Freitas 12. Observational Methods in Studying PlayPeter K. Smith Part Five: Dimensions of Play 13. Object Play and Tool Use: Developmental and Evolutionary PerspectivesDavid F. Bjorklund and Amy K. Gardiner 14. The Development and Function of Locomotor PlayAnthony D. Pellegrini 15. Not Just "Playing Alone": Exploring Multiple Forms of Nonsocial Play in ChildhoodRobert J. Coplan 16. Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders during Childhood: Implications for Social PlayDavid Schwartz and Daryaneh Badaly 17. Gender and Temperament in Young Children's Social InteractionsCarol Lynn Martin, Richard A. Fabes, Laura D. Hanish 18. Social Play of Children with Adults and PeersCarollee Howes 19. Rough-and-Tumble play: Training and Using the Social BrainSergio M. Pellis and Vivien C. Pellis 20. Children's Games and Playground Activities in School and Their Role in DevelopmentEd Baines and Peter Blatchford 21. Mother-Child Fantasy Play Angeline S. Lillard 22. Origins and Consequences of Social Pretend PlayRobert D. Kavanaugh 23. The Development of Pretend Play in AutismChristopher Jarrold and Carmel Conn 24. Technology and PlayJeffrey Goldstein Part Six: Education 25. Playing around in School: Implications for Learning and Educational PolicyKelly Fisher, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta M. Golinkoff, Dorothy G. Singer, and Laura Berk Part Seven: Conclusion 26. ConclusionAnthony D. Pellegrini Index

"In this comprehensive handbook, psychologists, primatologists, historians and educators show convincingly that play is a many-splendored thing. Readers of this book, whether they are researchers, teachers, policy makers or parents, will be exposed to the full complexity of the phenomenon of play. Advocates of play's benefits -- as well as the skeptical Gradgrinds of this world -- would do well to read the book from cover to cover. Few will ever venture asimple-minded generalization about play again." Paul L. Harris, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education, Harvard University