ABSTRACT
What! Is it nothing to be happy, nothing to run and jump all day? He will never be so busy again all his life long. Plato, in his Republic, which is considered so stern, teaches the children only through festivals, games, songs, and amusements. It seems as if he had accomplished his purpose when he had taught them to be happy ... Do not be afraid, therefore, of this so-called idleness. (Rousseau, 2001, p. 84)
Records of children’s play date back to antiquity, even earlier than classical Athens and Greece. Archaeological excavations of ancient China, Peru, and Egypt reveal drawings of various play scenes and play things such as tops, dolls, rattles, and other toys made of pottery and metal. Anthropological studies of primitive people among various cultures reveal evidence of acting, singing, storytelling, arts and craft s, dancing and rhythmic movement, and games and contests (Mitchell, 1937). Many games were of religious signifi cance, dating back to ancient rites of divination. Plato expressed the idea that people were God’s playthings and should spend their lives in the noblest of pastimes. He urged state legislation regarding children’s games and off ered practical advice to mothers on nursery play (Johnson, 1937). Plato was far from alone in his belief that play was valuable for children’s development. Th roughout recorded history, many of the most prominent philosophers/educators/thinkers appeared to understand that play was essential to the development of a full childhood and a happy and well-developed person.
