Introduction

Probably no activity is as closely associated with childhood as play. Children spend a great deal of their time playing-at home, at school, in parks, in stores, at the dinner table-wherever and whenever the opportunity arises. Although children from different cultural backgrounds may differ in the amount and nature of their play, the major types of play are found across cultures. Play is not limited to humans however; many young mammals and birds also play, often in ways similar to the play of children.