ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the social dimension of children's unstructured play, as one aspect of children's play behaviour. It illustrates the existence of age and sex differences in social play behaviour. The chapter examines social play variables and types of activities at the same time. The school in which the study was conducted is comprised of several one-storey buildings which are roomy and aesthetically attractive. The implicit assumption, as in many other studies where observers are present, is that the effect of observers on children's behaviour during recess was minimal. Children's activities were recorded when they actively participated in a game. It is the intermediate girls who are most subjected to environmental influences which possibly restrict their willingness to explore various behavioural patterns to fit their individual needs, abilities and personalities. Sex differences in children's play behaviour during free-play periods appear primarily in the intermediate grades.
