ABSTRACT
What does children’s play have to do with the great creative masterpieces of our time? Can we really learn about the underlying creative processes that are involved in the writing of Naked Lunch or Howl or the discovery of the DNA helix by studying children’s play? I think we can see the beginning of some of the cognitive and affective processes important in creativity in play. These processes are, of course, in the early stages of development. They are the precursors of the mature processes that are integrated into the knowledge base, life experiences, social context, and worldview of the creative adult tackling a problem or looking for a new synthesis. Adults are not recreating the play experience when they create. They are using processes that they used and developed when they played as children. By studying children’s play, we can learn about the development of these processes, the role they play in creative work, how they do or do not facilitate creativity, and how they can be facilitated. Play is a window on the beginnings of the creative process.
