Rough-and-Tumble Play from Childhood through Adolescence: Differing Perspectives

Educators and researchers often take for granted the value of play in the lives of children. Some educators view play as the quintessence of developmentally appropriate practice (Bredekamp, 1987). Researchers, too, have treated play as a hallowed developmental process, essential to a variety of social and cognitive processes (see Bruner, Jolly, & Sylva, 1976; Pellegrini & Galda, 1993; Smith, 1982, 1988 for discussion). However, these researchers view play as a natural process by which children come to know their worlds.