What’s At Play In The Field Of Play? Towards A Better Understanding Of Play’s Role In Development

In the field of child psychology, play is typically viewed as a key element of healthy development. However, a mutual understanding of play between developmental researchers and other professionals appears elusive. In an effort to move towards a better understanding of play and its role in development, I explore the history of the field of play to provide historical context for current frameworks of play research. Attempts by different disciplines to define play are also examined. In addition, I investigate research on play’s relationship to development and discuss the way culture and play interact. The implications of these cultural interactions are also discussed. I conclude that, while potentially not imperative to normal development, play does facilitate the maturation of various regions of the brain and contributes to growth within several developmental domains. An important distinction is made between play being necessary for development and contributing to development. When diverse cultural perspectives are considered, it becomes evident that the importance of play in development lacks uniformity across all groups. My research findings suggest that play is one of multiple paths to healthy development.