Publisher's Synopsis
How can we define 'play'? How does play behaviour develop? Can it be measured? Is it a universal childhood phenomenon? Do children learn through play? In an attempt to answer these and other questions, Biology of Play offers a wide, selective range of current thinking, observational work and experiments on play. Additionally, the more practical clinical and educational aspects of the subject are discussed, e.g. the rôle of play in psychotherapy, the organisation of play in nursery groups and the provision of play space in urban housing estates. The papers presented in this book - from contributors in Britain, the United States, Sweden, Holland and Israel - are as diverse as the subject itself. The papers should prove of especial interest to play leaders, educationalists, social workers, psychologists and paediatricians.
