Play is fun, and that’s why children love it. But play also has an important role in furthering children’s social, cognitive, and emotional development. Coupling personal accounts with informed, theoretical discourse, Child’s Play covers the nature and purpose of play, the types and stages of play, appropriate materials and resources, gender boundaries, the acquisition of social skills, cultural variance, differing abilities of young children, and the role of the adult in facilitating play. The discussion questions in each chapter are designed to prompt early childhood students and child care practitioners alike to analyze their own perceptions and attitudes and to guide them in developing programs that recognize play as a powerful learning experience.