Why Children Play?

On why children love playtime and adults need more playtime.

Apr 10, 2025

I recently came across an old photo I had captured of children playing in a school compound. I had taken this photo as a student volunteer at the school.

I was fascinated by the simplicity and complexity of this image.

Here is what I noticed and remembered about this photo.

There was a loud bell and children gathered in this small space behind the school building. These kids were from different grades and different age groups.

They had a limited amount of time for their recess break. They quickly formed a circle and the older kids explained the rules of this game to everyone present. They spoke clearly and slowly and made sure everyone understood the rules. They maintained consistent eye contact and supportive body language throughout the conversation. Then the game began.

Two younger children did not understand the rules of the game. So an older student took them aside and demonstrated the game to them by acting out parts of it. You can actually see this happening on one side of this photo.

The other kids kept playing. The younger children joined the game. They made a few mistakes but were encouraged to keep trying. They were not afraid to make mistakes because every time they fell down or made an error they would just end up laughing and would try again. There was noise, movement, laughter and joy.

In twenty minutes they went through 3-4 rounds of this game. It was amazing. There was no adult intervention throughout this period. This was human communication and collaboration at its highest. Was this why a relatively unknown scientist once said that,

“Play is the highest form of research.” - Albert Einstein

Why do children play?

Dr Peter Gray, is a research professor, in Psychology and Neuroscience, at Boston College whose recent work focuses primarily on children's natural ways of learning and the value of play from an evolutionary perspective.

He published, Free to Learn in 2015, where he drew on evidence from anthropology, psychology and history, to demonstrate that free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers and become emotionally resilient.

He continued to research and regularly publish articles on why children play with titles like, “Definition of Play”, “What Exactly Is Play”, “Evolutionary Functions of Play”, “Risky Play” and “Mixed Age Play”. He delivered lectures with titles like, “The Role of Play in the Development of Social and Emotional Competence” and “How Children Learn Through Self-Directed Play and Exploration”.

He was basically obsessed with why children play and made it the focus of his career as a researcher. He summarized his research on play in this short five minute video for The Early Childhood Education and Training Program (ECETP).

In this video he shared four characteristics of play which are:

Play is self chosen and self directed.
Play is intrinsically reinforcing and motivating.
Play is structured by the child or children playing.
Play is imaginative.

Okay. I now understand why children play.

But…

What are the different kinds of play?

There are six types of play according to this video by the team at Medical Centric:

Physical Play promotes movement, strength and conditioning.
Imaginative Play includes creating make believe worlds and characters.
Constructive Play involves building, creating and manipulating objects.
Social Play involves interactions with other children and adults.
Sensory Play engages activities that stimulate the various senses.
Outdoor/Nature Play involves play in parks or playgrounds.

All this research got me curious.

Was play important to me growing up? How important was it? Why did I want to play? How did I play? What did I play? Who did I play with?

There were so many questions that came to my mind.

I needed to investigate this further through reflecting on my personal experience and finding answers on the Internet.

A Story About Play

I was 7-8 years old.

I had moved into a new neighbourhood. I was nervous. I had no friends. In my mind that was the biggest problem in the world.

A few days later while coming home on the school bus, I noticed that there was a huge empty ground right next to my building. There was nothing special about it. It was size of a small football field and filled with dirt and sand. It had trees in some corners and was surrounded by houses and apartments in the vicinity.

One day I turned up at the ground and noticed that a large group of children were already there. Many of them were from my school. I had a new football in my hand and they asked me to come over and let them play with the ball. We spent the next few hours kicking the ball around and just playing. I remember playing for three hours in this ground that day. This went on for the next five years.

“In play, a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior. In play, it is as though he were a head taller than himself.” - Lev Vygotsky

We would play team sports like football and cricket.

We often created our own games.

We would make our own rules and these rules changed based on the environment and context we played in everyday.

We would explore our locality together on our bikes.

We would pool our pocket money and try new snacks from the grocery store close by.

We would navigate and negotiate conversations with adults that would regularly drop by to complain about the noise or broken windows.

Sometimes the friends I made at the ground would come over to my apartment building and we would play for a bit longer in the corridors and staircases. We were very creative in the way we used spaces. We would make spaceships out of staircases. The windows in our buildings were like open windows of a ship looking out into the endless sea. We would convert shoes into flying cars.

On the weekends, we would spend time at each others homes playing board games like tumbling monkeys, countdown or monopoly.

But play did not stop there for me.

All children have a world inside their head. They make sense of the world here.

After dinner I would rush to my bed and take out all my toys. I had created an imaginary world that I controlled where all the toys listened to my instructions. I would create a new adventure everyday.

In this world there were little soldiers, cars and animals going on adventures to save the planet.

One day I was fighting nasty and monstrous utensils in the kitchen.

The next day I was avoiding falling shampoo asteroids in the bathroom.

There was one day where my father’s head became a battleground for my toys.

That ended soon.

Why did I want to play so much?

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” - Fred Rogers

School made me want to fit in and compete with other kids. But here, I could be the best version of me.

It was self directed. It was structured. It was intrinsically motivating. It was imaginative.

There was imaginative play. There was physical play. There was social play. There was outdoor play.

No worry. No bells. No uniform. No home work. No competition. No grades. No exams.

Just running around and seeing a new side of the same world everyday.

I was super excited because of the possibilities of play in my life.

Hmm. Not bad.

However do all children feel the same way about play…

So I then asked ChatGPT why all children like to play

Here is what ChatGPT thought about this topic,

Children love to play because play is how they make sense of the world. It's not just fun—it's how they learn, grow, and connect with others. Here’s a breakdown of why it’s so instinctive and important:
Natural Curiosity - Children are born curious. Play gives them a chance to explore their surroundings, test ideas, and ask "what if?" in a hands-on way. It's like their first form of research.
Learning by Doing - Play is learning in disguise. Through play, kids develop: Cognitive skills (problem-solving, memory, decision-making), Language Skills (especially through pretend play or storytelling), Physical skills (coordination, balance, fine and gross motor skills) and Social skills (sharing, empathy, negotiation)
Freedom & Control - Play gives children a rare sense of autonomy. They set the rules, create the story, and decide what happens next. That feeling of control is empowering in a world where most decisions are made for them.
Emotional Expression - Children often process emotions through play. A game of "doctor" might help them deal with a recent visit to the clinic, or building a block tower can help manage frustration and pride.
Imagination & Creativity - Play stretches the imagination. A stick becomes a sword, a spaceship, or a magic wand. This creative thinking is foundational for problem-solving later in life.
Biological Drive - From an evolutionary standpoint, animals—including humans—play to practice life skills. It's built into the brain’s reward system. When they play, they experience joy, and that reinforces learning.

Okay. Play is important to children.

But..

I asked ChatGPT, why don’t adults like play?

Here is what ChatGPT thought about this topic,

1. Social Conditioning - As we grow up, we’re taught that play is “childish.” Somewhere between school, jobs, and responsibilities, play gets labeled as unproductive, silly, or a “waste of time.” Adulthood gets defined by seriousness. We hear these enough, and eventually, we internalize them.
2. Productivity Culture - Modern adulthood often revolves around output—grades, jobs, bills, responsibilities. If an activity doesn’t have a clear “return on investment,” it gets sidelined. Play, which is open-ended and purposeless on the surface, doesn’t fit into that framework.
3. Fear of Judgment - Kids don’t care if they look silly. Adults do. As we become more self-aware and socially conscious, we get anxious about being perceived as immature, weird, or frivolous. Play feels risky.
4. Exhaustion - After work, chores, errands, and parenting, who has the energy to play? Play requires presence, curiosity, and sometimes physical movement—things many tired adults are low on.
5. Lost Imagination - The part of the brain that fuels pretend play and creativity doesn’t disappear—but it can go dormant. Without regular use, imagination gets replaced by routine and logic.
6. Here’s the twist: Adults do play. They just call it by other names: Hobbies, Sports, Gaming, Travel, Gardening, Dancing, Improv, Lego sets for grown-ups

How can adults play?

This time I asked friends and colleagues. This is a random list of responses and ideas I received over several weeks

Revisit What You Loved As a Kid.
Make Work More Playful.
Doodle in a notebook.
Dance to a song you love.
Build something with your hands (Legos, puzzles, clay).
Play a quick game (physical, digital, or verbal).
Organize Game nights.
Board games or card games.
Sports or frisbee in the park.
Improv classes or karaoke Playing with others adds laughter, surprise, and connection—which makes it easier to commit to.
Playful walks (e.g., noticing 5 weird things).
Go on a city-wide treasure hunt or scavenger hunt – Make one with friends or join an organized one.
Rollerblade or bike through a new neighborhood – Add a playlist for bonus fun.
Try parkour or bouldering – Urban spaces become your jungle gym.
Join a recreational sports league – Basketball, football, ultimate frisbee, or even dodgeball.
Do “playful commuting” – Skip, hop, or dance your way to the metro once a week.
Write a research paper about a topic you are curious about.
Try an escape room – Great for groups and puzzle lovers.
Visit an arcade or VR gaming space – Nostalgic or futuristic fun.
Play improv street games – Think “yes, and” or flash mob-style activities with friends.