A comprehensive collection of multidisciplinary perspectives on the forms and functions of play and its importance in development.

1. Editorial introduction Peter K. Smith and Jaipaul L. Roopnarine; Part I. Evolution of Play: 2. New directions in studying the evolution of play Gordon M. Burghardt and Sergio M. Pellis; 3. The neurochemistry of social play behaviour in rats Viviana Trezza, E. J. Marijke Achterberg and Louk J. M. J. Vanderschuren; 4. Fur, fun and future fitness: the evolution of play in mammals Lynda Sharpe; 5. Nonhuman primate social play: coping with costs Akie Yanagi and Carol Berman; 6. Evolutionary functions of play: practice, resilience, innovation, and cooperation Peter Gray; 7. Human-animal play: play with pets Gail Melson; Part II. Development of Play in Humans: 8. Infant sensorimotor play: development of socio-cultural competence and enactive cognition Doris Bergen; 9. Mother-child and father-child play in different cultural contexts Jaipaul L. Roopnarine, Elif Dede Yildirim and Kimberly L. Davidson; 10. Object use in childhood: development and possible functions Tony Pellegrini; 11. Pretend and social pretend play: complexities, continuities, and controversies of a research field Ageliki Nicolopoulu; 12. Rough play: past, present and potential Jennifer L. Hart and Michelle T. Tannock; 13. Playing games with rules in early child care and beyond Ditte Winther-Lindqvist; 14. Troublesome binaries: playful learning on screen and off Fiona Scott; 15. Playing and imagining across the life course: a sociocultural perspective Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur and Artin Gönçü; Part III. Historical and Anthropological Context: 16. Play at play in Western Europe, 1500 and 1800 Linda Pollock; 17. Play in foraging societies Adam Howell Boyette; 18. Play in South American indigenous children Yumi Gosso, Briseida D. Resende and Ana M. A. Carvalho; 19. Play in societies influenced by Confucian values Eunjoo Jung and Sophia Han; Part IV. Theories of Play and Research Methodology: 20. Classic theories of play Thomas S. Henricks; 21. Brian Sutton-Smith's views on play Anna Beresin, Fraser Brown and Michael M. Patte; 22. Methods of studying play James E. Johnson and Pool Ip Dong; Part V. Play and Learning: 23. Play and learning in everyday family contexts Marilyn Fleer; 24. Leading children in their 'leading activity': a Vygotskian approach to play Elena Bodrova, Deborah J. Leong, Carrie Germeroth and Crystal Day-Hess; 25. The adult as mediator of development in children's play Pentti Hakkarainen and Milda Bredikyte; 26. Play, learning and teaching in early childhood education Niklas Pramling, Anne Kultti and Ingrid Pramling-Samuelson; 27. Toddlers' play in early childhood education settings Maritta Hännikäinen and Hilkka Munter; 28. Adult and child learning in playworlds Beth Ferholt, Robert Lecusay and Monica Nilsson; 29. Play-literacy: knowns and unknowns in a changing world Kathleen Roskos; 30. The problems of play Susan Engel; Part VI. Play with Special Groups: 31. Play and children with autism: insights from research and implications for practice Despina Papoudi and Lila Kossyvaki; 32. Play and children with sensory impairments P. Margaret Brown and Anna Bortoli; 33. Play and children with physical impairments Cynthia J. Cress; 34. A typology of play in medical settings Colleen Baish-Cameron and Michael M. Patte; 35. Play therapy: theory and practice Elise Cuschieri; 36. Political violence (war and terrorism) and children's play Esther Cohen; Part VII. Play Spaces and the Rights of Children: 37. Play spaces: indoors and out John A. Sutterby; 38. Recess: supporting a culture of meaningful play at school Lauren McNamara; 39. Playwork: a unique way of working with children Fraser Brown, Alexandra Long and Mike Wragg; 40. The right to childhood and the ethos of play Lacey E. Peters and Beth Blue Swadener.