Playing

Children and Toys (04:53)
Human children and adults play more than any other animal. Play helps children move through developmental stages and discover their independence. Toys or soft objects may represent the mother and can comfort a child in the absence of the parent.

Value of Playing With Children (02:12)
When a child gets pleasure from playing peek-a-boo, it is an epistemological victory for him. He has now learned that something exists even though he cannot see it. When the child makes a toy appear and disappear, he experiences his power.

What Is a Good Toy? (06:09)
Toys are primarily a support for children’s' imaginations—therefore, toys must be simple, slightly representational, and non-mechanical. When children are allowed to play naturally with water or playground toys on their own, they experience self-discovery.

Children's Play and Fear of Death (01:32)
Children's play embodies the attempt to keep the fear of death at bay. Gamblers share a similar fear at being unable to master their own dependence. Gamblers convince themselves that losing is good, as it assures them they can go on living in spite of losing.

Ancient and New Toys (04:15)
Teddy bears provide a shoulder to cry on. Children observe a display of old toys, some of which are descendants of ancient toys. Dolls provide even very young children with opportunities to practice child-rearing skills such as diaper changing and bathing.

Toys and Sex Differentiation (02:39)
The realization of one's sex happens around the age of 20 months. Toys become the emblems of a child's sex as well as objects of play. Any object can become a delightful toy when the child observes how the parent delights in the object.

Pets, Mirrors, and Self-Realization (04:11)
Animals are perfect transitional objects for children, as they provide outlets for children's parental impulses and often function as go-betweens. Mirrors play essential roles in the processes of self-realization, as the child learns that she is an entity separate from others.

Sick Children and Play (02:09)
Sick children are easier to care for when they are happy. Two doctors dressed as clowns entertain sick children in the hospital. Mothers and fathers watch their sick children smile and rediscover how to play.

Children's Play and Physical Development (06:14)
Musical toys help develop the quality of children's hearing. Modeling clay helps children develop finger strength and dexterity. When young children imitate each other, it is an unspoken expression of understanding.

Toy and Game Libraries (02:55)
In France's 900 game libraries, mothers and children learn about and experience toys and games before deciding whether to purchase certain them. Mothers are often too eager for their children to learn something from toys, but not all toys need to be educational.

Age-Appropriate Toys (02:45)
Mothers demand that toys are perfectly adapted to children's age levels. Overly eager parents may force maturity on children, giving them a motorized vehicle, for example, when they do not know how to ride a tricycle. Why should children learn that speed necessarily has value? What about computers for children?

Children and Virtual Reality (06:51)
Parents should carefully monitor video games and television shows for children. There is no denying that children are affected by what they see. Yet, others argue that today's television monsters are no different than ogres and beasts found in fairytales.

Rights of Children (04:58)
Children have the right to waste things, to do nothing, to dream, to use time as she or he wishes, and the right to have friends. Children with a variety of impairments play creatively just as other children do. Every child has a right to its childhood.