In modern childhood, free, unstructured play time is being replaced more and more by academics, lessons, competitive sports, and passive, electronic entertainment. While parents may worry that their children will be at a disadvantage if they are not engaged in constant, explicit learning or using the latest "educational" games, David Elkind's The Power of Play reassures us that unscheduled imaginative play goes far in preparing children for academic and social success. Through expert analysis of the research and powerful situational examples, Elkind shows that, indeed, creative spontaneous activity best sets the stage for academic learning in the first place: Children learn mutual respect and cooperation through role-playing and the negotiation of rules, which in turn prepare them for successful classroom learning; in simply playing with rocks, for example, a child could discover properties of counting and shapes that are the underpinnings of math; even a toddler's babbling is a necessary precursor to the acquisition of language. An important contribution to the literature about how children learn, The Power of Play suggests ways to restore play's respected place in children's lives, at home, at school, and in the larger community. In defense of unstructured "down time," it encourages parents to trust their instincts and resist the promise of the wide and dubious array of educational products on the market geared to youngsters.

Why is play important in the lives of children? What crucial aspects of learning are being neglected in the current near-elimination of recess time in public schools? Playing for Keeps, co-authored by the well-known writer and educational leader Deborah Meier, and two colleagues with equally long experience in schools, explores these questions. Based on close observations on a public school playground, the book shows children at play in a relatively natural, unstructured environment. The reader is virtually there, seeing, listening in, able to appreciate the children's curiosity, humor, intelligence, and inventiveness. Readers will recognize the children's voices and ways of thinking, and perhaps be reminded of their own childhood, their own children, or the children they teach. The authors comment on the observations, adding to the reader's own perceptions. This lively, engaging book makes a strong case for the importance of free exploration, wonder, imagination, and play to the learning and growth of children. It should contribute significantly to the understanding of all those concerned, professionally or personally, with the welfare of our school-age population.

Imaginative role playing is a natural process that can be utilized in adulthood as a recreational form, in addition to its applications in educational and therapeutic contexts. In The Art of Play, Adam and Allee Blatner present a systematic method for developing skills in improvisational play. They discuss the benefits and psychodynamics of this innate channel of vitality, and offer critical examinations of the commonly held beliefs that inhibit the playful impulse. Vignettes of the authors' sessions and an extensive bibliography highlight the text. The Art of Play presents a context for exploration that is free from psychological analysis or pressures to perform competitively. Scenes from the participants' imaginations are enacted using psychodramatic techniques -- a method that serves as a valuable tool for promoting playfulness between couples, with families, among friends, and in a variety of group activities. As a result, The Art of Play is an important resource for professionals in many fields, including psychotherapy, theater arts, group dynamics, recreation, gerontology, and education. "The book is logically organized, easy to read, and based on scientific fact. Since elements of play offer an approach to many things, virtually every reader will find something interesting and useful.... it is so much fun, caution is urged: reading this could be habit-forming!" -- American Association for Therapeutic Humor.