The Evolution of Play Theories
For centuries, play has been a significant part of human life. Research on ancient history has shown evidence of human beings devising games and rituals to helps them understand and make sense of the world (Shipley, 2008). “Play has evolved through the centuries from mystical rituals often associated with the supernatural to the complex demonstrations of children`s understanding of phenomena, events, concepts, and social environments as they engage in social play” (Shipley, 2008). According to Shipley (2008), theories of play fall into two broad categories: classical and dynamic. In general, classical theories tried to explain why people play and dynamic theories focus more on how people play. Classical theories include the surplus energy theory, the relaxation theory, the pre-exercise theory and the recapitulation theory. Dynamic theories include theories from Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson.
For centuries, play has been a significant part of human life. Research on ancient history has shown evidence of human beings devising games and rituals to helps them understand and make sense of the world (Shipley, 2008). “Play has evolved through the centuries from mystical rituals often associated with the supernatural to the complex demonstrations of children`s understanding of phenomena, events, concepts, and social environments as they engage in social play” (Shipley, 2008). According to Shipley (2008), theories of play fall into two broad categories: classical and dynamic. In general, classical theories tried to explain why people play and dynamic theories focus more on how people play. Classical theories include the surplus energy theory, the relaxation theory, the pre-exercise theory and the recapitulation theory. Dynamic theories include theories from Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson.