Beyond play and playfulness

The evolution of play to playfulness over time establishes developmental fo undations that are of central importance throughout life. Freud believed th at play is at its richest and most adaptive during the oedipal phase; other s have taken issue with. Freud's view that play has ifs place mainly in chi ldhood and is given up in adulthood. This paper emphasizes the central impo rtance elf playfulness throughout life. In formulating the boundaries of pl ay, it utilizes the observations and comments of experts in the field.