Revised | Originally Published: July 3, 2021 @ 4:24 pm

Play benefits humans and other animals in many ways. It is considered an evolutionary survival strategy that offers significant developmental benefits that enhance an individual’s chances to survive and thrive in an unpredictable world. You might say that we humans have a playful instinct.

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References

Check out these sources for more information:

• Bekoff, M., & Byers, J. A. (1998). Animal Play: Evolutionary, Comparative, and Ecological Perspectives. Cambridge University Press.
• Pellegrini, A. D., & Smith, P. K. (1998). The Development of Play During Childhood: Forms and Possible Functions. Child Psychology & Psychiatry Review Volume 3, No. 2, 1998.
• Bateson, P. (2005). The Role of Play in the Evolution of Great Apes and Humans. In The Nature of Play: Great Apes and Humans (pp. 13-24). Guilford Press.
• Burghardt, G. M. (2005). The Genesis of Animal Play: Testing the Limits. MIT Press.
• Pellis, S. M., & Pellis, V. C. (2010). The Playful Brain: Venturing to the Limits of Neuroscience. Oneworld Publications.

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