In recent years we have learned a great deal about why and in what ways play is important for children's health and development. My research, spanning two decades, focuses on children's own views about their play, and their voices have enlightened us as to the complexity of play in relation to its form and function. Historical insights about play are also illuminating. Artifacts have been catalogued by archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists, enabling them to form a picture of children and childhood over time which suggests that play, in some shape or form, has been ever present. Ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle both considered play a valuable way to learn skills necessary for later life. The raison d'etre of play stimulated much thought among influential philosophers in the Enlightenment. John Locke, famous for his position that children were born “tabula rasa”, proposed that regulated play was an important way to shape learning. By contrast, Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that children should learn through nothing other than play, which was not only their right but also a source of liberation and a key ingredient towards a healthy body and mind. These ideas remain relevant in current theory, policy, and practice pertaining to play and in Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on leisure, play, and culture.

中文翻译：

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发挥的力量

近年来，我们学到了很多关于为什么游戏对儿童的健康和发展至关重要的知识。我的研究跨越了二十年，重点关注儿童对游戏的看法，他们的声音启发了我们关于游戏形式和功能的复杂性。关于比赛的历史见解也很有启发。考古学家，历史学家和人类学家已对文物进行了分类，使他们能够随着时间形成儿童和童年的照片，这表明游戏一直以某种形式存在。古希腊哲学家柏拉图（Plato）和亚里斯多德（Aristotle）都认为这是学习以后生活所需技能的宝贵途径。该存在的理由游戏的启发激发了启蒙运动中有影响力的哲学家的思考。约翰·洛克（John Locke）以儿童出生于“塔布拉·拉萨（tabula rasa）”这一立场而闻名，他提出有规律的游戏是塑造学习的重要方式。相比之下，让-雅克·卢梭（Jean-Jacques Rousseau）认为，孩子们除了玩耍外，别无他法，这不仅是他们的权利，而且是解放的源泉，也是健康身心的关键要素。这些思想在有关游戏的当前理论，政策和实践中以及在《联合国儿童权利公约》关于休闲，游戏和文化的第31条中仍然具有现实意义。