Play from the Perspective of Future Pedagogues’ Childhood and Adulthood

This paper presents contemporary views of play and results from a research on play from the perspective of childhood and adulthood. Research results indicate that play from the perspective of childhood is a voluntary, free and fun activity with friends and peers outside of adult pressure and limitations, and play from the perspective of adulthood is, above all, an educational tool. Observed differences confirm the existence of the phenomenon of ‘social arrangement’. One of the possible explanations of the view of play as an educational tool could be an awareness of the power of social structure and its influences on individuals’ behaviour. Social conformity as a dominant ideal of educational institutions opposes the understanding of play from the childhood perspective.