Girls and boys together

Children love to play and seem to be naturally social and gregarious. These characteristics of children are shared by all social mammals, such as dogs, wolves, lions, hyenas, porpoises, killer whales, meerkats, and all moneys and apes. Play behavior may be spontaneous physical activity or may be defined by cultural rules.  The tea party is an example of play initiated by children living in Havana (Cuba) that mirrors adult-like behavior that the children may have experienced at home or viewed on television, the cinema or other media. Gender roles are evident as the girls are preparing to serve tea to the boys. Schools often provide formal structure to children’s play behavior. Maya-American children attend a school in Florida —the blond boy in the last row is the son of a teacher. The parents of these children migrated from Guatemala due to poverty, violence, and risks for illness. The children are engaged in-group play that also teaches language and mathematic skills, through singing. In the two examples shown here, play is seen to be fun and also a major pathway to learn social roles and educational skills. [Barry Bogin]