This book examines the question of why 'play' is a happy and benevolent verb in childhood, yet a subjective label of behaviour in adulthood. It studies the transformation of the positively labelled term 'child's play', used to refer to our early years, into an aberrance or deviation from normal social relationships in later life, when we speak of playing up or playing around. It answers the question by proposing play as a theory of learning, an ideology that circumscribes behaviour, and a way of thinking. Written by scholars of early childhood through to further and higher education, the book presents research on play enacted in a way that arches beyond the specificity of age groups or predictive, normative patterns. It is international in its focus, moving beyond insular, inward and parochial educational standards and limitations in one city, province, state or nation. Finally, it demonstrates the value of play to educational policy and theories of learning.

Introduction: Play up? Play around?; Tara Brabazon.- Section One: Setting the field of play.- Play in early childhood education: an historical perspective; Sandie Wong and Helen Logan.- Playing with play: a playful reconnaissance; Randa Khattar and Karyn Callaghan.- Team players;  Felicity McArdle, Jennifer Sumsion, Sue Grieshaber, Kellie Bousfield and Paul Shield.- Faculty, Candidates, and Children at Play; Linda Charko, Cameron Fraser, Don Jones and Umar Umangay.-  Section Two Playing with bodies (of knowledge).- (Re)Playing Decolonization umar keoni umangay.- Pre-service teachers, Aboriginal students and the cross-cultural ‘playing field’; Maria Bennet and Beverley Moriarty.- From local to global: international initiatives in school leadership Zeffie Nicholas and Erica van Roosmalen.- Alternative models of learning, thinking and teaching; Beverley Moriarty and Louise Wightman.- Press Play; Tara Brabazon.- Section Three Playing with pedagogies.- Practice play in learning to teach: performing a teaching body; Jo-Anne Reid and Denise Wood.- Outdoor play: friend or foe to early childhood physical activity?; Kelly Tribolet.- Personal epistemologies and pedagogical play: changing practice in teacher education; Jae Major and Alison Ayrton.-  Let’s talk about something important. Let’s talk about me; Tara Brabazon.- Conclusion: This used to be my playground; Tara Brabazon.