Part I: What is play?

1. What is play?. Natalie Macdonald.

2. Children's right to play. Jane Waters-Davies.

3. Types of play. Alison Rees-Edwards.

4. Play pioneeers and their legacy. Alison Murphy.

Part II: Why is play important?

5. Play, learning and development. Natalie Canning and Angela Rekers.

6. Play, early language and communication. Amanda Bateman.

7. Play, creativity and well-being. Charlotte Greenway and Laura Hutchings.

Part III: Where does play happen?

8. Enabling environments: indoors and out. Jennifer Clement.

9. Outdoor play. Glenda Tinney.

10. Play in the digital world. Pekka Mertala and Saara Salomaa.

11. The place of play in the early years curricula of the UK. Carys Jennings.

12. The role of the adult in the supporting play. Angela Rekers with Mel McCree..

13. Play and inclusion. Nanna Ryder and Charlotte Greenway.

14. Play in community spaces. Alex Southern.

15. Intergenerational play. Margaret Kernan, Giulia Cortellesi and Mariana Palazuelos.

Part IV: International Perspectives

16. Cultural framing of expectations for play. Angela Rekers and Jane Waters-Davies..

17. Play in extremis. Debra Laxton and Linda Cooper.

18. Playful learning around the world.Sarah Chicken and Sarah Whitehouse..