I’m doing some reading about different types of playing that children do as they get older. It’s pretty interesting. I’ll post more generalized things in a few minutes, but I thought this one passage about playing pretend, and the need for shared context was especially relevant to the types of playing pretend that occur in religious and other story-systems that we adults engage in also:

To implement and maintain pretend play episodes, a great deal of shared meaning must be negotiated among children. Play procedures may be talked about explicitly, or signaled subtly in role-appropriate action or dialogue. Players often make rule-like statements to guide behavior (”You have to finish your dinner, baby”). Potential conflicts are negotiated.

Also, this one about the importance of rule-based play for older children is also very appropriate:

The main organizing element in game play consists of explicit rules which guide children’s group behavior. Game play is very organized in comparison to sociodramatic play. Games usually involve two or more sides, competition, and agreed-upon criteria for determining a winner. Children use games flexibly to meet social and intellectual needs. For example, choosing sides may affirm friendship and a pecking order. Games provide children with shared activities and goals. Children often negotiate rules in order to create the game they wish to play

What is it that stupid book says? Everything we need to know we learned in kindergarten? Based on what I’m reading right now, I tend to believe that. Or at least that we definitely start putting together patterns which we use throughout the rest of our lives.