Some adults spend a lot of time trying to stop children playing. They are usually people who think of play as being the1 of work and therefore a waste of time. For humans, work is a way of getting food to eat, and like humans,2 must spend time doing the3 things. Regardless of this, children4 playing, and so do other young animals. It is quite5 to keep both a small child and a young cat6 for hours with a piece of paper.
Hunting may be the most obvious skill7 in play, but it is far from being the only one. Lambs and goat kids play8 , although they will never 9 anything other than some grass. But for these young animals too, 10 is an important part of learning. Sheep and goats are11 hill and mountain animals. Running and skipping exercise young legs and develop a strong sense of 12 that will keep them safe on the steepest rocks. 13 animals play, play is not so different for humans. 14 trees and catching flies are not the most obvious training for the adult world, but the flexibility 15 in these activities is similar to that required of a bus driver or businessman.
What we know about animals shows us that playing is a very good way of 16 , so maybe one of the best ways for 17 to learn is also by playing. Children find playing is fun, but 18 notice that they are also learning at the same time. Most people continue to play games long after they have become 19 , and perhaps that is because we rely so much on our20 to learn.
