Questioning Vygotsky's ‘Theory’ of Play

It is not uncommon to read about, and hear others discussing Vygotsky's theory of play. This article analyses some key assumptions behind Vygotsky's writing on children's play. The argument presented is that Vygotsky's brief writings about play do not constitute a theory according to scientific definitions of psychological theory, and would be better acknowledged merely as part of the historical evolution of ideas about children's play. Of greater significance is that the theoretical relevance of Vygotsky's opinion about play can seriously be called into question upon the basis of current research in the area.