Changes in our world have made it more difficult for children to find protected, exciting places to play and interesting, satisfactory things to play with. This edited volume, resulting from the collaboration of Bank Street College (New York, New York), Erikson Institute (Chicago, Illinois), Pacific Oaks College (Pasadena, California), and Wheelock College (Boston, Massachusetts), focuses on children's play and how their play and learning may be supported in early childhood settings. Section 1 examines play education research and suggests methods for training professionals to facilitate play. Chapters are: (1) "Play in Early Childhood Development and Education: Issues and Questions" (Joan B. McLane and Others); (2) "The Value of Play as Perceived by Wheelock College Freshmen" (Edgar Klugman); (3) "The Meaning of Play: Perspectives from Pacific Oaks College," (Mary Beth Lakin); (4) "Reflections on Play: Learning from Student Teacher Placements," (Richard Feldman); and (5) "Constructing Knowledge about Play: Case Method and Teacher Education," (Amelia Klein). Section 2 describes cultural experiences to understand how play is regarded and supported from within various cultures. Chapters are: (1) "Endangered Play, Endangered Development: A Constructivist View of the Role of Play in Development and Learning" (Diane E. Levin); (2) "The Role of Play in the Acculturation Process" (Renatta M. Cooper); and (3) "'They Can't Even Play Right!': Cultural Myopia in the Analysis of Play--Cultural Perspectives on Human Development" (Terry Meier and Peter Murrell). Section 3 encourages expanded explanations of children's play to advocate more effectively for children. Chapters are: (1) "On-the-Job Training: Children's Play and Work" (Vicki Bartolini); (2) "The Role of Play in Inclusive Early Childhood Settings" (Catherine Marchant and Cheryl Render Brown); and (3) "Implementing Play in Hospitals: Values and Viewpoints" (Joan Fernbach Kingson and others). (The bibliography contains approximately 150 references.) (KDFB)