Play is the primary activity through which a child encounters the world. It influences the child’s physical, emotional, and social development and offers him experiences which he will use in his later life. The right to play is one of the fundamental rights of a child and it is clearly specified in many official documents including the National curriculum for early and preschool education. Children’s play has been studied by various disciplines; however, the sociological and pedagogical perspectives will be presented in more detail in this thesis. The focus will be on the role of the parent and educator and the ways in which they can support children’s play and foster creativity, by extending role-play scenarios, and by providing space, materials and time. This thesis examines the structure of play and its types and considers space and time and their role in play. Part of the thesis deals with the role of peers during play and categorizes play by social criteria. A clear connection exists between the age of the child and the type of play the child chooses independently. At the end of the thesis the question of children’s perception of play and the difference between it and the adult (educators’ and parents’) perceptions of play is explored. Children’s free play is more and more under the control of adults, with imposed restrictions, which has consequences on the development of the child in all spheres – motor, social, cognitive, and socio-emotional. Parents and educators need to understand children’s play and its effects on the child in order to support him in the best way possible.