There are pronounced differences in the play of boys and girls. Why do boys prefer war toys, and girls Barbie dolls? Are video games addictive? What, if anything, do children learn while playing? Toys, Play and Child Development explores these and other questions. Parental attitudes and reactions toward war toys are described, as are the children's views themselves. The book examines how toys and play contribute to the development of language, imagination, and intellectual achievement and how they can effectively be used in child psychotherapy.