In child development there is an im

In child development there is an important phenomenon that shows very clearly the process of preparation for the future: play. (1) contrary______ to popular belief, its importance should never be underestimated. Games are not the haphazard creations of parents or educators. They should be seen as educational (2) ______ and as stimuli for the child’s (3) ______, imagination and life skills. Every game is a preparation for the future. The manner in which children (4) ______ a game, their choice of game and the importance they (5) ______ upon it, show their attitude and relationship to their environment and how they relate to their (6) ______ human beings. Whether they are hostile or whether they are friendly, and particularly whether they show qualities as leaders, are clearly (7)______ in their play. In observing children at play we can see their whole attitude towards life; play is of the (8) ______ importance to every child.
But play is more than preparation for life. Games are (9)______ communal exercises that enable children to develop their social feeling. Children who avoid games and play are always (10) ______ to the suspicion that they have not (11)______ satisfactorily to life. These children gladly withdraw from all games, or when they are sent to the playground with other children usually (12) ______ the pleasure of others. Pride, lack of (13)______ and the consequent fear of ‘getting it wrong’ are the main reasons for this behaviour. In general, by watching children at play, we can determine (14)______ great certainty the (15) ______ and quality of their social feeling.