This article provides an overview of the history of play from ancient times to the present. First analysing the value of contributions of different academic disciplines to this elusive subject, it then calls in question well-established grand narratives as represented by historians Philippe Aries and Gary Cross. It concludes by summarising the contribution of the Centre for the Study of Play and Recreation at the University of Greenwich, including recent publications and the multi-disciplinary "Multi-Cultural Toys" project
