Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: discuss the development of play throughout the life span from a variety of theoretical perspectives; identify types of play based on a variety of forms such as ritual, story-making, games, and fairy tales, explore the role of play in human experience; discuss the relationship of play to other aspects of development, such as language, logical-mathematical thinking, social and moral development, spiritual development, and creativity; critically reflect upon research and theory on play from the perspective of cultural bias; evaluate personal biases and evidence of collective bias and stereotyping in children's toys, games, and television programming and commercials, and demonstrate how these biases and stereotypes influence children's play; plan and facilitate play-based learning activities; and construct an understanding of the role of play in counseling and therapy.