This paper aims to categorize the most frequent playful activities in a sample of children from a rural community of Brazil's northeast region. Thirty two children of both sexes, aged 2-12 years, were individually observed during free play, in five minutes sessions each. The most observed category of play was 'symbolic games' (49%). The themes of the symbolic games were predominantly tied with the local way of living. Gender differences were observed and analyzed. The collected data suggest that female plays tend to be symbolic, while male plays tend to be more varied. It was observed that the relation between playful activities and local context is based upon the employment of resources that the specific environment offers to the child's development, characterizing the relations between particular contexts and the ludic activities developed in it.
Play; Child Development; Social Development; Rural Community
