Early Christian Attitudes towards Child Playing

Early Christian authors refer several times to childish games, plays and toys.
Their attitudes are usually shaped by an apologetic perspective along three axes: an
anthropological view in which primeval innocence is opposed to sinful corruption; a
pedagogical model in which education for adulthood is opposed to childish frivolousness;
and a theological model in which religion is opposed to superstition, paganism and
heresy. Their considerations on child playing are distributed around these poles.
However, a few Christian texts, like the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, stay away from
the apologetic dichotomies and show that in spite of the religious change there were
also clear continuities in social practices and cultural consideration of child playing.