WHEN CHILDREN who are all nearly the same age play a game, competitiveness can interfere with playfulness. This is especially true in our current culture, which puts so much emphasis on winning and comparisons aimed at determining who is better, an emphasis fostered by our competitive school system and our habit of putting even young children into competitive sports and contests. ... In contrast, when children who differ widely in age play a game together, the focus shifts from winning to having fun. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.