In his seminal work Homo ludens (1938), on the subject of the origins
and development of play, Johan Huizinga, the father of cultural history,
offers an in-depth analysis of how, why, when, and where people play.
Huizinga establishes the fact that to play is natural, and that it is necessary
for all humans, regardless of culture; in fact, according to Huizinga, play
exists before culture. Using the example of babies who spend a
considerable amount of time playing with their hands, he notes that play
starts soon after birth.