As children play with each other and around parents, teachers and other adults, they learn how to interact with different people they encounter in the world. Children learn behavioral "codes" that dictate both how to and how not to behave around others. They begin to formulate concepts of courtesy, respect, friendliness and privacy. Through play, children learn the social skills that aid them as they grow through adolescence and adulthood.
In playing situations where one or more children interacts with peers or adults, children learn methods for cooperation. As the overall goal of play for most children is simply having a good time, children learn how to work together to achieve that goal. Learned cooperative behavior enables children to avoid potentially disruptive social problems relating to sharing and speaking with others.
For children, play almost always incorporates an element of make-believe. From inventing an imaginary friend to using sticks or rocks as stand-ins for some other object (swords, guns, wizard staffs, and so on), imagination is a crucial part of play. The imaginative skills necessary to conceive of some object as something other than what it is is relates directly to problem solving. Childhood playing is an excellent way to develop and hone a child's sense of problem-solving and creativity.
Often given a child's lack of understanding pertaining to social roles, conflicts arise between two or more children related to their play. These conflicts can arise from a lack of cooperation or proper socialization, as well as unresolved problems of imagination. When confronting these problems, children must utilize conflict resolution skills (identifying the problem, imagining a solution, testing the solution, enacting the solution) to move on to their playtime goals. Consequently, when playing's ability to lead to proper solialization, cooperation and imagination breaks down, children must employ conflict resolution to move past such issues.