swimming taught at summer camps and through supervised playgrounds. Under the New Deal's Works Progress Administration, thousands of local playgrounds and ball fields opened, promoting softball especially as a sport for all ages and both sexes. By the 21st century, Chudacoff notes, the old tension between parental controls and a child's individual freedom was being played out in cyberspace. Cultural differences of play The act of play time is a cross-cultural phenomenon that is universally accepted and encouraged by most communities; however, it can differ in the ways that is performed. Some cultures, such as Euro-American cultural heritages, encourage play time in order to stress cognitive benefits and the importance of learning how to care for one's self. Other cultures, such as people of African American or Asian American heritages, stress more group oriented learning and play where kids can learn what they can do with and for others. Parent interactions when it comes to playtime also differs drastically within communities. Parents in the Mayan culture do interact with their children in a playful mindset while parents in the United States tend to set aside time to play and teach their children through games and activities. In the Mayan community, children are supported in their playing but also encouraged to play while watching their parents do household work in order to become familiar with how to follow in their footsteps. All around the world, children use different natural materials like stones, water, sand, leaves, fruits, sticks and a variety of resources to play. In addition, there are groups that have access to crafts, industrialized toys, electronics and video-games. In Australia, games and sports are part of play. There, play can be considered as preparation for life and self- expression, like in many other countries. Groups of children in Efe of the Democratic Republic of Congo can be seen making ‘food’ from dirt or pretending to shoot bows and arrows much like their elders. These activities are similar to other forms of play worldwide. For instance, children can be seen comforting their toy dolls or animals, anything that they have modeled from adults in their communities. In Brazil, we can find children playing with balls, kites, marbles, pretend houses or mud kitchens, like in many other countries. In smaller communities they use mud balls, little stones or cashews to replace marbles. At an indigenous community of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta