---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Childhood play is nothing more than an…"
description: "\"Childhood play is nothing more than an expression of our individuality and preparation for human interaction. Everybody’s an artist. Unfortunately we d..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/frank-gehry-2139_art_childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-e_2950591.png"
---

#  Childhood play is nothing more than an expression of our…

![“Childhood play is nothing more than an expression of our individuality and preparation for human interaction. Everybody’s an artist. Unfortunately we don’t treat them as such.” quote by Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/frank-gehry-2139_art_childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-e_2950591.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/frank-gehry-2139_art_childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-e_2950591.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/frank-gehry-2139_art_childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-e_2950591.png)

> “Childhood play is nothing more than an expression of our individuality and preparation for human interaction. Everybody’s an artist. Unfortunately we don’t treat them as such.”

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Play is a fundamental expression of individuality and a rehearsal for social interaction, yet society undervalues it.

**In simple terms:** Play reveals individuality and prepares us for social life.

Key Takeaway

Value play as essential to creativity and social skill.

Themes

play individuality socialization

Mood

inspir critical

Type

educational philosophical

When to use this quote

- schools
- team building
- art workshops
- community events

Key Concepts

developmental psychology creative education

Questions to Reflect On

- How can play be integrated into adult life?
- What societal structures limit playful expression?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on play may neglect structured learning.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Individuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuality/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Preparation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparation/)

## Related quotes

> [Childhood play is nothing more than an expression of our individuality and preparation for human interaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-expression-of-our/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [Art is not the possession of the few who are recognized writers, painters, musicians; it is the authentic expression of any and all individuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/art-is-not-the-possession-of-the-few-who-are-recognized-writers/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [We're a community-driven brand, but at the same time, we want every host in every home to recognize that they're all individuals, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/we-re-a-community-driven-brand-but-at-the-same-time-we-want-every/)

[Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/)

> [It is among the ranks of school-age children, those six- to twelve-year-olds who once avidly filled their free moments with childhood play, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-winn/it-is-among-the-ranks-of-school-age-children-those-six-to-twelve-year/)

[Marie Winn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-winn/)

> [Music is an expression of individuality; it's how you see the world. All art is, for that matter. You take how you experience the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sanborn/music-is-an-expression-of-individuality-it-s-how-you-see-the-world/)

[David Sanborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sanborn/)

> [Style is an expression of your individuality. Who you are and what your mood is, is what you wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonam-kapoor/style-is-an-expression-of-your-individuality-who-you-are-and-what/)

[Sonam Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonam-kapoor/)

> [When we used to live in a chawl during our childhood, we would play Holi with water balloons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakhi-sawant/when-we-used-to-live-in-a-chawl-during-our-childhood-we-would-play/)

[Rakhi Sawant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakhi-sawant/)

> [(Talking about his first computer) Like all kids we not only fooled around with our toys, we changed them. If you've ever watched a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/talking-about-his-first-computer-like-all-kids-we-not-only-fooled/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Looking at acting, in the movies or the theater, and the way I like to look at it, it's just an extension of childhood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/looking-at-acting-in-the-movies-or-the-theater-and-the-way-i-like-to/)

[Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/)

> [“Outside and inside, life and soul, appear as parallels in “case history” and “soul history.” A case history is a biography of historical events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/outside-and-inside-life-and-soul-appear-as-parallels-in-case-history/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [The object of our being placed upon this earth is that we may work out an exaltation, that we may prepare ourselves to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heber-j-grant/the-object-of-our-being-placed-upon-this-earth-is-that-we-may-work/)

[Heber J. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heber-j-grant/)

> [Fortunately or otherwise we live at a time when the average individual has to know several times as much in order to keep informed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/fortunately-or-otherwise-we-live-at-a-time-when-the-average/)

[Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/)

> [You are no mistake. What makes you different is what makes you special, unique, original. You are a MASTERPIECE, a PIECE of the MASTER!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-w-griffin/you-are-no-mistake-what-makes-you-different-is-what-makes-you-special/)

[Kenneth W Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-w-griffin/)

> [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/)

[Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/)

> [Personal Style comes from within. It's when the woman, her individuality and spirit come through. She uses clothes to express who she is and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-karan/personal-style-comes-from-within-it-s-when-the-woman-her/)

[Donna Karan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-karan/)

## More by Frank Gehry

> [I think my attitudes about the past are very traditional. You can't ignore history; you can't escape it even if you want to. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-think-my-attitudes-about-the-past-are-very-traditional-you-can-t/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [In Tokyo, London or Los Angeles people go into McDonald's and the restaurants are identical and people are comfortable. It's unthreatening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/in-tokyo-london-or-los-angeles-people-go-into-mcdonald-s-and-the/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [I'm inspired by a lot of stuff. I always was interested in sculpture and painting and music and literature and all those things. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-m-inspired-by-a-lot-of-stuff-i-always-was-interested-in-sculpture/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [One of my greatest influences is the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/one-of-my-greatest-influences-is-the-italian-artist-gian-lorenzo/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [People live and work in uninspiring environments, but look inside those rooms. Look at the painted walls and the decorations. People rebel even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/people-live-and-work-in-uninspiring-environments-but-look-inside/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [Childhood play is nothing more than an expression of our individuality and preparation for human interaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-expression-of-our/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [Ideas exist in the marketplace; they are thrown out for everyone to use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/ideas-exist-in-the-marketplace-they-are-thrown-out-for-everyone-to-use/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [Green issues have been used as a marketing tool. Sometimes these green claims are completely meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/green-issues-have-been-used-as-a-marketing-tool-sometimes-these-green/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [There are a lot of questions about whether architecture is art. The people who ask that think pretty tract houses are architecture. But that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/there-are-a-lot-of-questions-about-whether-architecture-is-art-the/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [I used to read more when I was a kid than I do now. It was all sort of fuel for the fire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-used-to-read-more-when-i-was-a-kid-than-i-do-now-it-was-all-sort-of/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [I found myself starting architecture with a deep social, Jewish, liberal conscience, and the belief that architecture is for the people. It was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-found-myself-starting-architecture-with-a-deep-social-jewish/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [The message I hope to have sent is just the example of being yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/the-message-i-hope-to-have-sent-is-just-the-example-of-being-yourself/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [The whole can be greater than the sum of it's parts, that we all have something to put in the pie to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/the-whole-can-be-greater-than-the-sum-of-it-s-parts-that-we-all-have/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [I used to sketch - that's the way I thought out loud. Then they made a book of my sketches, and I got self-conscious,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-used-to-sketch-that-s-the-way-i-thought-out-loud-then-they-made-a/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

> [Bilbao opened in 1997. It was only ten years later that I was asked to do another museum. A lot of other people got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/bilbao-opened-in-1997-it-was-only-ten-years-later-that-i-was-asked-to/)

[Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

[Explore all 183 Frank Gehry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

Taf Teh

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

[Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Childhood play is nothing more than an expression of our individuality and preparation for human interaction. Everybody’s an artist. Unfortunately we don’t treat them as such.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Frank Gehry"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-expression-of-our-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-expression-of-our-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/frank-gehry-2139_art_childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-e_2950591.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/frank-gehry-2139_art_childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-e_2950591.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b8/frank-gehry-2139_art_childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-e_2950591.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Childhood play is nothing more than an expression of our individuality and preparation for human…” — Frank Gehry",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Frank Gehry",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Childhood play is nothing more than...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-expression-of-our-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/childhood-play-is-nothing-more-than-an-expression-of-our-2/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
