Every animal including humans rely on play as a way to learn how to fit in and thrive. As far as we know, only insects don’t engage in some form of play because their behaviors are all hard-wired rather than learned.
“Play provides an environment for experimenting with risk. When a lion cub deliberately gives up some control over its body, it puts itself at a disadvantage, allowing others to succeed in pouncing on it. Marc Bekoff of the University of Colorado Boulder and his colleagues have proposed that play increases the versatility of movements used to recover from a loss of balance and enhances the ability of the player to cope with unexpected stressful situations. The goal is not to win but to improve skills, sometimes by self-handicapping.”
Caitlin O’Connell, “Play Is Serious Business for Elephants.” Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/play-is-serious-business-for-elephants/
