the study of play as a special type of activity and relationships. It was actively studied by the Soviet psychologist D.B. Elkonin. In the traditions of Soviet psychology, play is considered as a game activity and a special form of mastering social reality, in which the child models the relationships of adults. Play activity is the leading activity of a preschool child. Play does not arise spontaneously, but is formed under the influence of adults. In the game, the child learns to act in a conceivable field, which creates the basis for the development of abstract thinking. The structural components of play activity include: plot, content, role and rules.