Child'S Play
What is child's play?
Key facts
Child’s play is an idiom meaning something very easy or simple to do, or something insignificant. It is not the same as children’s play, which refers to the cultural activity of children at play.
Context
Child’s play is an idiom defined by Merriam-Webster as “an extremely simple task or act” and also “something that is insignificant” [1]. For example, “figuring out the password was child’s play” [1]. In a cultural context, children’s play is a separate topic: it is described as a way children learn societal roles, norms, and values [2], and as a universal phenomenon that is culturally grounded [2]. Culture and play are mutually affecting, with play reflecting and helping construct culture [3]. Play culture consists of shared experiences, knowledge, ways of thinking, and language [4]. The idiom should not be confused with children’s play or play culture [1].
Documented claims
Questions and answers
What is meant by child's play?
Child’s play means something very easy or simple to do, or something insignificant [1].
What does child's play mean in slang?
In slang, child’s play refers to an extremely simple task or act, or something insignificant [1].
Sources
- Culture and Development in Children's Play — ruby.fgcu.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
- Play as child culture and its role in empowering children — academia.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
- Multistakeholder perspectives on children's play and the systemic factors that influence it across 12 low- and middle-income countries — nature.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
- Play: Cultural context | Encyclopedia on Early ... — child-encyclopedia.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)