It's Playtime in a Medieval Child's World

Parents, preachers and philosophers all agreed with medieval author Philip Novare that "children should be allowed to play since nature demands it." And although parents were advised to use strict discipline and Christian morality to guide [image error]their children, most felt that children younger than seven were not really capable of learning lessons or telling good from evil.  So the first years of a child's life were generally free from the burdens of formal education or hard work.

As always...