Several characteristics of children's play were noted by observing the playground activities of Vietnamese refugee and American children. The Vietnamese children tended to participate in highly structured games while their American peers often chose spontaneous play--games with structures that go beyond or destroy rules. It is suggested that Vietnamese children avoid spontaneous play with their American peers because they do not understand the rules well enough to break them. Instead, they choose to engage in play forms that strengthen social relations or clarify social rules. In a static society, rule-governed play may be the ultimate play form, but in a changing society, spontaneous play prepares a child to become flexible and adaptive to change. In this sense, Vietnamese boys have an advantage over Vietnamese girls as they are more willing than the girls to engage in the rule-governed games, a prerequisite for later spontaneous play. (MM)