This study discusses the patterns of social interaction that develop when black and white children play together during the school day in free play periods. Observations were made of the regular sixth grade classrooms in two public schools. Both schools, one in a university town and one in a rural county, had approximately two thirds white children (both working and middle class) and one third working class black children. In both schools the classrooms were integrated. The process of game playing is examined in three situations: games where all children were of the same color, games in which a team of one color opposed the other color team, and games in which the group or team was mixed in color. In single color play, the pattern established is consensual, based on actual or assumed similarity. In color opposed play, the competitive pattern reinforces the solidarity of the color group while allowing stable interaction between the two colors. In mixed color groups, there is no consensus or solidarity. This instability leads to the development of new forms of playing which stabilize the game into a joint pattern. (Author/MC)