The purpose of this article is to describe and analyse play through a contemporary historical perspective, based upon pre-school teachers', students majoring in education, and teacher education students' descriptions of memories from their childhood regarding play and toys. The overall method is retrospective. The data consists of 111 interviews with pre-school teachers and students. When comparing younger and older participants' memories of play, the increased welfare, women's entry into working life, urbanisation, secularisation and an increased range of media, all stand out as differentiating factors. These changes in society are partly reflected in the external conditions of play, but also in play content.