Photos: Kids in war-torn Afghanistan still know how to play

Play is vital to a child’s development. Not only does it help with school and social skills, play also teaches counterfactual thinking, or what psychologist Alison Gopnik described for the Smithsonian as “thinking about different possibilities.”

In war-torn Afghanistan, then, it’s particularly heartening to see Kabul’s children play on makeshift merry-go-rounds, swings, and carousels. Afghan officials recently banned the sale of toy guns, after more than 100 people were injured playing with them during the recent Eid-al-Fitr holiday in Afghanistan.