They are cooperative and agreeable. Their play is quiet, structured and verbal. If they are playing with Barbies, there is usually a continuous story being told about what Barbie's doing, where she's going, and what she's thinking. If a girl starts a conversation, others try to continue it by showing interest and staying on subject. They favor equality and harmony.
Boys play in large, unstructured groups.
They boast, challenge each other, and hurl insults. Rather than encourage communication, they disrupt it by changing the subject or interrupting. Their goal is to one-up each other, to hoist themselves up the hierarchy. They like body contact. By age 4, kids play with same-sex peers about three times more often.