Like human children, most young mammals devote a significant amount of time and energy playing together, and social play is fun. Although social play is very pleasurable, it is more than just a frivolous activity: it is crucial for the development of behavioral flexibility, the acquisition of social and cognitive competence and the maintenance of group cohesion. Social play is a natural reinforcer, and the neurotransmitter systems intimately implicated in the motivational, pleasurable and cognitive aspects of natural and drug rewards, such as opioids, endocannabinoids, dopamine and noradrenaline, play an important modulatory role in the performance of social play as well. In this review, we will address the notion that social play is rewarding, and discuss recent developments in the neuropharmacology of this behavior. This provides a framework to understand how the brain processes social emotions, to make young individuals enjoy social play.
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