The place of play in early childhood curriculum documents in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region is undeniable. Yet the constructs of play in documents from East Asia closely resemble ideas of play that are valued in western early childhood research, textbooks, policy documents and contexts. This policy analysis discusses the changing concepts of play that are promoted in several countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region. It investigates the challenges these changes present and the contradictions that may arise in regard to local tradition, heritage and culture in three Asia-Pacific contexts: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mainland China and Australia. The article shows how policies change over time and provides a poignant representation of how early childhood policy and curriculum aspirations for Hong Kong SAR, Mainland China and Australia might have more in common than in the past.