A planned social meeting for children to play together, usually arranged by parents.
Playdate is extremely recent, coined in 1980s America when child psychologists and parenting experts began emphasizing structured social development. The word combines 'play' with 'date' (meaning appointment), treating children's social time like adult business meetings. This reflects a shift from kids naturally gathering in neighborhoods to parents scheduling and supervising interactions. The term barely existed before suburban sprawl made spontaneous neighborhood play difficult.
The word 'playdate' would mystify parents from just 50 years ago - kids used to just 'go out and play' without appointments! Its invention signals the end of unsupervised neighborhood childhood and the rise of helicopter parenting. We literally started treating children's friendships like business meetings that needed scheduling.
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