In preschool age there is a formation of the child's personality, the formation of his physical and spiritual culture - the basis of harmonious development, as the beauty of the human soul and healthy body. Today, one of the main tasks of improving preschool education is to raise a harmoniously developed, perfect, healthy child, able to fully realize their spiritual, physical, intellectual and moral capabilities. An important area of ​​physical education of preschool children is the use of various forms and tools for their harmonious development, among which an important place is given to play activities Purpose: to characterize the specific functions of the concept of play activities in the physical education of preschool children. Research methods: theoretical analysis and generalization of literature sources, induction and deduction, abstraction, comparison, classification and systematization. Results: specific functions are indicated as a certain category of system approach. It is represented by independent properties and has the purpose of describing the system of game activity within the physical education, which should be carried out to achieve the generalized goal. The group of specific functions of the concept of play activity in physical education includes the competence, interdependence, effectiveness and density, which are largely implemented by the author's concept and justified by us and implemented depending on the specifics of play in the relevant group of educational institutions. The fundamental changes taking place in the modern cultural and educational space, social demands and needs confirm the idea of the priority of childhood as the most responsible period of personality development. It is in preschool age that the formation of a child's personality takes place, the formation of his physical and spiritual culture - the basis of harmonious development, as the beauty of the human soul and a healthy body.