Background/Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted children's play behavior. Study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the play behavior of Indian school children aged 10-12 years in rural and urban areas. It aims to assess changes in various forms of play, including indoor play, outdoor play, creative play, natural play and virtual play, before and after the pandemic. Methods: The study used a quantitative, descriptive approach with a self-constructed play behavior questionnaire. A sample of 150 children from urban and rural areas in selected districts of Kerala State in India. Was selected via multi-stage random sampling. Results: The findings highlight notable changes in children's play patterns, with a marked increase in virtual play and a decline in outdoor and natural play among both rural and urban children following the COVID-19 pandemic. Natural play was consistently higher in rural areas, while creative play became more common in urban settings after the pandemic. Virtual play was notably higher in urban areas throughout. Socio-demographic variables such as gender, number of siblings, and passive screen time were found to influence play behavior. Conclusion: The study provides valuable insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic altered play behaviors among Indian school children aged 10-12 years, with distinct patterns emerging between rural and urban settings. A significant shift towards virtual play and a decline in outdoor and natural play were observed across both areas, with rural children maintaining higher levels of natural play, while urban children engaged more in creative and virtual play after the pandemic. The study sheds light on the changes in play and their potential effects on children’s social and cognitive development. The COVID-19 pandemic brought noticeable changes in children's play behaviors, with differences observed between rural and urban areas.