童年是從出生跨越到青春期的年齡時間段[1][2][3]。童年也可能包括青少年，但無論如何都是在成年之前。童年一般由兩個階段組成：前運算階段（preoperational stage）和具體運算階段（concrete operational stage）。在發展心理學中，童年被分為四個發展階段，即嬰兒期（學步期），兒童早期（玩耍期），兒童晚期（學齡期），以及青春期（青春期至後青春期）。各種各樣的童年因素會影響一個人人生態度的形成。[1]
| 此條目 論述以部分區域為主，未必有 普世通用的觀點。 (2010年3月1日) |
北京東南城角兒童
非洲兒童
童年是一個讓孩子學習、玩耍的時間段，是一個讓孩子在家庭的愛和鼓勵、及許多成人關心下變得堅強與自信的時間段。這個年齡的孩子，生活沒有恐懼，遠離暴力、虐待和剝削。正因如此，童年絕非僅是出生與成為成人期間的間隔。它指的是兒童的生活狀態和條件，及這些年的生活品質。[4]
童年的具體時間並不明確，它可以指人類發展中的一段長時間。以發育和生物學而言，它指的是嬰兒期與成年期之間的時期。一般而言，童年從出生開始。也有人認為，童年是玩耍和純真的代名詞。許多國家的法律中規定了着法定成人年齡，即一個人的童年正式結束，而在法律上成為成人的年齡。這一年齡各國有所不同，一般在15到20歲之間，其中以18歲最為普遍。
一組兒童在演奏小提琴。
麥克米倫學生詞典（Macmillan Dictionary for Students）Macmillan, Pan Ltd. (1981)，第173頁。於2010-7-15檢索。
聯合國兒童基金會（UNICEF），世界兒童發展報告。於2005年檢索。
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