With this paper it was made an insight in the development of primary education since the beginning of the eighteenth to the twentieth century. Conditions in education, which were at that time, are listed in this paper. Also, there were mentioned people who had contributed in the development of primary education and the way in which they did it. A person who had extremely contributed in that time, and whose influence is evident even today in many works and in role – playing, was a methodologist and a teacher Zlatko Špoljar. This paper is dedicated to his works, particularly those for children in which the most important is role - playing. Also, it was described the term of role - playing in general, as well as the meaning of the scene art. In this paper the opus of “Zlatko Špoljar”, is only partially enumerated, specified and classified according to various categories. It was also made a comparison of the part „Snjeguljica i sedam patuljaka" by Brothers Grimm, "Šegrt Hlapic" by Ivana Brlic – Mažuranic and the "Mali bjegunci" by Zlatko Špoljar for which he wrote a role – play. Similarities between them were also compared. Although, his contribution is extremely large, about him we do not know almost anything. Due to his large opus and methodical approach to education, his importance for the Croatian literature in that period was inconceivable, and it is significant even today.