My work is a call for more playtime, creating, and making. In my
generation, developments in technology have allowed computers to become an everyday part of our lives, and a way for everyday people to play in their leisure time. Possibly as a result of these developments, people have become alienated from hands-on, imaginative play, and I find this unsettling. In this paper, I will argue the benefits of real play on children and adults. Real play, as opposed to digitally mediated play, is crucial to human development (cognitive, psychological, and spiritual); it is essential in the transformation from passive reactors into active creators; and is a crucial element in the development of our imaginations and creation of creative thought. I will relate my personal history to play, define my terms of play, and connect these ideas of play to the body of work I have created over the past year.