Play is an essential part of a child’s development and children learn and grow best through rich play experiences.  But what does quality play look like? The word “play” is used so frequently in everyday conversation to mean so many different things.  And defining play is like defining love. We recognize it most clearly by its effects. It is not always well-timed or well controlled. Play cannot be forced, it must be freely entered into.  You cannot reason yourself into play or love. It is or it is not. And it is best when done with abandon. Children are especially good at this, falling in and out of play without a moment’s hesitation.  

The true object of all human life is play. -G. K. Chesterton