Real Play"Play that is initiated and directed by children and that flows from the child rather than being imposed by adults is disappearing from our landscape of childhood. There are many reasons for this, such as long hours spent in front of the TV, the fear of "stranger danger" when outside." (Exchange Every Day, 2009) Research, past and present, clearly highlights the importance of play for the healthy and well-rounded development of children. Piaget theorized that a child's mental models, or cognitive structures, are based on his or her activities: involvement gives meaning. Many children today do not benefit from a balance between intellect and imagination. Play is decreasing in our schools and daycares to meet the social demands of having a curriculum or academic education. "Play, dreams and imitation in childhood is perhaps the most incisive and in-depth analysis of the links between play and intellectual development. Play follows development rather than provokes it." (Frost, Wortham, & Reifel, 2008) My belief that free, unstructured play is healthy and, in fact, essential to helping children achieve important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones. The mentality of our country is not in line with Piaget's theory nor with that of Vygotsky. We are modeling how to create a life that is equally safe and risk-free. We want life to always be organized and responsible. We are teaching children that life should be balanced and measurable. This is tidy and the game is not. The game is messy. When I thought about adult play I didn't know what to call it, adults don't play, we work. Play is very broad for children: fun, risky, discovery, social, new together, sensitive and much more. The zone of proximal development... in the center of the card... new my creativity and you recognize that I play but not always for fun, but why? For some of my gaming experiences I have been overwhelmed by the competitiveness. Thinking about it now I ask myself: why do we need to win? I noticed that when I competed it took the fun out of the game. I had to look inside myself, then the light bulb went on, if you have to think about your fun and analyze it, obviously you're not going to have fun. Mutual play supported my effort to reconnect and make new friends. Sometimes life's greatest joys are found in life's many experiences, but what changes that experience from work to play is your self-esteem. "The game ceases to be a game when you, child or adult, have to play!" Works Cited Trade daily. (2009, March 2). The fear of the game, pp. 10-11. Frost, J. L., Wortham, S. C., & Reifel, S. (2008). Play and child development. New Jersey: Kevin M. Davis.