So, I  am taking a class this semester that is all about play.  So what is play? When we were children we would play together.  Do we as adults still "play"?  What are the elements of play? Do we lose our sense of play when we lose our childhood innocence?  These are questions that seem to jump out at me when I consider this topic.   

I think play is a type of interaction in which certain conventions are observed.  I am of the opinion that there are 2 different types of play which I will call 'make believe' and games.  

During make believe play, ideas have no bounds and are not limited by the natural laws (i.e. gravity) or conventions (i.e. a tennis racquet is used to hit a ball)  that would normally hold them back.  In this type of play objects have no symbolism or associations attached to them.  Thus, a cardboard box can become a fort, a spaceship, a tunnel or anything the players wish it to be.  However, once an object is given a function in make believe, if others want to enter in on the experience they must recognize the function of the object.  To return to the example of the box, if the players says it is a house, then for the duration of the make believe, the cardboard box must be recognized as a house by anyone wishing to enter into the make believe.  If these conventions of make believe are not followed, then conflicting make believes will cause the play to slow or come to a halt.  

Make believe play is also not bounded by geography.  The area of play can be as big or small as the players choose, but is not limited to this arbitrary bound.  Thus the area of play encompasses everything.  There may be pockets were the play is not recognized either by those wishing not to participate in the play, or to ensure the safety of the players, but these limits are merely to make sure that those not part of the make believe are not impinged upon, not to limit the players.  

Game play has a different set of conventions.  One of the conventions is that there are rules set out at the beginning of play that must be followed by all the players.  Also, a boundary is set that encompasses the game.  When a player leaves this boundary, they are no longer a part of the game.  Game play is also characterized by an objective that is recognized by all the players.  This objective can vary according to the game, but examples include get to a certain place first, not be tagged it,  gain the most points, etc.  The objective is usually set forth and adhered to at the beginning of the game and does not change throughout the game.  The type of actions that are a part of this play are thus determined by these limits: rules, boundaries, and objective.  

Thus, when one considers these two types of play, there are certain areas of our adult lives that might be considered play.  For example, artist and inventors sometimes enter into make believe play.  The products created from these actions thus have a special significance for the player: a physical memory of the game.  

Some of the ways that this author plays are video games, exploration either of the internet or otherwise, puzzles such as sudoku, etc.