Do you remember that game that you used to love playing when you were a kid? Whether it was Legos, Barbies or Hot Wheels, each one of us can recall some of our old, but beloved childhood games.

Now that I'm older, I find it more challenging than ever to experience genuine fun through the use of play. Not only do I find myself faced with time constraints, but as a college student, I also have a very limited amount of disposable income. Not to say that going out on the weekends isn't a blast, and not to say that playing beer pong doesn't "count" as play, but when was the last time you genuinely had fun doing something that you used to love to do as a kid?

The National Literacy Trust recognizes that play is essential for developing communication skills, especially in children. In addition, through play, people can better understand their limits and capabilities, and in turn, can both test and challenge themselves to improve.

As Albert Einstein said, "Play is the highest form of research." In other words, he is stating that play allows all people, including children, to research and find out what it is they like and don't like. For instance, I was never into very competitive or physical forms of play, however, I did like being able to create and design things. In my experience with play, most of these things still hold true to this day.

That being said, I still encourage play, even though I'm far from my childhood days. Playing enriches one's personal sense of creativity, uniqueness, and wonder. With the rise of technology, school playgrounds often sit vacant in the summer months, and it seems more kids know the next release date of their favorite video game than their best friend's phone number. So much has changed since I was a kid, but the truth is, we are all still children at heart.