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What is play?
Play is described as activity or behavior that gives immediate pleasure. Rather than exerting oneself for the purpose of accomplishing a practical goal or producing something …tangible, one can exert his or her physical or mental energy for the happiness it brings. Play is most commonly seen in humans, especially children, as well as other mammals and birds. Play for the most part is spontaneous and unstructured. Play is usually viewed as the direct opposite of work, which is productive activity usually carried out for remuneration, reward, or out of necessity. Work usually does not bring immediate pleasure. Work, for most people, is routine, difficult, and stressful activity and even unrewarding. We work because we HAVE TO. We play because we WANT TO. We work usually over the promise of reward or out of the fear of punishment. We play because we are free and able to do things we really enjoy. Structured play with rules and objectives which may be engaged in cooperatively or competitively is classified as a "game". Games can require physical or mental energy. Play that requires physical strength, agility, or stamina, is usually engaged in competitively, individually or with others, and highly organized is considered a "sport". Sport can also involve the use of mechanical power or the effort of other animals in addition to human strength. Sports are the most popular form of human play and teach valuable lessons about life and cultivate desirable character traits which are needed in order to be successful in more serious pursuits in addition to helping develop and maintain bodily fitness. Sports have become so popular that they are regularly featured in the media and have become a big business. Thousands of people crowd together in masses to watch sports and cheer for their favorite teams or players. Professional players get paid millions of dollars, are elevated to celebrity status, and are featured in commercials marketing the latest sportswear. Professional athletes also serve as role models especially for youth. All the world's major cities have stadiums or arenas where people assemble to watch live sporting events. Stadiums and arenas are large buildings which cost millions of dollars and take a few years to build. If sport is a religion, then stadiums and arenas are "churches", athletes are "gods", and fans are faithful "worshipers". Besides sports, people also play board games, card games, and video or computer games. Children play games such as hide-and-seek, tag, and hopscotch. Far from being frivolous, play can serve a useful function in learning about the world and distinguishing between right and wrong and developing a sense of justice and morality. As seen in sports, play can teach values such as hard work when striving toward a goal and never quitting when facing adversity or failure. We see the values that sports teaches such as in business, politics, the military, and education. Another way in which people play is through pretense as seen in drama and the movies. Children often pretend to be adults in certain occupations such as teachers, doctors or nurses, police officers, firefighters, and soldiers. Other animals also play in this way such as in mock fights between young cubs in order to be able to defend their territory to survive as adults. Still another popular form of human play is music which is the organization of sounds to create compositions that are pleasurable to listen to. Music consists of such elements as melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. People can sing or perform music on instruments such as a piano, harp, drum, or saxophone. Music can be played alone, in groups, and most often, in front of an audience. Music can also be recorded in a permanent form in a recording studio and distributed to the public on a phonograph record, cassette, or compact disk. Music can also serve more useful functions in religious worship, in celebrations such as parades or processions, and in funerals. Concerts are organized musical events which are performed in front of an audience. Concerts draw audiences large and small around the world. Concerts can be performed in almost any venue indoors or outdoors from a small concert hall to arenas and stadiums, and even on the street or in a park. There are many genres or styles of music such as classical, folk, jazz, blues, rock, and rap. Another form of play in which people engage in to stay happy and healthy is exercise. In their spare time, people walk, jog, run, lift weights, and join health clubs to burn calories, lose fat, and build muscle. In a society in which the type of work people usually do for a living is sedentary exercise serves as an excellent form of recreation in which to keep physically active and healthy. Exercise benefits people of all ages and is especially needed in young people today who are engaged in such passive leisure pursuits as watching television, surfing the Internet, and playing video games. In summary, play is useful and educational. It stimulates the mind and body like no other activity can. And it can prepare for more serious and productive activity by the sheer joy and refreshment it provides. (MORE)