Real play--play that is initiated and directed by children and that bubbles up from within the child rather than being imposed by adults--has largely disappeared from the landscape of childhood in the United States. There are many reasons for this, such as the long hours spent in front of screens each day or in activities organized by adults. In addition, preschools and kindergartens that used to foster meaningful play and exploration often spend long hours on adult-led instruction instead. All of these are the outer manifestations of something deeper--modern mindset that does not value play and is even afraid of it. Some fears are easy to identify. People freely admit they are afraid of accidents in play and want to minimize risk. There is also a widespread fear of "stranger danger." The current mindset in the U.S. leads Americans to create a life that is as safe and risk-free as possible. They want life to be ultra-organized, and they want to be in charge at all times. No wonder people love to see young children sitting still and working on worksheets or at computer screens. It seems that people have gone out of their way to clutter their children's lives with things and activities that deny them the time and space for playing freely. In this article, the author discusses the importance of play on the children's lives and urges adults to move forward and set aside their fears of play. She also urges teachers to share play memories with each other and with parents to help create a strong play culture in their school or child care center.