Child development theorists, researchers, and educators have long known that play is one of children's most valuable resources, vital to their social, emotional, and cognitive growth. Through play children make sense of the world around them and work through new experiences, ideas, and feelings. But in recent years, a host of social forces and trends--the influence of media, commercialism, fast-paced family life, academic pressures in schools--have been eroding healthy play, robbing children of this valuable resource for optimal growth and learning. In this article, the author describes how educators can help children create play that truly meets their needs--play that gives them a strong foundation for learning, the emotional and mental readiness to learn, and the social and emotional skills they need for success in school and in life.