Children in two first-grade classes and their teachers decided to take an imaginary trip to Washington D.C. For three weeks, the first graders spent their afternoons on the project, and their simulated flight was the culminating activity of a unit on Washington, D.C. In this article, the author discusses several details of the activity, particularly highlighting the significance of play, debriefing, and play teaching approach in students' learning. With this activity, the first-grade students had opportunities to play and to experience direct instruction. While they were engaged in playing roles as airline personnel and tourists, their direct-instruction experiences helped them make the connections between events and monuments. The unit has value because the children simulated economic and market forces and learned about the exchange of goods and services through the transportation systems and vacations.