City and Country School has held steady for over 90 years that play is the work of children, and is essential to their social and cognitive development. Recently, there has been increased media interest in open-ended free play and scientific research that reveals the benefits of play for children and adults alike. In light of this attention to play, we believe it will interest our community to describe what play means at City and Country. Alongside, we have provided some outside perspectives on play to help you build a deeper sense of how play is understood by various groups and communities.