By playing, you can gain new experiences, solve problems, find out something, try out ideas and explore.

Some characteristics of play:

• Play stimulates creativity
• Play with concretes gives a foundation for abstract thinking: 
  "If I do so and so, this may happen ..."  "But if I do like this, something else may happen ..."
• Play is non-committal and provides a platform for experience, train and learning - without taking on any new commitments in real life. 
• Play engages.
• Play must be enjoyable.

Everyone needs to play. Also adults.