Why, then, do play and work seem so contradictory? Why, as adults, do we relegate them to separate spheres, and do so few workers and companies value play as a means to producing effective work? Perhaps it is because we are brought up to believe that the two cannot coexist. Over time, our instinctual play behavior is slowly replaced by institutional processes and boundaries, such as classes, test taking, and structured activities, like sports and music that we practice rather than indulge in. By the time we enter the workplace, we have effectively relegated play to weekends and vacations. Worse still, competition and deadlines further stifle our ability to exercise many of the productive instincts that play stimulates, such as creativity and imagination. How sad that as adults we push play to the margins of our lives, forgetting that play is not frivolous at all, but highly productive. We do not have to live this way. Adult responsibilities do not mean that there is no place for childlike joys. Delight and productivity can coexist, and it is possible to tap what I call the genius of youth so that the most engaging, entertaining, and even educational aspects of play coexist with our labor.