And, of course, Jesus commanded that His disciples "Let the little children come to me" and issued a dire warning to anyone who would cause a child to stumble. Because of Christians, the idea of childhood came into existence.

Protecting play may seem like an insignificant way for Christians to take our place in this aspect of the Christian story, but play reveals a part of who God made us to be. This is especially true for children. Play also points us to the generous, joyful heart of God. G.K. Chesterton once quipped, "It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we."