Understanding play as a field of messy, uneven relationships suggests a kind of awkward dynamic tactile/imaginary shape that may be hard to capture but is attractive to think with. I imagine playing coming of Barad’s (2015) queer self-birth: “out of chaos and void, tohu v’vohu [tohu vavohu], an echo, a diffracted/differentiating/différancing murmuring, <a…> repetition without sameness” (p. 393). Play is not unknown, but neither is it striving for my definition. It is a relationship that binds bodies, things and moments. It is shaped by us, and shapes us. Play produces materiality and meaning simultaneously. It’s not a means of producing healthier bodies, stronger arms or better social skills. It’s a…