While manufactured toys were prevalent in many places, Rechmaoui’s childhood games were often improvised. Whether stacking seven stones, crafting a makeshift cart from salvaged wood, or drawing a checkerboard on the sidewalk to challenge a friend to a game using recuperated bottle caps, Rechmaoui’s playground, overlooked by his wax and concrete bright sun, tell us that the essence of play transcends materials. No matter what is used, whether handcrafted, traditionally made, or mass-produced toys, play remains a universal language, enabling children regardless of where they come from, regardless of the context or era in which they are growing, to communicate and understand one another.