In the final episode of the series, Patrick interviews Anne, a 77-year-old whose lifelong love of games offers a joyful perspective on how play evolves over time. Anne shares a journey that includes dolls, sports, cards and more: From classic games with names that have evolved over the decades to the ways parenthood reshaped her view of play through her children’s eyes.

Patrick also returns to his central questions about how and why our relationship to play changes as we grow up, and Anne shares her wisdom on how play changes over time— not as something we leave behind, but as something that always offers “something next.” As she reminds Patrick, “Who doesn’t like play? Who doesn’t like fun?”

Plus some favorite games from earlier guests make an appearance in a whole new generation!

In this episode Patrick interviews Jessica, a 50-year-old who has experienced play from multiple perspectives—as a child, a mother, and now as an adult with her own favorite pastimes.

Jessica shares memories of the games and toys that shaped her childhood and reflects on the new types of play her own children embraced. Together, they discuss what it means to “grow out of” Symbolic Play and how certain games are intertwined with family traditions, like those played on vacations or at holidays. From dolls to croquet to charades, Jessica’s journey shows how play evolves within our own lives and across generations.

Sections of this interview have been edited for clarity and time.

Patrick explores the ways technology changes our relationship to play with Christina, a Millennial whose childhood spanned the digital revolution. Her personal history and professional experience as a teacher has given her a unique perspective on how children today encounter all new forms of play— both online and off. From Roller Coaster Tycoon to Wordle, what happens when you “let the technology do the imagining for you?”

But first Christina needs to share her love of a very specific kind of childhood make-believe: Cosplaying as an adult.

Sections of this interview have been edited for clarity and time.