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In this article, a multimodal framework of literacies is engaged to call attention to the aesthetic aspects of adolescents’ media making and identity explorations. Data from two studies are shared to offer complementary portraits of youth engaged with various technologies and media in two different out-ofschool settings. Both young men crafted forms of participation into their respective teaching and learning contexts through personal engagements with digital technologies that are becoming increasingly common features in adolescents’ communicative landscapes. Meaning is found, therefore, in the nature of the young men’s playful interactions with a variety of expressive modalities and not only in final compositions or texts.Recommendations to incorporate media play and personal explorations with technologies into language arts curricula are made in the conclusion.