Play opens the windows of learning in a child's life, for it offers aaboath through which children gain

skills and knowledge like cognitive concepts, language, social fine and gross motor skills which are
essential to success in school and beyond. Although learning takes place in different ways throughout a
person's life, children learn things from play that they cannot learn in any other way. This means that,
play underpins all learning and development. This essay is going to examine five key principles of play
based learning and how the can be applied in an ECD classroom.

UNESCO (2006) defines play as a process that is freely chosen, personal directed and intrinsically
motivated. De Corte (2010) supported by explaining that it is an activity done for own sake,
characterised by means not ends. Proponents of this view reveal that the process is more important
than the product. Carol (2011) views learning as involving active process of enquiry and participation in
the world around us. Cockburn (2011) also defines it's as the action of acquiring new or modifying and
reinforcing existing knowledge, behavior skills, values and synthesizing different types of information.
Therefore, learning is a change in behavior through an act of acquiring new knowledge gained through
spontaneous or structured enjoyable way.

Play based learning is a vehicle through which children learn to develop their cognitive skills. Beckly
(2012) purports that play based learning help children to learn and acquire information and construct
their own intelligence. Wood (2013) also suggests that play supports children's intellectual development
because their brains are very active. This implies that play based learning absorbs children's minds
hence alot of thinking and understanding takes place. For example, children engage in construction
games such as fitting puzzles, building blocks to invent new knowledge on their own. It is also through
play that children begin to increase their understanding of size, texture, shape and colour. Therefore,
play based learning helps children become critical thinkers, and problem solvers which are critical skills
in life.

Play based learning is influencial in the acquisition of language and learning of new vocabulary. Tassoni
and Bucket (2005) promulgate that with each new area of play, each fresh activity or toy, a new set of
words is needed to describe what is taking place. An example could be, a teacher may bring a new
object like a tennis ball and a batting stick in the classroom. Pupils who play it for the first time will gain
a new set of knowledge. As children see and manipulate different objects, they find out their names that
are, nouns to label and adjectives to describe. Therefore, play based learning encourages conversation
and improves language, speech and listening learning, hence, the notion that it is a learning process.

Through play based learning, gross and motor skills are enhanced which enable to do so many activities
in life. Crook (2004) says children learn many physical skills for example, manipulative skills are learnt
through playing with small equipments, whereas, balance coordination and gross motor movements are
developed through vigorous play. Activities like running, jumping and playing games like 'nhodo',
colouring and drawing are essential for the development of fine and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills
enable children to handle pencils well, to open pages of books and gross motor skills allow for balance
and coordination and control of bodily movements. If children physically they gain confidence in life as
they are able to tackle many activities in life.
Children achieve their social way of life through play based learning. Foley (2008) say through play
children learn prosocial behaviours such as sharing and taking turns, they become aware of others'
feelings into account. This means that children gain the idea of sharing things with others, cooperate,
being patient, learns the value of being honest and tolerant. These skills are acquired in early games like
make-believe plays or dramatizing. Children also discover that others have differing points of view than
their own, thus, children learn to value diversity.

Play based learning is also an excellent vehicle for helping children with their emotional development.
Cauley and Pannazzo (2010) advocate that children can master emotional issues such as anxiety,
frustration, normal development conflicts, traumatic situations, unfamiliar concepts and overwhelming
experiences in their play. This means that play based learning helps children to find new ways of dealing
with their emotions and reality. For instance, when children engage in making and destroying types of
play like molding using clayvor dough and then destroy or punching it as well as, piling blocks and watch
them fall. This way children express their feelings and emotions in a safe and healthy way.

During fantasy play, children learn to be creative, discord patterns or way of doing things. According to
Caroll (2011) children gain confidence in manipulating objects become good at creating ideas. For
example, when children build blocks, play with sand and wire, they acquire skills in construction. Thus,
children come up with unique creations finding new ways of doing things.

Blend together, experiences of play based learning are essential and critical part of child development.
Play is how children learn to socialize, think, solve problems mature and most imperatively to have fun.
Play based learning connects children with their imagination environment and world. Therefore, play
based learning is essential in the teaching and learning of ECD learners.