Children have a natural inclination to play, along with a natural instinct for learning and curiosity and inventiveness, which are characteristics of the human race in general. This quote from Janet Moyles is a good starting point for this essay. It is well known that children love to play. If a child were left to his own devices, he would happily play and create new worlds wherever he was left. It has been well documented and researched that children learn excellently through play. However, they are not always given the opportunity to do so, but are told: "finish your work and then you can go and play." Obviously this is not always the case, but the fact that it is a common practice shows that not all of us fully understand the importance of play for children's learning. This essay will attempt to show how children learn through play, making reference to current theory and practice. I will also provide examples from my first-hand experience of how children learn and develop as people through play. Julie Fisher (1996) suggests that young children learn by "being active," "organizing their own learning experiences," "using language," and "interacting with others." I would agree with this statement up to a point. However, it does not say whether the activities need to be structured. While I agree that children will learn from being active through a process of experimentation and improvement, I believe that with older children it would be much more beneficial to give the child a structure to build upon. For example, before starting this PCGE course, I was coaching my local under eleven Gaelic football team. Let's say, for example, they had never played before and showed up to practice at 7:00, but practice didn't happen until 7... middle of the paper... active. Play is an essential learning tool and should not be ignored in the classroom. It is a catalyst to help children develop socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively. It is not only an important part of a child's development as a learner, but also of a child's development as an individual. Works Cited • Moyles, J (2007) Beginning Teaching Beginning Learning in Primary Education, 3rd ed. London: Open University Press• Doherty, J and Hughes, M (2009) Child Development: Theory and Practice 0-11, Essex: Pearson Education Ltd• Kyriacou, C. (2001) Effective Teaching in Schools: Theory and Practice, 2nd edition . Nelson Thornes Ltd.• Drake, J. (2005) Planning children's play and learning in the foundation phase, 2nd ed. London: David Fulton Publishers Ltd.• Moyles, J. (2005) The Excellence of Play, 2nd edition, London: Open University Press