Play is the most complete of all the educa­tional processes, for it influ­ences the intel­lect, the emotions, and the phys­i­cal devel­op­ment of the child. Through play, the young child recre­ates the world and comes to understand it. 

While playing, chil­dren observe, explore, test, examine, ques­tion, crit­i­cize, discard, choose, listen, and eval­u­ate. Play, in a rich envi­ron­ment, helps chil­dren clarify their think­ing, manage their feel­ings, and partic­i­pate confi­dently in the world around them.