Influence of Child Play on the Intellectual Development of Early Childhood Learners in Zambia

As early as infancy, children immerse themselves in playful activities with the purpose of making sense of the world around them. However, their effort to achieve this is most frequently halted by parents, care givers and teachers who work around with them. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of child play on the intellectual development of early childhood learners in Zambia by answering the three objectives which are; establish the effect of materials for play on children’s intellectual development in Chongwe District establish how types of play affect children’s intellectual development in Chongwe district and establish strategies how play-based teaching method can be enhanced to improve children academic performance. Using a mixed method approach the study found that management’s strategies through rewards and recognition of teachers who used play as a teaching method were positively related to teacher’s efficiency. Lack of experienced teachers was a main challenge in promoting play as a means of teaching. Songs and dances were other activities beneficial for learners in this study. Overall play was conducted in all the schools and materials were readily available and sufficient.