“For young children there is no distinction between play and learning; they are one and the same person. Play is a priority in early childhood, but not all play is the same” (Butler, 2008, p. 1). Since the beginning of humanity, children have imitated adults and learned to survive through play. Evidence of this is found in toys and board games dating back 6,000 years ago and discovered in Egypt and Asia (Dollinger, 2000). Over the past two centuries, children's play has been observed and studied by theorists and recognized as an important tool for adult life. Three theorists who studied children and spent their lives researching how children develop were Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. These theorists agree that from the age of two, play, communication and social development lay the foundations for his future. These psychologists each have agreeable theories and each has theories that have been challenged by modern researchers. Gaming, culture, and society were placed in a different order of importance for everyone. The early childhood years have both a positive and negative impact on adults, depending on the type of reinforcement the child receives. These reinforcements, whether positive or negative, influence an individual mentally, physically, emotionally and socially. Erik Erikson believed that there were eight stages in human development; The age of preschool children (three to six years) constitutes the third stage of Erikson's theory of development. This stage is also known as the Initiative versus Guilt stage. Erickson believed that children were naturally curious and wanted to learn. He also believed that children learned the most through self-discovery and play. Children are imaginative, repetitive and very trainable in the middle of paper......with everything and everyone around them. For me, every moment I spend with BriarRose, I see learning and exploration developing. My job as a parent is to give her the support and feedback she needs now and one day she will become a contributing member of society. Works Cited Berk, L.E. (2010). Development throughout life. Boston: Pearson. Butler, S. (2008). Learning through play. Retrieved July 15, 2011 from Earlychildhood NEWS: http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleId=591Dollinger, A. (2000, 12 01). Play. Retrieved July 7, 2011 from Anceint Egypt: http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/games.htm McLeod, S. (2007). Vygotsky. Retrieved 05/08/2011 from Simply Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.htmlNursing Resource Admin. (2010, 06 06). Erik Erikson's stages of psychological development.