Olaiya, Aina E.Agarry, Rachael Ojima2019-06-072019-06-0720162354-3930http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2069This paper was based on Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory, which emphasized the role of play in behavioral self-regulation in early childhood development. Play was considered as a self-help tool which promotes self-regulation by serving as a support structure within the children’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZDP), helping them to reach higher levels of functioning. The paper also suggested pathways through which play can facilitate self-regulation processes in young children among which are private speech, sociodramatic play and father-child play. Several studies on children self-regulation through play were reviewed, and the role of adults particularly the early childhood educators in supporting children’s behavioral self-regulation was extensively discussed.enPlayChildren's behaviourSelf-regulationArticle