Play is an indispensable component of the human experience, and it is as old as humanity itself. Considering the academic perspective of early childhood education as the first step in education, the understanding of play is imposed as a challenge in the perception and analysis of play in the formal education of future ECEC teachers. In order to effectively apply development strategies and support to children's play, an online survey was conducted on a sample of 277 undergraduate students of Early Childhood Education Program in the Republic of Croatia. The research results indicate the possibility of further improving the understanding of children's play by providing support to future ECEC teachers in organizing practicums, projects, and outdoor lessons, in which students would experience examples of good practice and practice rooms in which they would simulate play situations and monitor and analyze them.