Learning involves acquiring more knowledge, behaviour, skills, values, preferences, assimilating all sorts of information available. The learning skill has been observed in humans, animals and some machines.
Studies conducted in understanding the learning process have put forth revealing trends. In case of humans the learning trend can be credited to education received along with personal development and training so received. The willingness to learn, the motivation to acquire greater knowledge plays a crucial role. Animals subject to habitual or classical conditioning have acquired skills and knowledge as per the conditioning so received.
In both the cases, play has got to play a pivotal role in making the subject acquire new skills sets and enhanced knowledge. In fact play is said to sharpen and coordinate the function of the sensory organs in much better way.
You do need to understand the role of neuropsychology, educational psychology, learning theory, and pedagogy which is crucial in making ascertaining the journey of any learning process.