This study examines the effectiveness of a play-based learning approach in developing the phonemic awareness of kindergarten learners from the teacher’s viewpoint. Phonemic awareness, defined as the ability to recognize and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words, is a crucial foundation for early reading and literacy development. However, young learners often struggle with traditional, teacher-centered methods that may limit engagement and participation. In response, this study explores how play-based strategies can support more meaningful and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews and classroom observations among selected kindergarten teachers. The findings indicate that play-based learning significantly enhances learners’ phonemic awareness by providing interactive, enjoyable, and child-centered activities such as rhyming games, sound matching, storytelling, and music-based exercises. Teachers reported that these activities increased learners’ motivation, attention span, and active involvement in lessons. Furthermore, the results reveal that play-based approaches foster a supportive and low-pressure learning environment, allowing children to experiment with sounds and language without fear of making mistakes. Teachers also observed improvements not only in phonemic skills—such as blending, segmenting, and sound identification—but also in learners’ social interaction, creativity, and self-confidence. The study concludes that play-based learning is an effective instructional approach for enhancing phonemic awareness among kindergarten learners. It is recommended that educators integrate playful and engaging strategies into early literacy instruction to promote holistic development and improve learning outcomes. Future research may further explore its long-term impact on reading proficiency.