Play is an essential part of a child’s development, providing opportunities for growth and learning. Children engage in various types of play as they grow, from sensory play to imaginative play, and understanding the stages of play can help parents and educators support children’s growth and development. Like Behavioral Schema, the idea of stages of play has been around for nearly 100 years now. It first appeared in a 1929 dissertation by Mildred Parten Newhall. She believed that the progression through the stages of early play strongly correlated with the child’s advancing language skills.
Unoccupied Play (0-3 months)
The first stage of play development is unoccupied play. This stage occurs when children are not yet fully engaged in play but are simply exploring their environment. At this stage, children are often fascinated by their surroundings and will watch other children play, observe objects, and discover new sensations.
Solitary Play (0-2 years)
Solidary play begins to develop after unoccupied play. At this stage, children play alone, but their play is self-directed. Children at this stage may engage in activities such as playing with toys, stacking blocks, or playing make-believe with dolls.
Onlooker Play (2 years)
The third stage of play development is onlooker play. Children begin to watch others play, but they do not actively participate. Children at this stage may observe and learn from other children’s play, but they are not yet ready to join in.
Parallel Play (2+ years)
In the parallel play stage, children will play alongside others, but they do not play together, yet. Children at this stage may have their own toys or engage in separate activities, but they are aware of each other’s presence.
Associative Play (3-4 years)
When children begin to play together and share toys, they are demonstrating associative play. Their play is not yet cooperative. Children at this stage may take turns playing with a toy or playing next to each other, but they do not yet fully engage with each other.
Cooperative Play (4+ years)
The final stage of play development is cooperative play. At this stage, children play together, sharing ideas, and working together towards a common goal. Children at this stage may engage in activities such as playing team sports, building structures together, or playing imaginative games.
What can parents take away?
Understanding the 6 stages of play is important in providing a supportive and enriching environment for children’s play experiences. By being aware of these stages, we can:
- Support our children’s growth and development
- Encourage the type of play that is developmentally appropriate for our children
- Recognize and appreciate when a skill (like cooperative play) is beyond their developmental level.
It is also important to note, that, unlike schema play, stages of play are developmental and follow set patterns that are largely correlated to age and communication skills, and they are much more linear.