The Stages of Play

By Alyssa Finuoli

Play is defined as a variety of intrinsically motivated activities done for recreational pleasure and enjoyment. The beauty of play is that there is no one way to play! Infants, toddlers, and children experience a range of stages during development in which their play is able to build upon previously developed skills. The benefits of play are endless — learning opportunities, language opportunities, social-emotional development, self-regulation, problem solving, increased attention span, and more. Each stage of play focuses on a specific skill set, yet all play should be fun, naturalistic, engaging, and should follow the child’s lead.

Exploratory/ Unoccupied Play

Exploratory play and unoccupied play are the first stages in which infants explore the world around them by looking, grasping, holding, and mouthing objects or toys. During this stage, infants are learning how their body moves and are observing their surroundings.

Solitary Play

Between birth to approximately two years of age, children are most interested in playing by themselves. At the beginning of this stage, children will participate in nursery rhymes such as “This Little Piggy” and begin to stack rings on a peg. Towards the end of this stage, children typically will play functionally with toys that have a means-end, such as puzzles and stacking toys. They typically are not aware of other children playing nearby. During this stage children are typically playing with no goal in mind except for exploring different toys that are of interest to them. Solitary play teaches children how to keep themselves entertained and builds independence.

Onlooker Play

Around two years of age, children begin to experience onlooker behavior. During this stage, children begin to notice children playing near them and will observe them playing; however, they are not ready to join in just yet. It is typical for children to have questions about others playing. They might make comments as well. Onlooker play allows children’s attention to expand and perception to grow as they observe others.

Parallel Play

Parallel play also begins to develop around two years of age. During this stage, children will play parallel to another child and observe another child, but will not interact. Research suggests that children who engage in parallel play have the desire to be around others, but do not yet have the skills to play in a cooperative manner. Parallel play helps children to begin to create social relationships as their language continues to develop. This stage acts as a bridge towards more associative play with others.

Associative Play

When a child is around three years old, associative play is developing. Associative play is when children begin to play together and include others in their play world, although they are not working towards a common goal within their play. Social interaction is beginning to occur as children engage with others their age, share toys, and exchange words during play. This stage is important as children are starting to learn how to get along with others. Children are learning how to share their toys, allow others into their space, and use language to communicate about the activity.

Cooperative Play

Cooperative play occurs at around age four to five years old and is when children play together in effort to achieve a common goal. Rules are created for the play scenario and each child is working towards a specific purpose, while establishing and maintaining social relationships with peers. During this stage, problem-solving skills are put to the test as conflict may need to be resolved. Social communication plays a large role as kids show empathy for others. Children are beginning to recognize others’ feelings while adhering to rules and being a good friend. Cooperative play acts as the building blocks to so many important skills such as teamwork, respect, and leadership.

Play is an important vehicle of development. It allows a child to build social, emotional, and linguistic skills that are imperative to their future development.

Want more information about the link between play and language development? Contact The Speech Studio! Call (914) 893–2223, check out our website at www.thespeechstudiony.com or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thespeechstudio.