All About Play

“Play is the work of childhood”

-Jean Piaget

Play is the magic of childhood. But beyond that, it’s how children communicate their needs, hopes and their stories. Play can be regulating to a child whose day was chaotic or a way to problem solve. The most important thing, however, is play enables children to connect with those who care for them. An invitation to play is a child saying ‘I need to be close to you’ or ‘I need you to see me’. Play is POWERFUL. Here are the stages of play you can expect as your child grows.

0-3 Months: Unoccupied Play

Baby makes movements with their body and experiments with how their body moves and feels.

0-2 Years: Solitary Play

Children prefer to play alone, exploring different kinds of toys and how to use them.

2 Years: Onlooker/Spectator

Children prefer to watch and observe other children playing, but will not join in yet.

2+ Years: Parallel Play

Children play alongside or beside other, but do not play cooperatively yet.

3-4 Years: Associate Play

Children start interacting during play, but cooperation is not required.

4+ Years: Cooperative Play

Children have interest in both the activity and other children engaging in the play.