3.3: Types and Stages of Play
- Page ID
- 201573
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Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Play [71]
Types of Play
As we think about play, it is important to remember that there are different types of play that children engage in. Quality teachers incorporate plans for each of these types of play throughout the day. They set up activities and plan experiences that will allow children to make sense of their world through each of these play modalities. While teachers keep all in mind, they often combine some of them to narrow down the areas and experiences they provide. A common framework used by teachers as they define areas and activities is as follows:
- Socio-Dramatic Play: Acting out experiences and taking on roles they are familiar with. Often incorporates Symbolic Play where children use materials and actions to represent something else.
- Creative Play: Trying out new ideas and using imagination, with a focus on the process rather than the product.
- Exploratory Play: Using senses to explore and discover the properties and function of things.
- Constructive Play: Using materials to build, construct, and create.
- Loco-motor Play: Moving for movement’s sake, just because it is fun (Hughes, 2002).
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Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Constructive Play |
Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Creative Play |
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Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): Exploratory Play |
Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\): Socio-Dramatic Play |
Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\): Locomotor Play |
Stages of Play
As with most things, the way that children play will go through developmental stages. As teachers plan, they keep in mind the stages of play relevant to the children they are planning for. Originally described by Parten (1932), this list, explains how children’s play changes by age as they grow and develop social skills.
- Unoccupied Play (Birth-3 Months): At this stage, a baby is making many movements with their arms, legs, hands, feet, etc. They are learning about and discovering how their bodies move.
- Solitary Play (Birth-2 Years): This is the stage when a child plays alone. They are not interested in playing with others quite yet.
- Spectator/Onlooker Behavior (2 Years): During this stage, a child begins to watch other children playing but does not play with them.
- Parallel Play (2+ Years): When a child plays alongside or near others but does not play with them.
- Associate Play (3-4 Years): When a child starts to interact with others during play, but there is not a large amount of interaction at this stage.
- Cooperative Play (4+ years): When a child plays together with others and has interest in both the activity and other children involved in playing (Parten, 1932).
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Pause to Reflect Why might these stages be important to consider? How would you use this information in your planning? |
References
This page is from 10.1 Play- The Vehicle for Development and Learning. in Stephens, C., Peterson, G., Eyrich, S., & Paris, J. (2021). Principles and practices of teaching young children. LibreTexts.
Hughes, B. (2002) A playworker’s taxonomy of play types (2 nd ed.). PlayLink.
Parten, M. B. (1932). Social participation among preschool children. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 27 (3). 243–269. doi:10.1037/h0074524