2.5: SSAMM Play Across All Ages
- Page ID
- 231267
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While a previous section explored how creative, hands-on activities in Social Studies, Art, Music, and Movement (SSAMM) support holistic child development across the WMELS domains, it’s also important to understand how these experiences look at different stages of early childhood. From infancy through preschool, children engage with their world in ways that evolve as they grow. Below, you will learn about the type of play each age group engages in, the key skills each develops, and the appropriate materials based on age and developmental level.
Understanding Play Across Age Groups
Children's play evolves significantly from infancy through preschool. Each stage of early childhood is characterized by distinct types of play, developmental milestones, and suitable materials that support growth. Let's begin by examining the play characteristics and developmental needs of infants.
Infants (Birth to 12 months)
Play Type: Unoccupied Play
Infants engage in sensory and motor activities, exploring their environment randomly. They may shake rattles, kick their feet, or observe how objects interact with their surroundings (e.g., rolling balls, grabbing toys). At this stage, their play is typically solitary and centered around their immediate sensory experiences.
Key Skills:
- Sensory exploration (touch, sight, hearing)
- Cause-and-effect understanding
- Early motor control (grasping, reaching, kicking)
Appropriate Materials:
- Social and Fantasy: Mirrors, soft-bodied dolls, washable stuffed toys, hand puppets
- Exploration and Mastery: Sensory toys (rattles, squeeze toys), stacking cups, soft foam or rubber blocks
- Music, Art, and Movement: Noisemakers (bells, music boxes), rhythmic toys, and simple musical instruments
- Gross Motor: Soft, padded surfaces for tummy time, texture boxes, and push-and-pull toys.
Toddlers (1 to 3 years)
Play Type: Solitary Play, Parallel Play
Toddlers often play alone or side by side with other children. They engage in simple pretend play, such as pretending to feed a doll or imitating adults in their environment. As they grow, toddlers begin to imitate and engage in parallel play, often mimicking the actions of others nearby.
Key Skills:
- Early problem-solving (e.g., stacking blocks, fitting shapes)
- Social interaction (playing alongside peers)
- Fine and gross motor development (stacking, building, climbing, running)
- Beginning symbolic thought (pretending to be a family member or using objects symbolically)
Appropriate Materials:
- Social and Fantasy: Simple dolls with accessories, dress-up clothes, pretend kitchen sets
- Exploration and Mastery: Puzzles (4-12 pieces), shape sorters, stacking toys, soft building blocks
- Music, Art, and Movement: Large crayons, markers, finger paints, musical instruments like maracas or tambourines
- Gross Motor: Push toys, ride-on toys, low climbing structures, large balls for kicking or throwing
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years)
Play Type: Associative Play, Cooperative Play
Preschoolers engage in more complex play with others, sharing materials and collaborating on activities like building structures, pretending to be animals or family members, and organizing group games. They begin to understand roles and rules in cooperative play, with more negotiation and problem-solving involved.
Key Skills:
- Advanced social-emotional skills (negotiation, empathy, conflict resolution)
- Cognitive skills (sorting, counting, using symbols for representation)
- Enhanced language development (storytelling, pretending, role-playing)
- Problem-solving in both social and physical contexts (e.g., resolving disagreements in games)
- Appropriate Materials:
- Social and Fantasy: Dolls with clothing, role-playing props (e.g., play food, kitchen sets, dress-up clothes), small animal figures
- Exploration and Mastery: Building blocks (e.g., Lego® bricks, Duplo® blocks), puzzles (up to 30 pieces), counting bears, sorting materials (by size, color, shape)
- Music, Art, and Movement: Art supplies (e.g., crayons, scissors, playdough, watercolor paints), rhythm instruments (e.g., tambourines, maracas), large paper for drawing and painting
- Gross Motor: Balls, tricycles, scooters, small climbing structures, jump ropes, flying disks like Frisbees™.
In early childhood, play across four curricular areas—Social Studies, Art, Music, and Movement—supports holistic child development. Through hands-on exploration, children learn about their world, fostering cognitive, emotional, physical, and social growth. Below, you will see specific examples of the types of play children in each age group engage with in each curricular area.
Social Studies Play
- Preschoolers: Engage in dramatic play (role-playing various occupations), community play (building structures with blocks), and interactive storytelling. Activities like exploring maps, discussing family traditions, and field trips help children understand their roles within the community.
- Toddlers: Play focuses on family roles and relationships, such as caring for dolls or mimicking adult roles. Simple storytelling and sensory exploration of objects help them learn about their community.
- Infants: Begin understanding social bonds through caregiver interactions. Simple sensory exploration, such as recognizing voices or engaging in "serve-and-return" play, builds early social awareness.
Art Play
- Preschoolers: Focus on creative expression through drawing, painting, sculpting, and building. Activities emphasize the process of art creation, like experimenting with color mixing, textures, and using natural materials for outdoor art.
- Toddlers: Engage with basic tools for drawing and painting, explore textures through sensory art, and create simple collages. These activities foster motor skill development and early creativity.
- Infants: Art play is centered on sensory experiences like finger painting with non-toxic materials and exploring textures, supporting sensory integration and early fine motor skills.
Music Play
- Preschoolers: Participate in action songs, rhythmic activities, and play instruments like tambourines or drums. Movement and music integration, such as dancing and listening to different musical styles, enhances rhythm, social interaction, and emotional expression.
- Toddlers: Explore instruments, sing along with repetitive songs, and dance. Simple rhythmic activities like clapping or tapping to beats help develop auditory skills and coordination.
- Infants: Respond to music through cooing, moving to rhythm, and engaging with simple instruments. Music supports early language development, emotional regulation, and bonding with caregivers.
Movement Play
- Preschoolers: Engage in activities like running, jumping, climbing, and creative movement through dance and obstacle courses. These activities promote physical fitness, coordination, and social skills.
- Toddlers: Focus on walking, running, climbing, and jumping. Playing with balls and obstacle courses helps develop balance, coordination, and spatial awareness.
- Infants: Develop early movement skills through tummy time, reaching, rolling, and kicking. These activities strengthen muscles, improve coordination, and enhance sensory processing.
Social Studies, Art, Music, and Movement Activities
The tables below outline how Social Studies, Art, Music, and Movement activities promote development across age groups—infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It highlights how children play differently at various ages, with each group engaging in SSAMM in unique ways. Even in simple activities like clapping to a rhythm or exploring collage materials, each age group benefits from growth in cognitive skills, language, physical movement, emotional development, creativity, and social understanding. By recognizing these differences in how children play, educators can better support their development through age-appropriate experiences.
🌍Social Studies🌍Focus: Exploring people, families, communities, and the environment
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Infants |
Toddlers |
Preschoolers |
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Activities
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Activities
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Activities
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Developmental Benefits
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Developmental Benefits
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Developmental Benefits
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🎨Art🎨Focus: Creativity, expression, and exploration of materials
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Infants |
Toddlers |
Preschoolers |
|---|---|---|
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Activities
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Activities
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Activities
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Developmental Benefits
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Developmental Benefits
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Developmental Benefits
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🎵Music🎵Focus: Rhythm, sound, listening, and self-expression
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Infants |
Toddlers |
Preschoolers |
|---|---|---|
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Activities
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Activities
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Activities
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Developmental Benefits
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Developmental Benefits
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Developmental Benefits
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🏃Movement🏃Focus: Gross motor skills, body awareness, coordination, and expression
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Infants |
Toddlers |
Preschoolers |
|---|---|---|
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Activities
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Activities
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Activities
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Developmental Benefits
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Developmental Benefits
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Developmental Benefits
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Conclusion
In summary, children’s engagement with Social Studies, Art, Music, and Movement evolves with each stage of early childhood, reflecting their growing abilities and interests. Infants focus on sensory exploration, forming attachments, and discovering basic cause-and-effect. As toddlers gain independence, they begin to scribble, sing short songs, imitate adult roles, and refine gross motor skills. By preschool, children deepen these skills through more cooperative, imaginative, and purposeful play, resulting in richer social understanding, artistic expression, musical exploration, and physical coordination. Recognizing these developmental variations allows caregivers and educators to tailor experiences that foster holistic growth at every stage.
References
- Parks, L. (2020). Supporting play and learning throughout early childhood. Texas Child Care Quarterly, 44(1).
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Sussman, K. S. (2012). The importance of play in the preschool classroom. Texas Child Care Quarterly, 36(3).
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OpenAI. (2025). Adapted content from "Supporting Play and Learning" and "The Importance of Play" using ChatGPT.
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Blums, A., & Holloway, S. N. (2024). 2.01: Holistic Development through Play. Licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0.
- The Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) (5th ed., 2017).