Stages Of Play In Child Development: The Six Important Social Stages

Studies have shown that play is an essential part of childhood that positively impacts a child’s overall development.

Infants and toddlers develop lifelong skills in their active engagement during play. Through play, children have the opportunity to build, imagine, be curious, create and build, enjoy and discover nature, and appreciate company, or learn independence by playing alone.

Stages of Play In Child Development: The Six Social Stages

Researcher Mildred Parten identified these six stages of play that children progress through as they grow. Parten’s research emphasises that while each child’s way to play can vary based on the individual, the stages of plays are similar to other developmental milestones between ages.

Understanding the different stages of play can help us provide learning activities and an environment for our children to support their development through the ages.

Unoccupied play (Birth to 3 Months)

 Babies begin to form connections with their parents and caregivers immediately from birth. While newborns tend to be often relatively stationary, they also make many random movements using their arms, legs, hands, and feet. This is already considered some form of play.

During this stage, it is encouraged for parents to promote interactions for bonding. Appropriate activities such as singing, rocking to sleep, and giving tummy time can help promote developmental skills.

Solitary play (First 2 years)

Babies play independently and often prefer to play alone during this stage of solitary play. During this stage, babies will play with “toys”, which can be any type of object that piques their interest and with which they can have fun.

Play at this stage involves children getting more familiar with their senses: looking, touching, holding or grasping, and tasting. This is the stage where children can use their imaginations and explore on their own. Here they develop concentration, creativity and focus, and further develop their motor skills and even cognitive functions.

Spectator/Onlooker play (2 years)

Children’s play at this stage involves a lot of “spectating” and “onlooking”, which is why this stage is called as such. Children prefer to watch others play rather than play by themselves or play with others during this stage.

Because of the nature of observation, children will begin to ask a lot of questions. They engage in forms of social interaction, such as talking about the activity, without actually joining in the play. 

Parallel play (2+ years)

At this age, toddlers’ physical skills and abilities are further improved. During parallel play, toddlers continue to enjoy playing independently but acknowledge the presence of others when they are in group settings.

During this stage of play, children play with similar objects as other children, beside and next to them. It is where children begin to play around other children but not necessarily with other children.

Associate play (3 to 4 years)

As children grow and become more exposed to other children, they eventually develop an interest in playing with them. At the stage of associate play, a child starts to interact with others during play, albeit in limited amounts.

Despite the limited interaction when playing with other children, this is the stage where they watch them and copy/imitate their actions and participate in the same activities. This is the stage of play where children begin to share toys and engage in a play where each child has their attention on one thing while also talking to each other. Here, they develop more behavioural skills such as friendliness, empathy and even maturity.

Cooperative play (4+ years)

Cooperative play is the final of the six stages of play for child development.

The stage of cooperative play is an important stage of social and emotional development. It is where children learn to compromise, resolve conflict and regulate their emotions. This is the stage where children learn to work together. They play, pretend, create or build things, and work towards a common goal.

Avoid Disruption With Premium Protection Through All The Stages Of Play

Play presents an abundance of opportunities for parents to encourage children’s overall development. That’s why no matter the age and stage of the child, parents must ensure that they get enough opportunities for unhindered play.

And nothing disrupts any play experience among infants and toddlers other than having the wrong kind of diaper on. To support your child’s physical, mental and emotional development, provide them with premium protection that can get them through all the stages of play. Choose a diaper that is comfortable, breathable and leak-proof to allow your child unhindered play throughout their childhood. Choose Pampers® Premium Care Diapers.

Pampers® Premium Care Diapers offers skin wellness and protection with:

• Lotion containing Calendula extract that helps protect against skin irritation caused by overhydration like sweat when your baby moves and grooves
• 2X stretchiness and Magic Gel Channels for superior comfort and all-day dryness
• Fluffy Softness that provides a gentle, feather-like touch
• 10 million micropores that provide ultra-breathability with 360-degree air circulation for ultimate breathability
• Wetness indicator and tape for fool-proof, convenient change and disposal

Buy Pampers® Premium Care Diapers and provide your child with the best experiences throughout all the stages of play!