One of the first things I searched for in my quest to become a play connoisseur was “how does play develop”. This question brought up a ton of suggestions. The internet is good at doing that.

The Oxford Dictionary defines play as [a verb] “engagement in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than serious or practical purposes and [a noun] an activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children.”

In 1932, Mildred Parten studied a small group of toddlers/preschoolers in a nursery school at the University of Minnesota [think modern-day daycare setting]. I will also link this article in the show notes. She observed them during free-play time and divided play into 6 stages of social play development.

• Unoccupied Play (0-3 months)
• Solitary Play (0-2 years)
• Spectator Play (2 years)
• Parallel Play (2+ years)
• Associative Play (3-4 years)
• Cooperative Play (4 years and up)

 

Once we’ve determined how a child plays, we can better plan our therapy sessions. Remember- starting with tasks you know the child can succeed is important. We want to build their confidence and to do that; we give them activities we know they can accomplish.

 

Don't forget, to grab your free play development handout as part of my Toddler Toolbox!

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See you soon, friends! ❤️