Parallel Play

Here we are again with another type of play for children.  Parallel play is typically the next stage of play after onlooker play.  You will often find your child playing NEXT TO another child, but not necessarily WITH them.  This is important as it shows that the child is comfortable being around someone outside of their own family.  Connecting with …

Onlooker Play

Onlooker play is a very observant type of play for children.  It begins around the age of 3 and is where children learn from watching other children play.  They are engaged mostly in the observation of how other kids play. This is an important beginning stage for learning how to play with other children.  However it is not limited to …

Solitary Play

Welcome back to the discussion of the different types of play that are important for a child’s development.  Last time we discussed Exploratory Play, which could also be considered Unoccupied Play.  This is the most basic type of play and usually between 0-3 months of age.  Now we are going to dive into Solitary Play which occurs 0-2 years old. …

Types of Play

Part 1 Let’s talk about the different types of play that you can observe in children. Exploratory Play is a great place to start this discussion. Kids in exploratory play will use several of their senses to explore their world around them.  For example, using touch gives them an opportunity to feel objects and use gross motor and fine motor …