If you have any questions or concerns about your toddler’s development, speak to your health visitor or your child’s doctor.Playtime isn’t just all fun and games. Keep in mind that the age ranges given here should only be taken as a rough guide, as all children develop at their own pace. Your child starts playing with others and takes an interest in the other kids and the game that they are playing. For example, two or more more children could be playing in the same playhouse, but each doing a different activity.Ĭooperative play (4+ years). You child starts interacting with other kids when playing, but only a little. Your little one plays alongside or nearby others, sometimes observing or mimicking the other child, but without interacting with them.Īssociate play (3 to 4 years). Your curious toddler starts watching other children play, but without joining in. Your child plays alone, without taking any interest in what others are doing. This may seem like random arm and leg movements at first, gradually becoming more coordinated as your baby discovers how his or her body moves. The six stages of play, and the approximate ages when they can occur, are: Parallel play is most common between the ages of 2 1/3 and 3 1/2, but it could start earlier or later than this as children develop at different rates. The fully interactive stage of play, known as cooperative play, usually starts after around the age of 4 years. For example, several children might be playing on the same piece of playground equipment but all doing their own thing – for example, climbing, sliding down the slide or swinging. Even during this next stage, known as associate play, your toddler won’t be interacting fully. Later, between the ages of 3 and 4, you child will start to engage more with other children. This is a sign that the stage of parallel play could start sometime in the following weeks or months. Parallel play is most common between the ages of 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 but children develop at their own pace so it might start a little earlier or later than this.īefore that, your toddler or baby probably just played ‘alone’, without showing any interest in what other children are doing nearby.Īt around 2 years old, toddlers often start watching other children play, but without joining in themselves. It’s OK to let the children play and do their own thing, but be sure to keep an eye on them to prevent fights over toys Give your child opportunities to play with other children Praise your child if he or she tries to interact or copy you To help your child transition from solitary to parallel play, try playing alongside your toddler yourself, using similar or identical toysĮncourage your child to accept toys from you, for example by offering more blocks to stack if that’s what your toddler is doing Here’s how you can encourage and help your toddler with parallel play: It helps your child develop all sorts of skills includingĪlthough it might seem odd to see two children playing side-by-side without communication, parallel play is an important stage in the process of learning about social play and cooperation with others.Īs your child matures, he or she will start playing more collaboratively, actively and imaginatively. Play is important for your toddler’s development. This strategy often works with toddlers around this age, because they still have a fairly short attention span.Īn example of parallel play could be two children both playing with building blocks, sometimes watching and imitating each other but not communicating or interacting directly. Now that your child is in the stage of toddlerhood sometimes referred to as the terrible twos, you may find that outbursts or conflicts like this are becoming more frequent.Ī good way of dealing with a squabble over a preferred toy could be to distract your child and/or offer another toy. This could lead to a conflict that you’ll need to help resolve. For example, if there is only one toy car or play figure and your toddler sees a playmate playing with it, he or she may decide to try taking it. Keep in mind that your little one doesn’t yet understand the concept of sharing. So, if the other child is playing with blocks, your toddler may decide to play with blocks too. An example of parallel play might be your child imitating what a playmate is doing while not seeming to interact with him or her directly. Parallel play is one of the six stages of play and involves your toddler playing next to another child and observing or mimicking the other child without direct interaction.ĭuring toddlerhood, imitation and pretend games are common.
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