3.3: Types of Play

Mildred Parten (1932) observed two to five-year-old children and noted six types of play. She labeled three types as non-social (unoccupied, solitary, and onlooker), and three types were categorized as social play (parallel, associative, and cooperative). The table below describes each type of play. Younger children engage in non-social play more than those older; by age five, associative and cooperative play are the most common forms of play (Dyer & Moneta, 2006). [1]

Table 3.2: Parten’s Classification of Types of Play[2]

Category

Description

Unoccupied Play

Children’s behavior seems more random and without a specific goal. This is the least common form of play.

Solitary Play

Children play by themselves, do not interact with others, nor do they engage in similar activities as the children around them.

Onlooker Play

Children are observing other children playing. They may comment on the activities and even make suggestions, but they will not directly join the play.

Parallel Play

Children play alongside each other, using similar toys, but do not directly interact with each other.

Associative Play

Children will interact with each other and share toys, but they are not working toward a common goal.

Cooperative Play

Children are interacting to achieve a common goal. Children may take on different tasks to reach that goal.

References

This page titled 3.3: Types of Play is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Erin Jones, EdS, ECSE, MBA

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Introduction to Curriculum for Early Childhood Education Copyright © by Erin Jones, EdS, ECSE, MBA. All Rights Reserved.

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