3.3: Types of Play

Erin Jones, EdS, ECSE, MBA

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.

Watch this!

Mildred Parten developed a theory in 1932 which categorized Six Stages of Play (Mildred Parten) – Explained! (3:50 minutes) based on their social interaction and cognitive complexity. These stages illustrate the evolution of a child’s social development within play contexts: In this video, we’ll look at each stage of play, the age range in which it emerges, and what types of play occur in each stage.

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References

[1] Lifespan Development – Module 5: Early Childhood by Lumen Learning references Psyc 200 Lifespan Psychology by Laura Overstreet, licensed under CC BY 4.0

[2] Lifespan Development – Module 5: Early Childhood by Lumen Learning references Psyc 200 Lifespan Psychology by Laura Overstreet, licensed under CC BY 4.0

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