Types of Play

To many, it is a surprise that there are different types of play. So, let's get into them!

• Independent Play

  • Just like it sounds, this is when a child is playing by themselves. We see this a lot when babies are learning how to interact with objects. We also see this as children get older- this is a great space to watch their imagination grow! Independent play can be simple and concrete, like building with legos or blocks. It can also be imaginative, like pretending a stick is a magic wand.

    
    

• Parellel Play

  • Parallel play is when a child is playing next to another child, but not WITH them. They could certainly be doing similar activities, but they're not interacting with each other or sharing objects. When you watch kids parallel play, you may observe them watching each other and copying what the other child does. They're also likely listening to the other child and getting peer-modeled language exposure.

    
    

• Associative Play

  • When kids are playing alongside each other, they may begin to share objects. This is where associative play starts! They're sharing objects, but they are not working toward the same goal. For example, John and Hank may both be playing with blocks, but they're not building something together. John may take a block from Hank's pile to add to his tower creation while Hank might take a wheel from John's pile to complete his car creation.

    
    

• Cooperative Play

  • Team work makes the dream work! Cooperative play is where we see children working together to accomplish the same goal. This usually involves a fair amount of communication to be successful and is much more organized play. For example, two kids are playing restaurant together. One child is cooking and the other child is bringing the meals to their customers. They may something like, "I need eggs," so the child that is playing chef can make the eggs, then the child pretending to be the waiter/waitress can bring the order to the customer.

    
    

• Symbolic/Imaginative Play

  • You guessed it- the imagination is soaring! In this stage of play, children are using objects to represent something else. For instance, a box could be used as a car, a towel can be used as a baby doll's blanket, or a stick can be used as a spoon to stir.

Next time you're playing with your child, take a look at what types of play you're seeing. Early play skills are critical for language development, so this information is especially helpful if you're working with an SLP or considering working with one.

Stay chatty,

Lindsay Leahr, MA, CCC-SLP