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It is important that families and teachers encourage children to participate in all types of play. This allows children to develop emotionally, physically, mentally, and socially. They are able to learn about their surrounding environments, interact with others, and given the freedom to use their creativity. Children are also able to develop necessary life skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking and reasoning, and communicating.

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This is the first type of play infants participate in and continue to participate in for the first couple years. Children use their senses to learn about and use different objects, growing their knowledge. This type of play can be implemented into a child's routine by having them participate in various activities involving their senses, such as play dough, slime, sandbox, etc.

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Sensorimotor activities for children | STEM Little Explorers

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We discuss some of the sensory activities, from sensory bottles to quiet books and good old water play. Learn all about sensory play!

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This type of play begins around 12 months. This play is spontaneous and is constantly changing. Children are in control and direct this play, while being supported by surrounding adults. To implement this type of play, adults can encourage the use of costumes or props and give children the freedom to use these props as desired.

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​Sociodramatic play is where children act out imaginary situations and stories, become different characters, and pretend they are in different locations and times.

When imaginative/dramatic play is shared with others, this becomes sociodramatic play. It can involve the use of props, costumes, and scenery, but this isn't a requirement. It is possible for sociodramatic play to make use of nothing but children's imagination.

Sociodramatic play is the most advanced form of play, and constantly changes (is fluid and dynamic) according to the interests and ideas of children.

Sociodramatic play allows children to explore and create new worlds. The possibilities of children's sociodramatic play are endless. This teaching practice can be a powerful tool for learning language, as children take on roles/characters, act out various scenarios and stories, and solve problems using language and movement.

Sociodramatic play usually involves children:

developing roles

creating their own storylines

making up their own spoken lines (dialogue)

interacting with each other

directing each other in play.

(Dinham & Chalk, 2018)

Children use play to practice important language and social skills, including:

joining in

sharing and taking turns

ways of interacting through different relationships (parent/child, brother/sister, doctor/patient)

negotiating with each other about how the play will go.

(Dinham & Chalk, 2018)

Educators can take on many different roles during sociodramatic play. How involved educators are will depend on what the learning intention of the experience is, and how children are interacting.

Continuum of adult involvement

Onlooker:

appreciates ongoing drama

nods, smiles, and so forth.

Store manager:

gathers materials

makes props

constructs costumes

organises set

makes script suggestions.

Co-player:

assumes role

mediates dialogue

guide split

defines roles and responsibilities of characters.

Play leader:

Adapted from Enz (1995). Educators can be more or less involved in sociodramatic play, depending on the learning intentions. Also see Jones and Reynolds (2011).

The framework above links to the VEYLDF (2016) Practice Principle: Integrated Teaching and Learning Approaches, which draws distinctions between:

The VEYLDF emphasises that:

Integrated teaching and learning approaches involve adults drawing on and moving between the three approaches in an interweaving way.

Note: In the performing arts section, the use of drama for interacting with others is explored further.

General principles:

When setting up play experiences, think about what language concepts, words, sentences, stories, and discussions could be embedded.

Demonstrate to children how props, costumes, and spaces can be used in sociodramatic play.

Encourage children to imagine what a particular prop or costume could symbolise (e.g. using a block as a phone).

Think about what role you will play in the experience (e.g. the onlooker, stage manager, co-player, or play leader).

When using play as a teaching practice for interacting with others, there are a range of learning foci that educators can embed. See the experience plans for more information.

Some brief examples include:

Concept development and vocabulary

Conversation and social skills

Stories and narratives

Provide children with prompts, props, costumes and pictures to help stimulate re-enacting of stories from books or storytelling experiences.

Encourage children to create their own stories, including new characters and new actions/events.

Explanations and sharing information

Higher order language

Model and prompt children to come up with their own names for characters, places, and things during sociodramatic play. This shows children how they can use language creatively during their play.

For example: call the place you are visiting "wavy pavy land", make a new dish called "ice-cream bolognaise", meet a strange animal called a "squirrelly lizard", or create a flying boat called a "boat-a-fly".

Sociodramatic play is a way for children to develop social and language skills, by creating imaginary worlds, characters, and scenarios, which relate to the real world (Smilansky, 1968).

Children use play to re-create [the] world and model the social behaviour they see in it. In this way they can experience the world without risking the consequences. - Toye & Prendiville (2013, p. 11)

Like oral language, sociodramatic play is learnt through social interaction and modelling of play in context (Toye & Prendiville, 2013).

In line with Vygotsky's (1967) socio-cultural learning, play allows children to be supported by a more capable "player". For sociodramatic play, this means that older peers and educators can model more advanced play using elements of drama teaching. This will then allow children to learn collaboratively, and eventually be able to engage in more advanced sociodramatic play by themselves.

It is important for educators to model and extend upon children's play (Smilansky, 1968; Fleer, 2016), so that children are challenged to continue building upon their own independent play experiences.

Because play can take many forms as a teaching practice, it is difficult to measure its impact on language learning.

Some reviews of research indicate that play (in general) is associated with the development of language and literacy skills, but it is not always possible to say that play itself has caused these changes in development (Lillard et al., 2013).

In one study (Nicolopoulou, Cortina, Ilgaz, Cates, & de Sá, 2015), the researchers found that children who participated in a storytelling and sociodramatic play program had improved language, emergent literacy, play, and self-regulation abilities.

Myck-Wayne's (2010) study of dramatic play areas provided evidence that setting up these areas allows children to practise functional uses of language and literacy in context.

Also, in a review by Weisberg, Zosh and Hirsh-Pasek (2013) the following conclusions are made about the links between language and play:

play allows children to practice using symbols and understanding symbolic relationships (a key part of using language)

play encourages children to use more advanced language that is specific to certain scenarios or social roles

during play, there is a significant amount of language used by children, their peers, and adults, providing numerous opportunities for children to hear, practice, and learn language

play allows children to be in control and engaged in the interaction, and when adults follow this lead, children are likely to learn more language (compared to an adult-led experience).

Outcome 1: identity

Children feel safe, secure and supported

Children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities

explore different identities and points of view in dramatic play

engage in and contribute to shared play experiences.

Outcome 2: community

Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active civic participation

cooperate with others and negotiate roles and relationships in play episodes and group experiences

build on their own social experiences to explore other ways of being

understand different ways of contributing through play and projects

are playful and respond positively to others, reaching out for company and friendship.

Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment

use play to investigate, project and explore new ideas.

Outcome 4: learning

Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity

use play to investigate, imagine and explore ideas

initiate and contribute to play experiences emerging from their own ideas.

Children transfer and adapt what they have learnt from one context to another

use the processes of play, reflection and investigation to problem-solve.

Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials

explore ideas and theories using imagination, creativity and play.

Outcome 5: communication

Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes

Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media

Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work

use symbols in play to represent and make meaning

Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking

identify the uses of technologies in everyday life and use real or imaginary technologies as props in their play.

For age groups: early communicators (birth - 18 months); early language users (12 - 36 months).

For age groups: language and emergent literacy learners (30 - 60 months).

Dinham, J., & Chalk, B. (2018). It's arts play: Young children belonging, being and becoming through the arts. Sydney, Australia: Oxford University Press.

Enz, B. J. (1995) Adult roles in supporting children's literacy. In C. A. Kempers & A. L. Trefsger Miles (Eds.), Linking literacy and play (pp.18-22). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Fleer, M. (2013). Play in the early years. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.

Fleer, M. (2016). Play in the early years (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Jones, E., & Reynolds, G. (2011). The play's the thing: Teachers' roles in children's play (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Lillard, A. S., Lerner, M. D., Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D., & Palmquist, C. M. (2013). The impact of pretend play on children's development: A review of the evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 139(1), 1-34.

Myck-Wayne, J. (2010). In defence of play: Beginning the dialogue about the power of play. Young Exceptional Children, 13(4), 14-23.

Nicolopoulou, A., Cortina, K. S., Ilgaz, H., Cates, C. B., & de Sá, A. B. (2015). Using a narrative- and play-based activity to promote low-income preschoolers' oral language, emergent literacy, and social competence. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 31, 147-162.

Smilansky, S. (1968). The effects of sociodramatic play on disadvantaged preschool children. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Toye, N., & Prendiville, F. (2013). Drama and traditional story for the early years. New York, NY: Routledge Falmer.

Victorian State Government Department of Education and Training (2016) Victorian early years learning and development framework (VEYLDF).

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2016) Illustrative Maps from the VEYLDF to the Victorian Curriculum F-10.

Vygotsky, Lev S. (1967). Play and its role in the mental development of the child. Soviet Psychology, 5(3), 6-18.

Weisberg, D. S., Zosh, J. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2013). Talking it up: Play, language development, and the role of adult support. American Journal of Play, 6(1), 39-54.

Further reading:

Cremin, T., Flewitt, R., Mardell, B., & Swann, J. (2016). Storytelling in early childhood: enriching language, literacy and classroom culture. London and New York: Routledge.

Storytelling in Early Childhood is a captivating book which explores the multiple dimensions of storytelling and story acting and shows how they enrich language and literacy learning in the early years.

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Sociodramatic play (interacting with others)

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​Sociodramatic play is where children act out imaginary situations and stories, become different characters, and pretend they are in different locations and times. When imaginative/dramatic play is shared with others, this becomes sociodramatic play. It can involve the use of props, costumes, and scenery, but this isn't a requirement.

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Infants and toddlers participate in language play through babbling, making noises, and learning words.
In regards to children who have special needs, language play will still be evident in their lives. However, their language skills may need more time to grow and may develop later in their lives. To facilitate language play, teachers and families can encourage communication with children, asking them questions about their day or having them complete journal entries.

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NAPA Team

On this blog, NAPA pediatric speech pathologists list five great activities for language development that can be used for toddlers (2-3 years old), preschoolers, or any child ready to tackle some language development activities! Many children with diagnoses such as autism, cerebral palsy, TBI, and Down syndrome often experience delays or deficits in language development. Delays in language development make it more difficult for children to communicate with family members, teachers and therapists resulting in frustration, potential delays in social development, and difficulties in academic settings.

If your child has trouble learning new words, has problems stringing words together in sentences or has consistent trouble getting the message across verbally, there are things you can do to help.

Recognizing and treating language delays as early as possible will allow your child to communicate effectively and set the stage for greater independence in the future.

Here are 5 great activities for language development for preschoolers and toddlers you can start using today. These language development activities are perfect for 2-3 year olds, toddlers, or preschoolers.

1. Building Blocks

Building towers and similar structures isn't just a fun game to play; it also provides ample opportunity to work on language skills. You can introduce adjectives like "higher" and "up", verbs such as "build" and "fall down," as well as numbers and colors. As each block is added, take the time to explain to your child what is happening and ensure he or she uses the corresponding words to describe the action. Find more speech therapy toys we love here!

2. Role Play

Most children enjoy playing dress up games - role play will allow your child to explore his or her imagination without any restrictions. When you introduce different characters to the game, you can also introduce new words and help build your child's language skills. If there are specific words or concepts you've been instructed to teach by your child's therapist, create characters that allow you to work them in naturally.

3. Talk Your Way Through the Day

Since the goal is to have a child that is able to communicate with others using a wide and varied vocabulary, it makes sense to practice throughout the day in a range of situations. Point out things you see, hear, taste and smell and give your child an opportunity to respond and comprehend what you are saying. Talk about produce and products at the grocery store, what others are doing as you drive by them, different businesses and buildings and objects around your own house. Just remember to keep it simple and avoid "baby talk."

4. Listen to Music

Listening to music with your child is an effective activity to encourage language development. Music has a beat and focuses on intonation, which can help with syllable awareness and other aspects of verbal communication. For some songs, you can also use accompanying books to follow along and point to pictures, or act out the lyrics from the song, which will create links for your child between actions and words.

5. Explore Books Together

It's no secret that children love being told stories - you can use books to help develop language skills from an early age. Whether the books have pictures or not, make sure to focus on language and build associations in your child's mind to help develop his or her language. Feel free to stop and discuss what's happening as often as necessary, and always give your child the chance to talk about the story once the book is finished.

If you can incorporate these kinds of language development activities into your child's routine, you will be able to make progress without having it feel like a chore - for you or your child!

Looking for more speech therapy activities to try at home? We've got you covered!

Additional Resources:

About NAPA Center

NAPA Center is a world-renowned pediatric therapy clinic, offering speech therapy for children of all ages in traditional or intensive settings. With six clinic locations and intensive therapy pop-up sessions worldwide, NAPA is committed to helping children lead their happiest, healthiest lives. At NAPA, we take an individualized approach to therapy because we understand that each child is unique with very specific needs. For this reason, no two therapeutic programs are alike. If your child needs our services, we will work closely with you to select the best therapies for them, creating a customized program specific to your child's needs and your family's goals. Let your child's journey begin today by contacting us to learn more.

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5 Language Development Activities for Toddlers & Children | NAPA Center

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On this blog, NAPA pediatric speech pathologists list five great activities for language development that can be used for toddlers (2-3 years old), preschoolers, or any child ready to tackle some language development activities! Many children with diagnoses such as autism, cerebral palsy, TBI, and Down syndrome often experience delays or deficits in language development.

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This type of play is common among ages 2-3 and consists of children playing alongside each other. These children typically are completing different activities and do not interact with each other, for these young children do not know how to play together. Giving children the time and freedom to participate in free play gives them the opportunity to participate in parallel play and develop their social and emotional skills more.

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Perhaps you've been around a young child before, but you're still concerned about the way they play. They sit next to other kids with their blocks or trucks, but you don't see them making much effort to interact. You might be at ease now, knowing that your kid is actually just fine. There are different stages of play and parallel play is one of those stages.

This is a natural and important stage of development called parallel play.

In fact, it's one of six stages of play that occur as a child moves from solitary play to cooperative play with coordinated activities, communication, and rules. Each child is different, but parallel play usually emerges when they're about 2 or 3 years old.
Your child may look like they're just having fun, but these activities also help them to learn and grow.
Many parents try to avoid parallel play - after all, it doesn't look like "normal" play. Yet research has shown that parallel play is a significant part of human development and can be very beneficial for certain skills. Learn more about the benefits of parallel play and how to encourage it.

How to Encourage Parallel Play:

1. Understand the stages of play. As your child grows, they'll be able to engage in a wider variety of play. Keep in mind that each stage is valuable, and your child will probably shift between them daily. Your child may just want to pour sand one day and build a sand castle the next day. Remember solitary play is still important even as children get older.

2. Stimulate curiosity. Children will probably be more enthusiastic if they think it's their idea. Instead of asking them to play with another child, use comments and questions that will make them want to engage. Asking and answering questions is an excellent way to develop executive functioning skills in children.

3. Demonstrate activities. Showing is usually more effective than telling. Start making things out of play dough and see if the kids join in.

4. Take turns. Sharing can be a challenging concept for humans of all ages. Use parallel play to introduce the idea of taking turns. Try to make it into a game.

5. Stay present. Children will move at their own pace. However, keeping them in the same room or general area creates more opportunities for parallel play.

6. Schedule playdates. Most children are ready for playdates to work on social skills starting around their second birthday. Start out with just one guest and limit the time to about one or two hours.

7. Practice at home. If your child needs to warm up to the possibility of playing with others, let them start with people they know. Sitting alongside a parent or sibling can help prepare them for friends their own age.

Other Playtime Tips:

1. Share daily activities. Do you wish you had more time to create enriching experiences for your child? Invite them along as you go grocery shopping and make dinner. Ordinary tasks can be just as fun and beneficial for young children as any expensive educational game.

2. Talk more. Chatting with your child enhances your child's development when it comes to language and communication skills, especially during the first few years of life. Listen to their questions and keep up a conversation as you play ball or draw pictures. Describe objects around you.

3. Limit screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that too much screen time can interfere with time to play, talk, and sleep. Read more on the risks associated with excessive screen time and recommendations for healthy screen time here.

4. Get moving. Most experts recommend at least 30 minutes of vigorous activity a day for toddlers. They also need to avoid being sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time, so take a break during long car trips. Head outdoors - it is the easiest way to add in movement for young children.

5. Inspire creativity. Playtime is also an occasion for you and your child to enjoy the arts. Exercise your imagination by using recycled materials from around the house for crafts - check out this homemade peg toy. Entertain yourselves with word games while traveling or waiting at the doctor's office.

6. Be flexible. While there are serious benefits, remember to keep playtime fun.

As your child develops, each stage of play helps them to build their mental, physical, and social skills. Provide them with the encouragement and support they need to grow up happy and healthy. Let your child explore the world in their own way and talk with your pediatrician or pediatric OT or PT if you have any questions or concerns.

Resource for Therapeutic Play

Therapeutic Play Activities for Children digital download includes 100 play activity pages and 12 tip sheets. The play activities encourage the development of fine motor skills, bimanual skills, rolling, crawling, tall kneeling, standing balance and cruising with a strong focus on children with cerebral palsy.

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Play Quotes to Remind Us Why Play is So Important

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Parallel Play - What is It and How Can You Help?

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Perhaps you've been around a young child before, but you're still concerned about the way they play. They sit next to other kids with their blocks or trucks, but you don't see them making much effort to interact. You might be at ease now, knowing that your kid is actually just fine.

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Associative play for children with special needs

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Associative play for children with special needs

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In regards to children with special needs, they may find this type of play challenging or may not participate in it often. These children may be more quiet than others and really keep to themselves during these activities. However, children with disabilities can still learn a lot from playing and interacting with others. These children can develop their social, emotional, and communication skills from observing and working with others.

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Why friendship and play are good for children with disability

Play is central to learning and development for all children. Play and friendship help children with disability learn skills and abilities, including social-emotional, communication and physical skills.

Playing with others can help children with disability have fun and feel included, supported and cared for. This can be great for their self-esteem.

How children with disability learn and develop through play with others

Social-emotional skills
Play and friendships help your child learn about sharing, being patient, cooperating, solving problems, working out what other children are feeling and making friends with other children.

If your child finds it hard to understand and manage emotions and this affects their ability to play with others, a psychologist can help.

Communication skills
Some children with disability might use speech, signing, gestures or communication devices. By being with other children, children with disability can learn new ways of talking, listening and communicating. For example, your child can hear and see how other children use words and gestures to say what they want. And your child can practise using words and gestures too. And other children can learn how your child communicates, which can help your child communicate with them.

Stronger communication skills will help your child express themselves, regulate their emotions and behaviour, and feel confident. This can help them make friends more easily.

If your child's disability makes it hard for them to communicate, a speech pathologist might be able to help.

Physical skills
Friendships can encourage your child to join in with fun social physical activities like running, jumping, throwing balls, dancing, climbing or building things. Getting involved in physical play can improve your child's physical fitness and skills, as well as their confidence, self-esteem and sense of belonging.

If your child has a physical disability that makes it hard to be active, a physiotherapist or occupational therapist can help your child find ways to get involved in movement, games and sports with peers.

Practising play with children with disability

You can help your child practise skills for playing well with others through your everyday play and communication together. This includes skills like sharing, taking turns, listening and being sensitive to other children's feelings.

You can do this by being a role model. By listening, sharing, compromising, seeing things from other people's points of view and showing empathy, you show your child positive ways to interact with others. For example, you can say things like, 'Yes, let's do it that way', 'I would like a turn, please' or 'I don't understand what you mean'.

Playing board games or interactive games is a great way to help your child learn to cooperate, share and take turns. For example, if waiting for a turn is something your child needs to practise, you can remind your child to wait by using a wait card or by just holding up your hand. As your child gets better at waiting for turns, you can cut down on the prompts by using a raised finger instead of a raised hand.

And you can read books with your child on play situations or make social stories or drawings of what might happen in the playground or at child care or preschool. It can also help to talk with your child about how to deal with these situations.

Whenever you see your child sharing, taking turns or playing well in any way, you can give your child praise and encouragement. When you tell your child exactly what you liked, your child is more likely to behave that way again. For example, 'It was nice that you gave the ball to Evan when it was his turn'.

Playing with others: making it easier for children with disability

All children have to learn how to play and get along with others. There are a few things you can do to make playing with others easier for children with disability.

Choosing toys and activities
If you're having a playdate for your child, you can help things along by choosing toys and activities that children of diverse abilities will enjoy. It's also a good idea to have some activities that you know your child can do confidently. Children are much more likely to join in when they feel confident.

For younger children, try activities that give them the choice of playing alone, alongside others or together. Some ideas include:

materials for painting and drawing

books, blocks and construction materials like Duplo or Lego

musical instruments

props for imaginative or dramatic play

outside play.

Setting up a play area
If you're inviting children to your house to play, setting up a play area for them can help things go well. A spacious area that's not too crowded works well, as do different spaces and activities so that children can either play together or alone.

Helping out if needed
Sometimes you might need to step in and help your child handle tricky situations. If you can give your child some words that help with understanding feelings, it might help. For example, 'Sally has taken your toy. It looks like you're feeling angry. It's OK to feel angry. Let's see how we can help'.

You can also teach your child some basic questions and sentences to help with play. For example, 'I would like to play with that too', 'Can we try doing this together?' or 'I don't like it when you do that'.

Mixing and matching
It's great for all children, including children with disability, to be with older and younger children, children the same age, and children with and without disability. This can give your child the chance to have a variety of play experiences and develop patience, acceptance and an understanding of diversity.

If play doesn't go to plan

Things probably won't always go according to plan. We don't make friends with everyone we meet or get along with everyone we know. It's normal to worry if your child is ignored or left out or finds it hard to play with others.

Try to make playing with other children as fun, calm and enjoyable as possible.

Note that playing with other children takes physical and emotional energy, so your child might need to spend time alone after a big play session. As your child gets better at playing with other children over time, they'll naturally gain confidence and independence.

If you're worried that your child might be being bullied, read our tips on how to spot the signs of bullying and what you can do about it.

Understanding play

The way your child plays and makes friends will change through early childhood. Children learn different things from play at different ages and stages, including creativity, flexibility and problem-solving. And the more chances your child has to play, the more your child can learn about how to play.

Solitary play is when children play by themselves and don't pay attention to what others are doing. This stage typically goes up to 15-17 months. It can last longer for children with disability.

Parallel play is when children play alongside each other and might use the same or similar toys as those around them. This stage typically starts at 18-24 months, but it can be later for children with disability.

Associative play is when children make and share things, give each other things, or join in with what other children are doing. This typically starts around 3 years, but it might be later for children with disability.

Cooperative play is when children join together to do activities and work together to finish something. It might also be making up rules or playing games with rules. This typically starts happening at 3-4 years, but it might be later for children with disability.

Children with disability might move through these stages more slowly than typically developing children. This can be because their development is delayed or because they haven't had the same play opportunities as typically developing children. For example, a child with a significant motor disability might find it physically difficult to play alongside other children, give things to other children and join in with activities.

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Play and friendship for children with disability

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Play and friendship are good for children with disability. Here's how to help your child with disability play, make friends and build social skills.

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During this play, children aged 2-4 are completing the same activity and are aware of each other. However, there is little interaction between them. These young children are just learning how to interact and play with others. Having children participate in centers with other students allows them to be engaged in associate play and further develop their social, emotional, and communication skills.

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As your little one grows, playing side-by-side and with other children will become a big part of their world.

While it can be hard to realize you're no longer their everything - though don't worry, you're still the center of their universe for a while longer - this is a great stage in play development.

Your kiddo will play with others on the playground, at playgroups, at social events, at preschool - you name it. If there are other children around, precious playtime shenanigans can ensue. And that means you can stop being the number one source of entertainment (for now).

This is sometimes called associative play by child development experts. It's a stage of development when preschool-aged children start to play with or next to other kids doing similar activities. You and I might not necessary call it playing with others, but it's a big step all the same.

During associative play, toddlers start to take an interest in the other children and what they're doing. That doesn't mean they all come together for formal play with agreed-upon activity guidelines or even a common goal - but hey, even adults may find such coordination difficult!

Rather, kids at this stage - usually starting around ages 2-4 - are widening their play world to include others.

There are lots of child development models, so keep in mind that this is just one of them.

An American sociologist named Mildred Parten Newhall created the six stages of play. Associative play is considered the fifth of the six stages.

Here are the others, if you're keeping track:

1. Unoccupied play. A child is just observing, not playing. They start to look around and observe the world around them, but not necessarily the people in it.

2. Solitary play. A child plays alone without any interest in interacting with others.

3. Onlooker play. The child is observing others nearby, but not playing together with them.

4. Parallel play. A child plays or does the same activity as others around them at the same time, but may not interact with them.

5. Associative play. A child plays side-by-side with others, engaging at times but not coordinating efforts.

6. Cooperative play. The child plays with others while interacting with them and is interested in both them and the activity.

Parallel and associative play are a lot alike. But during parallel play, your child is playing next to another child, but isn't talking to them or engaging with them.

During associative play, a child begins to focus on the other person playing, and not just on their own play. Two children at this stage may talk and start to interact with one another. And yes, it's pretty cute when this happens - the stuff viral YouTube videos are made of.

Your child may start associative play when they're 3 or 4 years old, or as early as 2. This stage of play usually lasts until they're around 4 or 5 years old, though children will continue to play this way at times even after entering the next stage of play.

But remember, every child develops at their own pace. Some solitary play is perfectly OK for preschool-aged children. In fact, it's an important skill!

But if your child is playing by themselves all the time, you may want to encourage them to start to interact and share with others - also a crucial skill.

You can help encourage them by being the one to play with them first, but allow them to run the playtime show. You can then show them sharing and interacting skills by doing it yourself!

If you're concerned about your child's development, chat with an expert like their pediatrician or a teacher. They can recommend a specialist, if needed.

Here's what associative play may look like:

Outside, kids ride tricycles next to one another but don't have a coordinated plan of where they're going.

At preschool, children build a tower out of blocks but don't have a formal plan or any organization.

After school, kids paint a canvas together using the same materials but don't communicate to create a unified picture or necessarily comment on what others are drawing.

One toddler plays with a toy and your child joins them and copies what they're doing. They may chat, but they don't make a formal plan together or set any rules.

This is a great stage for benefits that follow your little one all the way into adulthood. These include:

Problem solving and conflict resolution

As your child starts to play and interact with other children more, they'll gain some important problem-solving and conflict resolution skills, research shows.

Undirected play allows kids to:

learn to work in groups

share

negotiate

solve problems

learn self-advocacy

Although you should always keep an eye on your child when they're playing at such a young age, try to only interfere when absolutely necessary. (It's hard, we know!) Instead, allow them to work out their own conflicts as much as possible as they start to play with others.

Cooperation

As your child plays with other kids, they'll start to share toys and art supplies. This won't always be painless - even adults don't always share well! - but they'll need to learn cooperation as they recognize that some things belong to others.

Healthy brain development

Associative play - and sometimes all play in general - is important for your child's brain. It allows them to use their imagination as they create and explore the world around them.

shows this helps your little one develop resiliency to face and overcome future challenges. Of course as parents, we want to clear every obstacle from our child's path - but that's neither possible nor helpful for the big stuff that lies ahead.

Learning readiness

It may not seem like it, but research shows that playtime gives your child the social-emotional readiness they need to get ready for an academic environment. That's because they're developing the skills needed for school like cognition, learning behaviors, and problem solving.

They're also interacting with others, but not at the expense of others, an important skill your child will need in preschool and eventually, elementary school - and of course, beyond.

Reduce childhood obesity

Allowing your child to be active and engage with others may reduce childhood obesity.

Encourage your child to play with others and be active several times a week instead of spending time in front of a screen. This can help to build healthy, active bodies. (To be clear, learning can happen during screen time, too - just not this specific type of learning.)

Making plenty of time for play is essential for your child. They're learning important skills like cooperation and problem solving.

While it's OK for your preschool-aged child to play alone, you can also encourage them to play alongside others.

Some will take longer than others to get there. If you're worried about their development or social skills, talk to their pediatrician - a great ally who has likely seen it all and can make recommendations tailored to you.

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What Is Associative Play? Examples, Age, Benefits, and More

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As your little one grows, playing side-by-side and with other children will become a big part of their world. While it can be hard to realize you're no longer their everything - though don't worry, you're still the center of their universe for a while longer - this is a great stage in play development.

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Sensory play for children with special needs

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Sensory play for children with special needs

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It is vital that parents and teachers are children with special needs encourage play. Sensory play allows children to explore parts of the world around them and learn a lot about their environment using their senses.

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Encourage more sensory play! When kids use their senses, they are more likely to be able to recall information later

Ask your child questions about what they're feeling, what they're hearing, etc. while playing, to help increase vocabulary!

Be cautious! While sensory play is beneficial to a child's development, it is important to make sure that they do not consume objects or play with anything out of their age range.

Sensory play is essential for all kids to learn how their bodies work, and how to process and interpret the world around them. Sometimes the reality of a special need, like Down syndrome or autism spectrum disorder, provides a few barriers, but the need and importance of sensory play remain the same for all children.

What is sensory play?

Sensory play is any activity that stimulates the senses. There are five main senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, and two other less-known senses, vestibular (sense of balance) and proprioceptive (sense of where each body part is in relation to the rest of the body). The more kids use their senses, the more they develop them and the ability to learn using them.

Why is sensory play so important?

Helps kids learn. The more senses a child uses when learning something new, the better equipped that child is to remember and recall information later.

Builds language. When kids describe a sensory play activity and how it feels as they experience it, they gain an understanding of words and that helps them develop a rich, descriptive vocabulary.

Promotes social interaction. Children of all abilities can participate in sensory play. Peers who are typically developing may be apprehensive to approach a child who looks or acts different than they do. Sensory play activities can naturally entice kids to come close and investigate. Getting kids in close proximity to one another is the first step to interaction.

Develops motor skills. Whether kids are making waves in a water table or drawing circles in shaving cream, they are strengthening the muscles in their body that are needed for daily living activities like zipping a jacket or brushing their teeth.

When you contemplate a sensory play activity for a child in your life with special needs, take into consideration not only what they'll learn, but also how they'll experience it -and then promote the areas that make the most sense for each child.

Kids who are blind or visually impaired may not gain a tremendous amount of value from fourteen different shades of green crayon on simple, white copy paper. They may benefit more from enjoying a coloring activity on different textured paper - like bumpy, corrugated, and scratchy (e.g. sand paper).

Kids who are deaf or hard of hearing may miss the verses in a song, however, they can feel the beat of the drum and the vibration of whistles and kazoos. Music can be part of sensory play for kids who are deaf or hard of hearing if you can help them feel the music.

Kids who have physical limitations may not have the control to easily follow intricate paint by number patterns, but may find success with stamps and washable stamp pads, where elaborate masterpieces are created with simple movements.

Kids who have sensory processing issues are a little trickier. Some are highly sensitive to sensory stimulation while others have low sensitivity. For kids who crave more stimulation, add scented extracts or small beads into homemade playdough. Or finger paint instead of using a brush so their fingers feel the coolness and movement directly. For kids who are overly sensitive, finger painting may still be an option - but have the kids wear rubber gloves or put different colored paints in a sealable plastic bag so they can experience how the colors mix and move without ever having to get paint on their hands.

With sensory play, as with all play, safety is important. Keep these tips in mind when you are preparing your sensory play activities...

Supervise. Whether it's directly or within earshot, children should always know there is an adult nearby to help, if needed.

Be aware of overstimulation. For some children, flashing lights are a sensory delight to watch; for others, those same lights may instigate seizures. Be aware of your child's needs and limitations.

Make sure they are developmentally appropriate. Keep age, abilities, and skill in mind when choosing an activity. If children are still exploring with their mouths, make sure the activities you introduce have pieces large enough to not present a choking hazard and are non-toxic.

By providing opportunities to explore in different ways, you are helping children identify what they like and dislike. How they learn best. What calms them and what excites them. Use the senses to guide you in understanding your kids and helping them learn.

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sensory play for kids with special needs

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Sensory Play for Kids with Special Needs | Expert Advice | The Genius of Play

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Encourage more sensory play! When kids use their senses, they are more likely to be able to recall information later Ask your child questions about what they're feeling, what they're hearing, etc. while playing, to help increase vocabulary! Be cautious!

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An easy way for families to encourage and expand children's play is at home. Creating and playing simple games allows children to expand their knowledge and skills.

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This is a game from Peaceable Kingdom, known for it's cooperative style game play. All the players work together to get the owls home before the sun rises. Great fun for practicing social skills like cooperating, working together and communicating. Plus it's just adorable!!

I just recently discovered HABA games thanks to Table by Teresa. What I love about the games from HABA is that they involve cooperative game play, rather than competitive play amongst players. For children who struggle with managing those competitive type of games, these games are a good place to start. Animal Upon Animal is a stacking game where you work together to build as tall of a structure of animals as you can. We've played according to the directions but we also just free build which the kids love too. I totally recommend this game!

This is a Bingo style game. There is a container where the tiles are kept, the dealer pulls it forward and back and reveals two tiles. Whoever calls out the tile first gets it for their board. My kids like to take turns being the dealer, and my 3 year old can manage to get the tiles back in with no adult help. It's such a great game to increase vocabulary, practice matching, pick up on patterns, and just work on social interactions. There have been many arguments over who said the word first. How do you solve that problem? It's a good skill to practice with your family before you have your kids play with their friends.

One of my dearest friends let me borrow this game after my son played it at her house. My kids love to try to catch the fireflies and they have learned to negotiate taking turns putting in the fireflies. It also keeps them entertained for a long time. It's adorable!

My son loves this game! He enjoys being able to actually use a hammer and hit something. You also have to learn some self control while hitting, because if you knock all the pieces out and the skater falls, you lose! On a couple of occasions, we have played this with cousins, and there are some great lessons there about being patient and waiting your turn.

I loved playing Clue with my sister when we were kids! Several years ago, I found Clue Jr and used it when I was working with kids who needed help improving their social skills. The game was pretty easy to set up and was fun to play. They had to pay attention to clues, eliminate suspects and make guesses, just like in regular clue. This was a great game to use with kids to practice social interactions.

Fun game where you use marbles, tweezers, a little water and tissues. It's always fun to see and hear reactions when the "ice" breaks.

Each player gets a card. You have to spot the item that both cards have in common and whoever gets it first wins. There are several versions, including numbers, letters, animals and sports themes.

It's an easy pattern recognition game, but there are all sorts of patterns to choose from, so you also have to be a flexible thinker.

This game is very popular, but it can be tricky because different people play by different rules. It's important to teach your child to make sure to talk with people before the game begins so everyone is on the same page when someone picks up a draw 4 or changes the color. It's good practice to try different uno rules at home and see which ones your kids prefer.

You pick a card, put it in your headband, and then ask the people playing with you yes or no questions to try and figure out what you are. You have to think of the kinds of questions you need to ask to get you closer to your answer. It can be hilarious!

This game requires some creativity and imagination to make up stories with images you've rolled on the dice. There are several different versions of the game out there, and it's always interesting to see what adventures people tell.

This game is addicting. I used it a lot at lunch groups as a school counselor. Kids have also told me they like the sound of the beads when they get dropped into the different sections.

Another game that was very popular with the lunch group crowd. Sometimes kids would play tournaments, or have conversations about whether they played offensively (focused on winning) versus defensively (focused on preventing the other person from winning).

Everyone has probably heard the sound of the trouble pop-o-matic. I love this game because there are times you have to go back to start, and it's a perfect opportunity to show flexibility and good sportsmanship skills.

I love this game because it makes people to think about someone else's perspective. What card will be chosen as the winner will change depending on who is judging.

This game is similar to Apples to Apples, but uses pictures and captions instead. Everyone can take a turn being the judge, and the judge picks the caption that they think fits the picture best. You have to think about things from the perspective of the judge, so it's another great game to help children work on taking another person's perspective.
Note: Both Apples to Apples Junior and Bubble Talk are for 8+, but younger children can play them if they are on a team with someone who can read for them.
One of my new favorite games, this is a quick and easy game that would work well for small groups or lunch groups. One card that made my own kids laugh out loud: List things that would make terrible pizza toppings.

If you need ideas for good toys, check out toy-ideas.com. Toy-ideas.com (instagram: @toy_ideas) is run by a Pediatric Occupational Therapist who shares her ideas for better toys for parents to choose for their kids. She also offers personalized toy recommendations, try it out!

Social Emotional Games

This game is one of my new favorite social skills games! Why? Because not only do I enjoy playing, children really enjoy playing. The main character in the game is Q, a super smart monkey but doesn't always have the greatest social awareness and doesn't always think about others. Q's Race to the Top is super simple to learn. The game has three types of cards: Blue YOU Cards, Green Q Cards, Orange DO Cards. The counselor in me loves the Blue and Green cards, and the mom in me loves the Orange cards. they get kids moving and doing physical things that are fun and a little challenging. It's perfect for a child who may have a hard time sitting still for a whole game. And the beauty is it makes children stay invested and involved with the game. Having the physical component is the perfect way to balance out the talking parts of the game.

Designed by therapists, this game is meant to help spark conversations and connections between kids and adults. There are 4 different decks of cards - person, place, emotion and skill. It's a good way to start tough conversations about big feelings, tough experiences or challenging situations.

PeaceMakers is a deck of cards that is meant to help kids practice mindfulness and connect with others. These are great cards to use in at a mealtime or during a family meeting to spark conversations to help kids get a better understanding of their emotions and how they can handle themselves in a safe and healthy way.

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This is a game from Peaceable Kingdom, known for it's cooperative style game play. All the players work together to get the owls home before the sun rises. Great fun for practicing social skills like cooperating, working together and communicating. Plus it's just adorable!! I just recently discovered HABA games thanks to Table by Teresa.