Introduction to Curriculum for Early Childhood Education · LibreTexts
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2.3: Types of Play
Opening the book…
Mildred Parten (1932) observed two to five year-old children and noted six types of play. Three types she labeled 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 2.2: 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 are they engaging 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 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 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.