Development of Play Skills

The development of play skills starts at birth and continues to develop throughout childhood. Play is important for children to learn how to interact, socialize and negotiate with others. Using blocks as an example, here is what the development of play might look like:

• Solitary Play: stacking or banging blocks together
• Spectator: looking at other children playing with blocks
• Parallel Play: making a tower beside other children who are playing with blocks
• Associative Play: taking turns putting a block on the tower to make it taller
• Cooperative Play: designing a tower with blocks; working together to build a tower