For the majority of us, childhood was the most memorable and wonderful time of our lives. There could be a number of reasons for this, but “playing” sticks out as the primary among them. Nothing is more enchanting than to watch a child or infant play because ‘Playing’ is an essential means to discover, create and learn. And I have no doubt that our childhood was filled with many kinds of games. In younger children, playing is crucial to their physical and cognitive development and to reaching various milestones.
The United Nations recognises play on par with education as a fundamental right. The UN Convention recognises that free play is not an optional extra for children: Their physical, social, mental, and emotional development depends on it, and it is essential to their health and happiness.
Play in its more organic form is giving way to online games, digital devices and newer gadgets and platforms. As technology aims for newer and advanced ways to engage young minds, many children all over the globe are still required to engage in recreation and leisure. Children who are deprived of play often experience a loss of sensory input, which causes them to withdraw and lose electrical brain activity. Additionally, they are more likely to exhibit severe emotional dysregulations, frequently exhibit antisocial behavior, and have adverse impacts on their cognitive and social developments.
So if you have ever wondered, how does a child start to play, here’s some research backed insights into various stages of play.
Stages of Play
Mildred Parten was a sociologist and researcher at the University of Minnesotta’s Institute of Child Development. She is credited to being the first among the many researchers who did extensive studies on children with a special emphasis on ‘play’. Her research has led to the identification of six distinct styles of play.
Unoccupied Play
The first stage of play, which is mostly seen in infants and very young children, is more non-social and unstructured. This stage is more about using sensory experiences where a child maybe indulging in performing random movements like making sounds. This could be just a child playing alone with no obvious objective. These random movements are seen as a methods that make the infant/children to explore ideas and interests in their surroundings. This would eventually assist the child in cultivating their distinctive expression and would also be viewed as a time to develop necessary motor skills.
Example – Playing with their feet.
Solitary Play
Also known as independent play, this non-social play is more focused and sustained. Though this differs from child to child, most young ones enjoy playing alone. Children at this stage try to entertain themselves, explore more freely, and engage in more time in motor skills. This period should be encouraged because it will eventually lead to the development of numerous problem-solving skills as well as the ability to play constructively with others.
Example – Playing with musical instruments or dolls.
Onlooker Play
At this stage of their development, young children begin to develop and refine their interaction skills through observing group play activities. The children begin to notice other children playing and observe them, try to imitate them or sometimes just listen to the conversations happening. These observations led them to their initial understanding of social behaviour.
Developmental researchers suggest this stage is crucial as it enables children to discover how objects and materials are used, for what purpose it is used etc. It prepares them for the types of behavior they may engage in when they reach the next stage.
Example – Watching how other children play from a balcony
Parallel Play
At this stage of development, children tend to be in close proximity to each other while playing, although they may not fully engage in the same game or activity. Even with less interaction, the child will be pay attention to their fellow players while gradually beginning to converse with each other at infrequent periods of playtime. Parallel Play is also called adjacent play, where a child is slowly transitioning from a solitary stage to a more cooperative stage. This leads them to practice more social skills with others, mimic behaviors and learn the rules of interactions.
Example – Drawing on their own sheets of paper, playing with their toys.
Associative Play
Though there are still no full group plays, this stage would see a substantial shift in child interaction. The young child will have his own ways of playing and may even have preferred toys, but the emphasis will now be on the people around them. This means that the kid can now practise social rules learned in previous stages, use skills learned more independently, and even begin to develop problem solving skills.
Example – Children playing blocks together.
Cooperative Play
During this stage, children become more involved with others and play well together.It is at this stage that a child begins to self-identify in a group setting, has a role assigned to them, and also experiences some conflict after the child engages in shared activities. Children arrive at this stage at their own pace. It is during this stage that the child has developed fully their play skills. In this stage, researchers note that children learn problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, and social skills that they have acquired in previous stages.
Example – Puzzle solving, Playing house games.