Types of Play
Form of play in which a single child imitates another person or acts out a situation
Dramatic Play
Child watches other children playing. Child may talk to others playing, but does not become involved
Onlooker
During this stage, the child will use the prop as intended while playing with other children
Tommy and Tim are playing on the computers next to each other.
P
Matt and Megan are both playing in the sandbox. Matt is making mud soup. Megan is building a castle. They share the funnel and bucket but do not say too much to each other except to ask for the funnel or bucket.
parallel
Involves several children imitating others and acting out situations together.
Socio-Dramatic Play
Child not involved in any particular activity. Child is walking around, looking around, playing with fingers, hair, etc.
Unoccupied/uninvolved
A child at this stage handles props.
Manipulative Stage
Tara, Kelly, and Maggie are all playing house. Tara and Kelly are pretending to be the parents and Maggie is the baby. They talk about what they are going to cook for dinner.
C
Ted is playing shopkeeper. Sue and Pam come to buy groceries. They select the food they want and go to the cash register. Ted asks them for money. They do not have enough money to pay for the groceries. They discuss how they can get the food they need.
Cooperative & Socio-Dramatic
Giving human traits to nonliving objects.
Personification
Children play beside each other, but not with each other. No interaction, but toys are similar
Parallel
Children in this stage do not need real props. They think of substitutes.
Imaginative Satge
Julie is playing hopscotch by herself.
S
Carrie is walking around the block area. She fiddles with her dress. She continues to the art table and sits down. She gets back up and walks to the library.
Unoccupied/Uninvolved
When a child places feelings and emotions he or she feels onto the puppet.
Projection
First type of social play where children interact with one another while engaging in a similar activity. The play is loosely organized. Each child does what he/she wishes, but is part of a large group
Associative
Jerry is acting like a detective. He does not have a magnifying glass, but is using a bubble blower stick. What stage of material use is Jerry engaging in?
Imaginative
Aaron, Sierra, and Jim are all at the art table. They are all making Valentine’s Day cards.
A
Joey sits with the children in the book block area. He watches Tom and Tim stack the blocks to form a castle. Joey asks the 2 boys “how high are you making that castle?” Joey watches the 2 boys stack the blocks higher and higher.
Onlooker
A type of play which allows children to learn about their world
Pretend
Play between two or more children where they interact with one another. Socio-dramatic play begins. Involves organization and child is part of a group that has a specific purpose
Cooperative
A child uses a fake bottle to feed a doll.
Functional
Tina and Gina are playing fairy dress-up. They walk around the room together once they have their outfits on.
A
Jillian picks up a blond-haired puppet and pretends to talk to the puppet. She asks the puppet why it is sad. They puppet says because the other girls are not playing with her.
Projection