The Stages of Play

A little overview of the Stages of Play

 The stages of play are quite interesting and you can see your child's growth and development as they progress through these stages. I pasted and  copied this chart from http://www.child-development-guide.com/stages-of-play-during-child-development.html 
Many versions of the stages of play can be found online.

A few things to keep in mind are that children can bounce back and forth between these types of play ie older children may become spectators when they are among kids older than themselves, and oftentimes in a new situation a child may observe before engaging in play with others.  Also, all children continue to engage in solitary play, even as they progress onto the next stages. Older children will engage in solitary play as well i.e. if there is no one else to play with, or who wants to play the same game; also they can become very focused on what they are doing during certain activities such as puzzles, building or books. Also, we all know the feeling of having had a very busy day and just wanting some space and breathing room- kids can be the same.

Temperament, personality, and experience factor into how quickly the children progress through the stages of play but these guidelines give a good idea of what to expect and allow you to observe how your child might move back and forth between each stage as they grow and develop  :-)

Age	Play Type	Explanation Of The Stages Of Play During Child Development
0-2 Years	Solitary	Plays alone. There is limited interaction with other children.
2 to 2 and half Years	Spectator	Observes other children playing around him but does not play with them.
2 and half to 3 Years	Parallel	Plays alongside others but does not play together with them.
3-4 Years	Associate	Starts to interact with others in their play and there may be fleeting co-operation between in play. Develops friendships and the preferences for playing with some but not all other children.
4 – 6+ Years	Co-operative	Plays together with shared aims of play with others. Play may be quite difficult and he's supportive of other children in his play.