Understanding the stages of play is key to supporting a child’s development. Play is more than just fun—it’s how children learn communication skills, social interaction, problem-solving, motor development, and more.
From unoccupied play to cooperative and imaginative play, each stage builds on the last, helping children gain the skills they need for early learning and school readiness. Knowing the typical stages of play allows parents, educators, and therapists to provide developmentally appropriate activities that encourage growth, confidence, and success in everyday life.
The idea of the stages of play was first introduced by Mildred Parten back in 1932. She noticed that kids play in different ways as they grow, and each type of play helps them learn new skills. Here are the stages:
It’s important to understand what stage of play a child is at so that we can play at the right level. If we’re playing too high or if we’re making things too easy all the time, we won’t see as much growth. As we adapt activities to the appropriate stage of play, the child will have more opportunities that will challenge them and help them progress.
Once you purchase the Stages of Play Tutorial and log in, you will have full access to all the content below this section.
*This tutorial includes selected video lessons from the course Parents Playing on Purpose. Since only specific sections are included, some references may be made to additional videos that are not available within this tutorial.
Here are links to some Early Intervention Tutorials that you may be interested in for kids participating in unoccupied play & solitary play. You can also find more activities at playwithjoy.com/shop and you can filter by stages of play.
Here are links to some Early Intervention Tutorials that you may be interested in for kids participating in onlooker play & parallel play. You can also find more activities at playwithjoy.com/shop and you can filter by stages of play.
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