Children have a magical way of finding fun in the most ordinary things. As parents, it’s truly an amazing sight to witness your child delight in jumping in puddles, hiding in cardboard boxes, or playing peekaboo for the umpteenth time. But play is not all entertainment. It’s also a critical part of a child’s development.

Besides bringing joy and laughter (to them and to us), play also shapes how children learn, think and behave. While it comes naturally to kids, adults can play a key role in enhancing their development through play. By engaging in the different forms of play, you can support your child’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional growth. Explore with us more than 10 types of play that are essential for your child’s development, many of which have lasting benefits.

The Stages of Play

There are six stages of play demarcated by American sociologist Mildred Parten Newhall. These stages of play — namely unoccupied play, solitary play, spectator play, parallel play, associative play, and cooperative play — represent key milestones in a child’s social development up to the age of five. As children grow, they progress through these stages, advancing from one to the next.

Unoccupied Play (0-3 Months)

Unoccupied play acts as the introduction to play. It can begin as early as birth. While their largely uncoordinated movements may not look like much, the movements they make, from random kicks in the air to clenched fists, allow infants to discover their bodies and capabilities through observation and exploration. As their motor skills improve, unoccupied play passively helps children gather more information about their surroundings.

Support with: Mobile and attachment toys, soft rattles, play mats. 

Solitary Play (0-2 Years)

Solitary play, or independent play, marks the stage when a child prefers to play alone. They keep to themselves and choose not to engage with other children, allotting ample time for thinking and solo creations. Solitary play simultaneously helps children learn about the world around them and build on their self-reliance and confidence. 

Support with: Building bricks, puzzles, plush toys. 

Spectator Play (2 Years)

In spectator play, a child observes other children playing without participating themselves. They may sit or stand around the activity, or even demonstrate interest and ask questions, but have no intention of joining in. Spectator play is also referred to as onlooker play, and can contribute to the development of their familiarity and confidence for future social situations.  

Support with: A safe and inviting environment with low seating options, so children do not feel pressured to participate without feeling too far removed from the action.

Parallel Play (2-3 Years)

Think of parallel play as playing side by side, where children are next to each other but do not directly interact. Although they are not playing together yet, they may look at each other out of curiosity and mimic one another. Parallel play represents a progression from being a spectator to more connective forms of play.

Support with: Art activities, stacking toys, musical instruments. 

Associative Play (3-4 Years)

Associative play builds upon parallel play with small amounts of interaction between children, even as they continue to engage in activities independently. This stage of play remains largely unstructured, meaning children interact in a more spontaneous and flexible manner, without shared goals. For instance, a child may be colouring on their own but might borrow crayons from another. It is a milestone that shows the child is increasingly including others in their social lives. 

Support with: Art activities, building bricks, pretend play sets.

Cooperative Play (4+ Years)

Lastly, cooperative play is when children collaborate with each other to achieve a common goal. This is the final stage of social play, where a child is able to play with others while practising teamwork, communication, problem solving, respect and more. Here, children are set on achieving their desired outcome and may establish rules and assign roles to help them work towards it. This organised group play amasses all they have learnt in the previous stages of play, exposing them to new areas such as empathy, compromise and negotiation.

Support with: Games (including playground games), sports, puzzles.

Other Beneficial Forms of Play

After children progress through the six stages of play, they begin exploring other types of play. Since there are many different categories, this list is not exhaustive, and various play types often overlap. Your child may develop a preference for certain play activities based on their individual pace and interests. Below are five distinctive types of play that children often engage in.

Sensory Play

Sensory play refers to activities that engage your child’s senses, that is their sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. This includes anything from shaping a mound of clay to tummy time. Sensory play enhances language skills, fine and gross motor skills, social interaction, and more, and is crucial to brain development.

Support with: Soft books, rainmakers, teethers. 

Constructive Play

Constructive play stimulates the brain as children manipulate objects to build, shape and create. As a child forms structures, they mentally rotate objects, testing their spatial abilities and experimenting with how pieces fit together. Constructive play goes beyond puzzles — building sandcastles, making collages, and assembling wooden train sets all engage the imagination and boost problem-solving skills.

Support with: Sand and water play, wooden bricks, star links.

Physical Play

Tapping on body movements, physical play, also known as motor play, targets the motor skills of children. It encompasses gross motor skills like running, jumping and crawling, and promotes being active and keeping fit. Moreover, physical play also includes fine motor skills activating the use of small muscles, like drawing, beading and playing with stickers. Encourage physical play to strengthen your child’s muscle strength, hand-eye coordination and balance. 

Support with: Playtime at playgrounds, trampolines, various activity toys. 

Competitive Play

On the opposite end of the spectrum from cooperative play is competitive play — a type of play where children participate in activities with the goal of winning against others. Competitive play can also blend with cooperative play, where children work together in teams to compete against other teams. This form of organised play involves structure, rules and a clear outcome. Through competitive play, children develop focus, teamwork, turn-taking, coping strategies, and learn to embrace a growth mindset.

Support with: Ball games, golf, table tennis.  

Bonus: Imaginative Play

Imaginative play is one of the most creative forms of play that you as a parent will encounter when supporting the play of your child. You might already know it as “make-believe”, or its aliases of pretend play and role-playing. This loosely structured play type is driven by the imagination of its players and includes scenarios spun out of ideas, stories and personal experiences. While it may not have distinct rules or objectives, imaginative play empowers critical thinking and is especially effective at building social and emotional development, as well as language and communication skills. As a parent and participant of imaginative play yourself, you can play a crucial part in shaping the holistic development of your child. 

Support with: Play boards, dollhouses, figure sets. 

Learn more about how you can bolster the growth of your baby through exciting and enriching activities with the help of our Digital Nursery Advisors at mothercare. 

Alternatively, visit our experience stores at Suria KLCC and Mid Valley Megamall for us to assist you in picking the best toys and materials in person. Come with your baby — a fun trip awaits!