Developmental Trajectories: Play

List the various categories of early play.

• Sensorimotor

• Relational

• Functional-conventional

• Symbolic

From what age is sensorimotor play developmentally appropriate? Describe this stage.

2-4 months

Child explores objects, practices motor skills, enjoys sensory-motor exploration

Identify the play category of this example of play:

Child bounces when held, bangs rattles, mouths toys

Sensorimotor

Identify the play category of this example of play:

Child holds 2 objects, stacks blocks, places one object in or on another

Relational

From what age is relational play developmentally appropriate? Describe this stage.

6-10 months

Child relates one object to another

From what age is functional-conventional-discriminative play developmentally appropriate? Describe this stage.

10-12 months

Child relates object in a social, conventional manner; uses objects for functional purposes

Identify the play category of this example of play:

Child places toy phone on ear, stirs with spoon in cup

functional-conventional-discriminative

Identify the play category of this example of play:

Child pretends to drink from a cup, brush own hair

symbolic: pretend self/single play actions

Identify the play category of this example of play:

• Child feeding doll

• Pretending to brush teddy bear’s hair

• Putting doll in cart to ride

• Pretending that a block is an airplane or car

symbolic: child as a passive agent, substitute object play, multiple play actions

Identify the play category of this example of play:

Child pretends that teddy bear holds a cup, doll talks on the phone, drinks from an imaginary cup

Symbolic: child as an active agent, imaginary objects

Identify the play category of this example of play:

Child plans and carries out snack time with dolls; plays house in role as mother

Symbolic: Child uses imaginary objects in complex play actions

From what age is symbolic: pretend self, single play actions play developmentally appropriate? Describe this stage.

12-18 months

Child relates objects to self in pretend; one-step play actions

From what age is symbolic: child as a passive agent, substitute object play, multiple play actions developmentally appropriate? Describe this stage.

18-24 months

Child extends familiar actions to dolls, figures

Can use an object as a substitute for the actual object

Carries out a sequence of two or more play actions

From what age is symbolic: child as an active agent, imaginary objects play developmentally appropriate? Describe this stage.

24-30 months

Child includes dolls, action figures in short scenario

Pretends an action w/o the actual object

From what age is symbolic: child uses imaginary objects in complex play actions developmentally appropriate? Describe this stage.

30-36 months

Play is complex, with multiple steps in planned story

From birth-6 months, what type of play is developmentally appropriate? What play behaviors are associated with this type of play?

Exploratory

• Sensorimotor play predominates

• Social

• Focused on attachment and bonding with parents

From 6-12 months, what type of play is developmentally appropriate? What play behaviors are associated with this type of play?

Exploratory and functional play

• Sensorimotor evolves into functional play

• Social play with parents and others

From 12-18 months, what type of play is developmentally appropriate? What play behaviors are associated with this type of play?

Relational and functional play

• engages in simple pretend play directed toward self (e.g., pretend eating, sleeping)

• links 2-3 schemas in simple combos

• demos imitative play from an immediate model

From 18-24 months, what type of play is developmentally appropriate? What play behaviors are associated with this type of play?

Functional play

• Multischema combos

• Performs multiple related actions together

From 24-26 months, what type of play is developmentally appropriate?

Symbolic play, constructive play

What play behaviors are associated with this symbolic play?

• links multiple schema combos into meaningful sequences of pretend play

• Uses objects for multiple pretend ideas

• Uses toys to represent animals or people

• Plays out drama with stuffed animals/imaginary friends

• Plays house, assigns roles to others, takes ons specific roles

What play behaviors are associated with this constructive play from 24-36 months?

• participates in drawing and puzzles

• imitates adults using toys

From 3-4 years, what type of play is developmentally appropriate?

• complex imaginary play

• constructive play

• rough and tumble play

• social play

What play behaviors are associated with complex imaginary play?

• Creating scripts for play in which pretend objects have actions that reflect real-life roles/imaginary life

• May use complex scripts for pretend sequences; portrays multiple characters with feelings

What play behaviors are associated with constructive imaginary play?

• creates scripts for play in which pretend objects have actions that reflect roles in real or imaginary life

• may use complex scripts for pretend sequences; portrays multiple characters with feelings

What play behaviors are associated with rough and tumble play?

• enjoying physical play, swinging, sliding board at playground, jumping running

What play behaviors are associated with social play at 3-4 years?

• participates in circle time, games, drawing, and art time in preschool

• engages in singing and dancing in groups

• associative play: plays with other cildren, sharing and talking about play goal

From 4-5 years, what type of play is developmentally appropriate? What play behaviors are associated with this type of play?

• games with rules

• constructive play

• social play/dramatic play

What play behaviors are associated with games with rules at 4-5 years?

• begins group games with simple rules

• engages in organized play with prescribed roles

  • participates in organized gross motor games

What play behaviors are associated with constructive play at 4-5 years old?

• taking pride in products

• showing interest in goal of activity

• constructing complex structures

What play behaviors are associated with social play/dramatic play from 4-5 years?

• participating in role play with other children

• participating in dress up

• telling stories

• continuing with pretend play that involves scripts with imaginary characters

From 4-5 years, what type of play is developmentally appropriate?

• games with rules

• dramatic play

• social play

• ***sports

What play behaviors are associated with games with rules from 5-6 years?

• board games

• computer games

• competitive and cooperative games

What play behaviors are associated with dramatic play from 5-6 years?

• elaborative imaginative play

• role-plays stories and themes related to seasons or occupations

• emphasis is on reality

• reconstructs the real world in play

What play behaviors are associated with sports participation from 5-6 years?

ball play

What play behaviors are associated with social play from 5-6 years?

• participates in group activities

• organized play in groups

  • goal of play (winning) may compete with social interaction

From 6-10 years, what type of play is developmentally appropriate?

• organized sports

• games with rules

• crafts and hobbies

• social play

What play behaviors are associated with games with rules from 6-10 years?

• computer games

• card games requiring more abstract thinking

What play behaviors are associated with social play from 6-10 years?

• play includes talking and joking

• peer play predominates at school and home

• plays with consistent friends