5
1
Types of Play
Every Child Needs
Object play
Manipulating objects with the hands, or in some
cases, with the feet or mouth. The objects may or
may not be toys. (To young children, everything is
a toy — from your keys to the toilet brush.) Also
called "manipulative play" or "tactile play."
Benefits
Examples
Fine motor skills enhancement
Pouring water and sand
Sensory integration
Jingling keys
Development of perseverance
Pushing buttons on an
old phone
Development of exploration and experimentation
Promotes learning about the physical world
(e.g., gravity, angles).
Develops capacity for abstract
thought and symbolism
Banging on a pot with
a spatula
Twisting the lid off a
sippy cup
pulling plastic containers
out of low kitchen cabinets
Dressing and
undressing a doll
Racing miniature cars
Physical play
2
Benefits
Building and knocking
down block towers
Activities that require vigorous movement,
especially involving the larger muscles,
such as legs and trunk. Also called “gross
motor play.”
Examples
Develops balance and equilibrium
Jumping and swinging
Hopscotch
Builds body awareness and
physical confidence
Throwing, rolling or
catching a ball
Climbing and hanging from
playground bars
Promotes healthy growth and
muscle development
Supervised roughhousing
Riding a tricycle or bike
Increases spatial skills
3
Bouncing on a
trampoline
Social play
Activities that involve at least one
other person — a peer, older child,
or adult. Also called “interactive
play” or “cooperative play.”
Benefits
Builds flexibility
Develops cooperation
Sets the stage for empathy
Develops impulse control
Builds vocabulary and communication skills
Develops emotional self-regulation
Examples
Playing similarly near but
not with another child
(”parallel play”)
Chasing each other
Pretending to be
“babies” or “baby and
mommy/daddy”
Emptying the toy box
together
Rolling a ball back
and forth
Taking turns making
silly faces
Hide-and-seek
Banging a xylophone (or
pots) at the same time
4
Imaginative play
Activities in which children act out a pretend
situation. Also called “fantasy play,” “dramatic
play,” or “pretend play.”
Examples
Benefits
Dress-up
Playing school
“Driving” a toy box, wagon,
or shopping cart
Develops imagination
Putting on a show
Marching in a (pretend)
parade
Promotes impulse control (e.g., a child pretending
to be a teacher has to reign in his temper)
Playing “family” or “going
to work”
Cooking, serving, or eating
pretend food
Develops capacity for abstract thought and symbolism
Playing fireman, doctor
or dentist
Expands sense of inventiveness
5
Structured
play
Activities guided by adults, often with
established rules. For babies and toddlers,
these often take place in groups (a music
class at the library, for example).
Benefits
Examples
Develops cooperation, sharing and respect for rules
Sing-alongs
Circle dances
Enhances self regulation and impulse control
Music classes
Playground games
(tag, Simon Says,
red light/green light)
Introduces the pleasure of belonging to a group