Page 15 - teachYourChildToRead

One year to two years 15

Parallel

Children gravitate to others playing but don’t participate in the play.
They may copy or mimic the play activity but essentially they are playing
alone (most common in children 12 months to 2 years).

Interactive
In this play children engage in play with others; however the play is
neither structured nor organised in any way (most common in children
18 months to 3 years).

Organised

Children interact and are engaged in an organised play scenario. They
may take on a character role that has a particular behaviour with a
specific task to do (most common in children 3 years to 8 years).

Games with rules
Children participate in organised teams or games where the players
know the rules. It could be a game of tag, a board game such as snakes
and ladders or a team sport such as soccer (most common for children 5
to 12 years).

All types of play are valid learning opportunities and promote brain
development.

Playing with your child

Children need a balance of unstructured, free creative play and
organised activity throughout the day. The best types of play activities
for children are based around their interests and level of development.
The longer their play continues the more learning occurs. Support your
child’s quality play experiences to continue for longer periods of time by
participating in their play.

Playing with your child is beneficial for both you and your child. It
is a way for you to really get to know each other at a more
intimate level.