hat they are like. they stimulate their senses by playing with water, sand and mud. They acquire new skills and learn when to use them. And they cope with complex and conflicting emotions by reenacting real life. (p. 234)
In an effort to more fully understand children's play, many educators and researchers have attempted to categorize various play activities. One early, yet still often used categorical scheme was developed by Mildred B. Parten (1932) who observed 42 children between the ages of two and five during free--lay periods. Based on her observances she identified the following six categories of play:
CATEGORY DESCRIPTION
Behavior The child does not seem to be playing, but watches anything of momentary interest.
Behavior The child spends most of the time watching other children play. The onlooker talks to them, asking questions or making suggestions, but does not enter into the play. The onlooker is definitely observing particular groups of children rather than anything in general that happens to be exciting.
play The child plays alone with toys that are different from those used by nearby children and makes no effort to get close to the other children.
play The child plays independently but among other children, playing with toys like those used by the other children, but not necessarily in the same way. Playing beside rather than with the others, the parallel player does not try to influence the other children's play.
play The child plays with other children. They talk about their play, borrow and lend toys, follow one another, and try to control who may play in the group. All the children play similarly if not identically, there is no division of labor and no organization around any goal. Each child acts as he or she wishes and is interested more in being with the other children than in the activity itself.
play The child plays in a group organized for some goal--to mak...