As parents and health care professionals it is important for us to know normal child growth and development and what to expect of children in each age group. Play is such an important aspect of normal development because it is how children learn about the world around them. As they play, children pass through three distinct stages of development:
• Exploratory Stage (0–1 years old): Infants look around, hold objects, put objects in mouth, and begin interacting with the world around them.
• Imitation Stage (1–7 years old): Children use toys to imitate adult activities, e.g., playing with dolls, cars, cooking sets, or toy tool sets.
• Games and Hobbies Stage (8–12 years old): Children start developing their own interests and become involved in organized activities.
Play is also critical for the development of social skills in children. Experts have identified four stages of social play development.
• Solitary Play (infancy): Babies play alone but do enjoy the presence of others. They are interested in playing with body parts, sucking on fingers and toes, and smiling and squealing,
• Parallel Play (toddler): Toddlers play alongside but not with each other. An example of this is a child coloring at the table while the child next to him is playing with a toy car.
• Associative Play (preschool): Children in this stage begin playing together but often with no group goal and no rigid rules or organization. They often participate in imitative play.
• Cooperative Play (school-age): By this time children have learned to organize themselves in play activities. They establish rules and learn to conform. Leader/follower relationships develop in this play phase.
Parents should encourage age-appropriate play activities for their children.
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