Dr. Promjawan Udommana
Early Childhood Education Specialist / Chairperson and Principal, Melodies International Kindergarten and Nursery
After graduating from a Thai high school at the age of 17, she studied Japanese in Japan for one year before entering Waseda University. She spent a total of five years in Japan. She then moved to the United States, where she studied English for one year before studying at Columbia University Graduate School and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She lived in the United States for a total of eight years.
Trilingual: Thai, Japanese, and English
“Does my child play with other children?” This is a question we often hear from parents.
As adults, we tend to associate “playing” with “making friends.” However, children do not begin playing because they have friends. From infancy, children naturally begin by exploring their own bodies and the world around them through independent play.
There are broadly six stages of play development during early childhood. Each stage has its own purpose and is important for a child’s overall development. Every stage of play involves opportunities to explore, create, and have fun.
Here, we take a look at how children’s play evolves as they grow and develop their social skills.
Stages of Play Development
0–3 months
1. Unoccupied Play
At this stage, babies make a variety of movements using their arms, legs, hands, and feet.
They are beginning to discover how their bodies move and learn about the world around them through movement and exploration.
0 months–around 2 years
2. Solitary Play
At this stage, children play independently.
Rather than being interested in playing with other children, they are primarily focused on exploring themselves, objects around them, and the world at their own pace.
Around 2 years
3. Onlooker Play
Children become interested in watching other children play. They may stand nearby, observe what others are doing, and sometimes even talk to them.
However, they are not yet ready to actively join in the play.
Around 2 years and older
4. Parallel Play
Children begin to play alongside other children, often in the same space, but they are still engaged in their own individual play.
For example, two children may be playing in the same sandbox, each using different toys and doing their own thing.
Although they are playing next to each other, they are not yet playing together toward a shared goal.
Around 3–4 years
5. Associative Play
Children begin to interact more with one another during play. They may share toys, take turns, and engage in play together.
However, they are not yet consistently assigning specific roles or working together toward a common goal.
Even when children are engaged in the same activity, they may have completely different ideas about what they are creating. For example, two children may be playing with building blocks together, but one child may imagine they are building a “house,” while the other sees their creation as a “castle.”
Around 4 years and older
6. Cooperative Play
Children begin to play together with a shared purpose. They can assign different roles to one another and work together to develop and carry out a shared play scenario.
At this stage, children can also introduce rules into their play and discuss or negotiate those rules with one another.
How Does Melodies International Kindergarten Support Children Through Play?
At Melodies International Kindergarten, we believe that learning begins with what children are naturally curious about and interested in.
For this reason, we value the toys and activities that children choose for themselves. Teachers use these interests as a starting point, asking questions and introducing new words and ideas to help children extend their learning through play.
Teachers observe and support children’s play, preparing materials and resources, introducing new vocabulary and expressions, and adjusting their approach according to each child’s age and developmental stage.
1½–3 years
Pretend Play in the Kitchen Corner
For example, imagine A brings a cup to the teacher during pretend play.
The teacher might ask:
“What is this? Is it orange juice? Or coffee?”
“You’re getting hungry, aren’t you? I wonder what you’ll bring me next.”
The teacher might then invite another child to join:
“Here you go, B. What shall we make together?”
Through simple questions and invitations like these, teachers help children expand their play while gradually encouraging interaction with other children.
3–4 years
Playing with Favorite Characters
As children become increasingly interested in their favorite characters and enjoy pretending to be them, teachers join in and help children create their own accessories, such as hair clips and other hair accessories.
Children can use colored pencils, origami paper, and other materials, securing their creations with tape.
Teachers put children’s creations into words, describing what each child has made and sharing these ideas with the other children. This helps develop language while also expanding the children’s shared play.
4 years and older
Pretend Hospital Play
At this stage, several children may come together and decide to play around the same theme.
For example, during a pretend hospital, children may decide who will play the doctor and who will be the patient.
Teachers can provide a toy ambulance and materials that might be used in the game, such as towels, thermometers, paper, and pens. They may also provide books about the human body.
If the children realize that something they need is missing, the teacher does not simply provide the answer. Instead, the teacher may ask:
“What could we do?”
“What do we need to make this work?”
The children can then think together, discuss their ideas, and create the things they need for their play.
Valuing Every Child’s Way of Playing
At Melodies International Kindergarten, our teachers provide play-based learning that is appropriate for each child’s age and stage of development.
We also understand that every child has different interests and preferences when it comes to toys and activities. That is why we take the time to understand each child and respond to their individual interests and developmental needs.
At home, we would love to hear about what your child has been enjoying lately.
What do they love pretending to be?
Sharing these moments from home with our teachers helps us understand your child more deeply and gives us valuable insight into how we can extend their interests, play, and learning at school.
Melodies International Kindergarten and Nursery
From the Director’s Office