Babies typically begin to engage in play with each other around 12 months, starting with parallel play and progressing to more interactive games.
Here's a breakdown of how babies interact during play:
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Parallel Play (Around 12 months): This is the most common form of early interaction. Babies play alongside each other, often doing similar activities, but without directly interacting. For example, they might both be playing with blocks, but not necessarily building something together or sharing. They are more interested in being near another child than actually playing with them.
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Associative Play (Toddlerhood): As they develop, babies move towards associative play. They start to interact more, sharing toys, and observing each other. However, there isn't a common goal or organized structure to their play. You might see them both filling a bucket with mulch, or passing a ball back and forth without rules.
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Cooperative Play (Later Toddlerhood and Beyond): This is the most advanced stage. Children begin to play together towards a common goal. Games like "Ring Around the Rosie" or chasing games start to emerge. They start to develop the ability to take turns, share ideas, and work together.
Key aspects of baby play:
- Imitation: Babies often imitate each other's actions. This is a crucial part of learning and development.
- Exploration: Play is a way for babies to explore the world around them and learn about different objects and textures.
- Social Development: Playing with others helps babies develop social skills like sharing, taking turns, and understanding social cues.
- Physical Development: Many play activities help babies develop their gross motor skills (running, jumping) and fine motor skills (grasping, manipulating objects).
Examples of Play:
- Parallel play: Two babies playing with toy cars next to each other, each focused on their own car.
- Associative play: Two toddlers building a tower of blocks together, but without any specific plan or structure.
- Cooperative play: Two children playing "house," assigning roles and acting out different scenarios.
Babies gradually develop their play skills as they grow and learn, starting from simply being near other children to eventually engaging in complex cooperative games.
