What Are the Stages of Play? In 1932, sociologist Mildren Parten identified six stages of children’s play. All kids develop differently, so there are no set ages for each type of play. Unoccupied play ...

In an era of packed schedules, screen time, and intense focus on school readiness, many children are playing less than in previous generations, which harms development.

Many people often think of play in the form of images of young children at recess engaging in games of tag, ball, using slides, swings, and physically exploring their environments. But physical play ...