Cooperative play is when children play together towards a shared goal, agreeing on roles, rules or a plan, such as building a tower together or playing shop. It usually develops in the preschool years, after parallel play.
Key takeaways
- It is the most social stage of play described by sociologist Mildred Parten in 1932.
- It builds sharing, negotiation and empathy.
- Toddlers are not yet expected to play this way.
What you can do
- Offer games with simple turns and shared goals.
- Help with words for sharing and negotiating: "Can I have a turn?"
- Let small disagreements play out before stepping in.
