by Jamie Droke
Child Life Specialist

Over the last couple of posts from me, I have discussed the purposes of play and the stages of play. As promised, today I will give you a very flexible list of the types of play and describe the importance of each. Of course, there are many types of play and there is no way I could include them all, but I will do my best to at least describe each of the major types of play.

• Object Play: This is probably the first type of play you might observe in a child. In object play, a child quite literally plays with an object. He might not play with the object the way it is meant to be played with. For example, he might not put the right shape in the correct hole of a shape sorter; he might hit two shapes together in his hands. This type of play is important for children as they learn about the world around them.
  
• Pretend Play: This type of play comes in many shapes and sizes. A child might pretend he is an elephant or pretend that a box is a space ship. Pretend play might last for hours or only a few moments. Whichever the case, pretend play is important for a child’s social development because it develops his or her imagination. Without knowing it, adults use their imagination skills all the time. We imagine what another person might be feeling in order to be an empathetic listener. We imagine what someone might say in response to what we are going to tell them in order to prepare what to say next. Pretend play is also very helpful to children because it allows them to work through a scary experience in a safe place.
  
• Role Play: This type of play may or may not need sophisticated props. In role play, children act as if they are someone or something else. Children might steal mom or dad’s clothes and shoes so they can be mom or dad for a day. They might set up a school in their bedroom or “play house” with their siblings. Role play is important for many of the same reasons as pretend play, but it also has the advantage of allowing children to take on different perspectives.
  
• Cooperative Play: This type of play takes some time to develop. In its earliest stages, it may look like role play or pretend play when children work together under a (sometimes unspoken) set of rules to accomplish a goal. This goal might be discovering the imaginary buried treasure on the playground. In later years, this type of play is more often in the form of board games or sports activities. Of course, this type of play is important for a child’s ability to work with others and to learn how to follow rules.
  
• Constructive Play: As early as the toddler years, a child may construct a tower with blocks. In preschool or school age years, children may complete an art activity for someone they love. Even in adolescence, teens participate in activities that allow them to create something such as art, music, or writing. Constructive play is an important creative outlet and can be used as a cathartic activity that encourages children to expend pent-up emotions.
  
• Active Play: Active play is a type of play that begins in infancy and extends long into adulthood for many adults. Active play includes the play that infants do when learning to roll over or sit up. This type of play also includes rough-and-tumble play, running outside, organized (and unorganized) sports, and activities such as swimming, biking, or skating. The most obvious benefit of this type of play is the physical exercise a child engages in when participating in active play. For many, active play is also a stress-reliever and a great starting place for social interactions.

Of course there are many other types of play in addition to the ones listed here. If you are a parent, what type of play do you see your child or children engage in the most? Next time, I will tell you more about how we use play in the hospital setting.