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What Is Parallel Play? Examples, Benefits, and Activity Ideas for Kids
When children play side by side in similar activities, they lay the groundwork for future friendships and teamwork.
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What Is Parallel Play in Early Childhood?
In parallel play, young children play side by side with similar toys or activities, but generally don’t directly interact with one another. Sometimes they watch each other or imitate what they see, but they’re still more focused on their own play.
As part of the Six Stages of Play in Early Childhood, parallel play is an important bridge between solitary and social play. It’s very common in preschool classrooms and playgroups, where kids are learning to be comfortable around others their own age.
Parallel Play Examples:
- Three children play with a big box of LEGOs. Each is focused on building their own structure: one builds a tower, another builds a house, and the third makes creatures from the bricks.
They occasionally ask each other for bricks, and may sometimes pause to see what their playmates are building. Ultimately, though, each child plays independently toward their own goals. - Four children sit at a table fingerpainting. They occasionally talk to each other while they work, but are primarily only interested in their own paintings. One child watches another as they mix together red and blue to make purple, then quietly copies their behavior, but doesn’t say anything about it.
- One child is coloring, using a big bin of crayons. A second child comes in and sees the crayons. She sits down next to the child who is coloring, chooses her own coloring book, and begins to do the same. Neither of the children talks much to each other, each focused on their own activities.
When Does Parallel Play Begin?
Most children begin participating in parallel play as toddlers, between the ages of 2 to 3. All children develop at their own rate—some start parallel play earlier or later than others.
To experience parallel play, kids need to spend time with other children their own age. Kids who participate regularly in playgroups, playdates, or preschool activities are likely to start parallel play earlier than children who rarely have a chance to play with peers of similar ages.
Key Benefits of Parallel Play
Along with the usual benefits of play (like motor skills development), parallel play provides many social-emotional learning benefits, such as:
- Social Awareness: When a child engages in side-by-side play, they become more comfortable in the presence of others. They pick up on social cues, become more aware of personal space, and learn to respect the play of others, even if they’re not directly interacting with each other.
- Language Development: Simply hearing others talk and interact helps children develop their own verbal skills.
- Observation and Imitation: When kids play near others, they may stop to watch from time to time. This can give them new ideas to try, games to play, and even teach problem-solving strategies.
- Self-Regulation: In parallel play, children often use similar toys or tools and must learn to share space with others. They may need to tune out other actions and noises while they play, sharpening their concentration and focus.
Parallel play lays the groundwork for cooperative play, the ultimate stage of play. The social-emotional skills they build throughout this stage prepares them for taking turns, sharing common goals, following rules, and engaging in group problem-solving as they get older.
Parallel Play vs. Other Stages of Play
As part of the 6 Stages of Play, parallel play bridges the gap between earlier individual play and later cooperative play. Here’s how to tell the difference between parallel play and other similar stages.
Solitary Play vs. Parallel Play
As part of the 6 Stages of Play, parallel play bridges the gap between earlier individual play and later cooperative play. Here’s how to tell the difference between parallel play and other similar stages.
Solitary play can look similar to parallel play, but in parallel play, kids are more aware of their peers. They may watch or imitate others without directly interacting. Both are forms of independent play, but parallel play adds a social element, helping kids learn to share their space with others.
Parallel Play vs. Associative Play
Associative play is the fifth stage of play, the next step after parallel play. In associative play, kids interact more with their peers—they show off their toys, offer to share, and explain or demonstrate how to do things. They often talk and comment on each other’s activities. However, unlike cooperative play, there’s no shared goal. Each child still focuses on their own tasks while enjoying the social connection.
The main difference between parallel and associative play is the amount of interaction between children. For example, imagine two children drawing at the same table. In parallel play, each chooses their own crayons and focuses on their own creations, usually working quietly. In associative play, they actively share crayons, tell each other about their drawings, and chat while they work.
Parallel Play vs. Cooperative Play
Cooperative play is the final stage of play, when players share a common goal, follow agreed-upon rules, and share the toys and tools needed for the game or activity. Cooperative play is collaborative, requiring a lot of verbal and nonverbal communication.
In parallel play, kids have their own goals and interact very little. Consider the example where three children are playing with a box of LEGO® pieces. In parallel play, kids each work with their own pile of bricks and create their own projects, perhaps copying what they see others do but generally focusing on their own goal. In cooperative play, the three children work together to build a giant castle, sharing pieces, making suggestions, and working out the solutions to challenges together as they play.
10 Parallel Play Activities to
Encourage Side-by-Side Play
🏠 Indoor Parallel Play Activities 🏠
1. Puzzle or Block Time
Provide individual puzzles or sets of blocks with similar difficulty and shapes on a shared rug or table. Let children focus on their own puzzle and building.
When each child finishes their puzzle or structure, encourage them to admire the work of the other children. Then, ask them to take their puzzle or structure apart and exchange it with a peer for another set to work with.
2. Bead Bracelets
Give each child pipe cleaners and a container of age-appropriate beads. Kids can create their own patterns by stringing the beads onto the pipe cleaners, then twisting the ends together to form a bracelet.
When everyone is done with their first bracelet, take time to look at everyone’s creations. Then, let kids make more bracelets, possibly using some of the patterns or techniques they learned from others.
3. Side-by-Side Sensory Bins
Provide individual sensory bins, one for each child, each with their own materials. Let each kid play in their own bin for a while, then have them move to new bins so each child gets to try all the different sensory experiences.
4. Cup Stacking
Give each child a set of stacking cups or plastic cups at their own space on the table. Encourage them to make towers, patterns, or designs as they work side-by-side without merging structures. Invite them to check out each others’ creations from time to time to help inspire new ideas.
5. Grocery Store
Set up a grocery store experience with bins or shelves of play foods, plus a toy cash register for checking out. Provide each child their own basket and let them shop on their own, ringing up their own groceries when they’re done. Be sure your set up includes different sections to space kids out, and provide multiples of various toy foods so kids can each complete their “shopping list.”
🌳 Outdoor Parallel Play Activities 🌳
6. Ride-On Toys
Provide bikes, scooters, or trikes in a safe shared area. Let children ride near each other, praising independent skills and gentle observation of peers’ movements. This builds spatial awareness, which is important for safety as kids learn to play together.
7. Sidewalk Art
Give each child their own container of sidewalk chalk and a section of pavement (sidewalk squares are ideal for this or individual segments of a driveway). Invite them to draw freely while noticing each other’s work; encourage kids to take inspiration from each other without requiring collaboration.
8. Side-by-Side Gardening
Provide small plots or pots, seeds, soil, and tools for each child. Let each choose what they’ll plant and decide how to tend their garden. Encourage kids to observe how others dig or water, but don’t require them to collaborate or share their individual spaces.
9. Bubble Play
Give each child a container of bubbles and a bubble wand. Let them blow bubbles independently, watching their peers to learn new techniques and different ways to create bubbles. You can also turn on a bubble machine and let each child experience them in their own way, popping them, dancing around in them, or just watching them float.
10. Nature Hunt
Provide each child a basket or bucket, then take a nature walk together. Let each collect their own items (supervise for safety) based on what interests them most. When you return home, have kids sit near others to examine, sort, and play with their items, and hopefully notice other’s collections from time to time.
Get more play ideas with our posts on 25+ Play-Based Learning Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners, Cooperative Play Activities for Your Home or Classroom, and 15+ Sensory Play Ideas.
How Adults Can Support Parallel Play
Children tend to go through the stages of play naturally as they get older, but parents and caregivers can help provide opportunities and experiences that encourage parallel play.
Playgroups:
In order to truly experience parallel play as a developmental stage, kids must spend time around other children their own age. The easiest way to support parallel play is to give your child the chance to participate regularly in playgroups, playdates, or preschool activities.
Even though it may look like all the kids are playing on their own rather than together, these parallel play activities are providing valuable social learning experiences.
Multiples of Toys or Tools:
Remember that kids engaging in parallel play are still learning how to share. To play side by side, kids need enough toys or materials for each to have some of their own.
Provide several sets of crayons and coloring books, separate bins of blocks or building toys, and multiple dolls or other toys for imaginative play.
Adequate Space:
Be sure you have plenty of room for kids to play near each other without crowding each other out. Show kids how to move around a space safely while being aware of others. You might say, “It’s so fun to run around pretending that you’re different zoo animals! Why don’t you move over here while you play, though, so you don’t get in Lila’s space while she puts together that puzzle.
Gentle Encouragement:
When kids first make the transition from solitary to parallel play, they may need a bit of guidance. Parents can model behaviors by sitting down with other children to play nearby, and inviting their own child to join them: “Oh, those building blocks look like fun. Do you mind if we use a few to play with? Come on, Parker, let’s sit here and see what we can make.”
Eventually, children will become comfortable with these behaviors on their own without needing an adult close by.
Parallel play may look simple, but it’s a key step in your child’s social and emotional growth. Try the activities above to support learning and connection, and check out our guide to Cooperative Play for the next stage in development.
Common Parallel Play FAQs
What does parallel play look like?
Key characteristics of parallel play include:
- Independent but not solitary
- Little or no interaction between children
- Minimal sharing or cooperation
- Comfortable with other kids playing nearby
- Some observation and imitation of others
What age does parallel play begin?
Most children begin parallel play around age 2 to 3, however, all children develop at their own rate. If you’re concerned that your child hasn’t started parallel play, talk to your child’s teacher or pediatrician.
What are examples of parallel play?
- Kids playing in the same sandbox, each digging their own holes or making their own sandcastles
- Two children exploring a box of musical instruments, each focused on their own instrument and the sound it makes without attempting to coordinate with the other child
- A group of kids using clothes from a dress-up box, each creating their own independent characters and stories
- Several children playing with playdough at the same table, each focused on their own creations
Why is parallel play important for children?
- Parallel play helps children become comfortable around others their own age, developing social skills and self-management.
- Kids pick up new ideas by watching and imitating others, and learn to share space amicably as they play.
- Parallel play sharpens focus, as children may need to tune out others to accomplish their own goals.
How is parallel play different from cooperative play?
- In parallel play, play with similar toys or activities, focusing on their own goals. They may watch or imitate others, but rarely interact as they play.
- In cooperative play children work together toward a shared goal, follow agreed-upon rules, and share the toys or materials needed for the activity. It is highly collaborative, involving both verbal and nonverbal communication.
How can parents support parallel play?
- Provide opportunities for children to play side-by-side with their peers. Set up playdates, or participate in playgroups or preschool activities.
- Provide multiples of toys as children are still learning how to share.
- Give kids plenty of room to play individually. Encourage them to be respectful of others’ space and activities as they play.
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