Children’s Therapy Services

Speech and Language Therapy

Play in the Early Years

PrincessRoyalHealthCentreBroadStreetPlaza

Greenhead RoadHalifax

HuddersfieldWest Yorkshire

HD1 4EWHX1 1UB

Tel: 01484 344299Tel: 01422 261340

Website:

Typical development of play skills

Play is an important way of children exploring and learning more about the world. Learning to play is a key skill which lays the foundations for understanding, talking and social interaction.All children develop differently, but here is a guide to how play skills typically develop in the early years:

Under 1 year / Children start by exploring objects, using their eyes, hands and mouth. They start to understand cause and effect, e.g. they can push a button on a toy to make something pop up.
By 1 year / Children start touse objects appropriately in play, e.g. brushing with a hairbrush or cuddling a teddy. They start to take turns e.g. rolling a ball to you for you to roll back.
By 2 years / By around 18 months, children start to act out simple pretend play routines, e.g. feeding teddy pretend food, putting dolly in bed. They start to understand small world play and toys, such as dolls house furniture.
By 3 years / By 2 and a half, children can join play sequences together, for example dressing a doll for bed, putting it into bed and turning out the light. They can pretend an object is something else, e.g. a bowl is a hat.
By 4 years / Children enjoysocial play with other children and begin to act out roles in more complex pretend play sequences.

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Top tips to encourage different kinds of play

Exploratory play

What is it?

Exploring objects and beginning to understand what they are used for.

Top Tips

  • Let your child have access to lots of everyday objects at home as well as toys
  • Watch your child with the objects and show them what to do with them.
  • Play hiding games. Hide an object in a box while your child watches. See if they can find it.

Imaginative/pretend play

What is it?

Pretending with dolls or teddies, miniature toys, pictures, or dressing up.

Top Tips

  • Use a doll or teddy in your routine at home, e.g. act out feeding the doll while your child has their tea.
  • Model playing with the toys correctly. Use sounds to keep them interested, e.g. “mmmm” for feeding teddy, “sluuurp” for giving a drink.
  • Sing songs while you are playing, e.g. “this is the way we… brush the teddy/feed the teddy/wash the teddy”

Social play

What is it?

Taking turns, playing and interacting with other children.

Top Tips

  • Take your child to groups where there will be other children around to play with such as at Children’s Centres or your local library. If possible, see whether they can access a nursery or playgroup setting.
  • Practise taking turns with your child, e.g. by rolling a ball or car back and forward, putting a brick on a tower, turning a page in a book. Encourage good looking, listening and waiting.

Supporting language development through play

Here are some top tips on how to support language development through one to one play with your child at home.

  1. Follow your child’s lead
  2. Spend time watching what your child likes to play with.
  3. Next time, put out a selection of toys that your child likes.
  4. Wait for your child to play with their choice of toy and lead the play. Join in by copying or doing what your child says.
  5. Extend your child’s play by continuing to play next to them but show them slightly different things to do with the toys.
  1. Get down to your child’s level
  • Make sure your child can see your face while playing by coming down to their level. Children pick up lots of cues from your facial expression, eye contact and lip movements. Being on their level can make children feel more willing to communicate.
  1. Wait
  • Give your child time to talk or respond by waiting.
  1. Comment rather than ask questions
  • Try to comment on what your child is doing rather than asking them.
  • Label what your child is doing or playing with using single words or short phrases.

For more information:

Speak to your health visitor or drop in at your local children’s centre.If you have any questions about the information or strategies in this information sheet, please contact the SALT team at:

PrincessRoyalHealthCentreBroadStreetPlaza

Greenhead RoadHalifax

HuddersfieldWest Yorkshire

HD1 4EWHX1 1UB

Tel: 01484 344299Tel: 01422 261340

Website:

Please see our Children’s Therapy Services website and follow the links to Speech and Language Therapy for information, leaflets, advice and resources.