Free play is a specific form of play that children need for their cognitive, emotional, and social development. Unlike structured activities, like coached soccer, teacher-directed play, or games with supervision, free play is child-directed unstructured time.

There are five main types of free play, all of which can be beneficial for a child’s development. And according to research, these forms of free play can contribute to dexterity, self-esteem, social skills, and decision-making ability, among other benefits.

Solitary free play is when a child plays alone, without guidance or direction from someone else. An example is a little boy playing with his cars on a pretend road or a little girl playing with her dolls. An onlooker is a child observing others playing. The onlooker may ask questions or make suggestions but is not actively playing.

Parallel play is when children are playing the same game or activity but without talking or interacting with one another. An example would be children playing in the same play structure without engaging in any sort of dialogue with each other.

Associative play is the next level of play. In associative play, children actually play with each other. They share activities and play materials in an unorganized way. An example would be sandbox play, where children talk and laugh together, playing with the same toys in the sand, but it is not organized play.

Finally, cooperative play is when children actually organize their play. Their play is purposeful and goal directed. For example, building a sandcastle together, or playing baseball. Team games, not coordinated by adults but child-driven, are great examples of cooperative play.