ABSTRACT

Childhood play is intimately connected to the development of interpersonal skills and social relationships with both adults and peers. The author provides the developmental trajectory of play as a social driver with multiple examples of children involved in social play. Social play across the years of childhood are defined and illustrated through examples. In the playing out of social scenarios, children develop perspective-taking abilities and empathy, while also practicing social skills. Scenes from play therapy are used to demonstrate how children grow in their interpersonal skills through both individual and group play times.