Associative play is one of the six stages of play — a widely-accepted system classified in 1932 by Mildred Parten, a researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development.

Associative play is when your child plays side-by-side with others, often interacting socially but generally not working toward a common goal. We'll tell you what makes this stage great.

Play is both simple and complex. Play is how young children learn about the world around them. At the Play Space, we truly value free play. Free play is child-driven, ...