Parten's Play Experiment

Authors

• C. Nathalie Yuen, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow
• Jonathan B. Santo, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

play, preschool, early childhood, social development

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology

Abstract

Mildred Parten (1902-1970) observed 34 children playing in a preschool setting (Parten, 1933).  The children's ages ranged from 2 to 4.5 years old.  Parten observed the children for one minute each day to develop a greater understanding of play behaviors.  The observations focused on type of group, activity, and play.  The types of play were solitary, onlooker, parallel, associative, and cooperative.

Recommended Citation

Yuen, C. Nathalie and Santo, Jonathan B., "Parten's Play Experiment" (2025). Essays in Developmental Psychology. 150.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/edp/150