In last 6 months most of the mothers I know asked me the same question “when will my kid play with other kids?” and every time I preferred to answer “your kid is still small for that”. Well during conversation I don’t get time to explain everything as I am also a mother but here with this article I am trying to help you to figure out the correct age of your kids to get ready for social play.

For adults play means interacting with other people or some sort of physical activity but for kids play means to explore the surroundings. For kids everything is new and so they are so busy with all the stuff that they hardly notice people and so you feel that they are lacking in social involvement which is so untrue.

Here is the age to refer your kids’ social skills:

Babies (age 6 months to 2 years) sometimes play alone but that doesn’t mean they are not social or not interested in people at the same time babies who look happy with adults or having fun watching other kids doesn’t mean they love people. They are interested in their behavior more than the actual person. Truly speaking for babies, watching kids’ playing is actually equivalent to playing with battery operated toys!!! And trust me nothing is wrong in that as they can’t differentiate in real and imaginary world.

Once your kids turn 2 they start analyzing everything and everyone. They like to watch people they like to watch vehicles they like to watch every surrounding thing and sometimes they copy others too (that’s really cute to see) but they can’t differentiate any of it at this point so we would not say that they are introvert or really interested in people at this stage. Experts call it solitary play as they are interested in play but don’t notice anyone personally, because for them people and toys are almost same.

Once your kids turn 3 they start taking interest in other kids’ play but don’t join them. They like to watch and sometimes they like to play with the similar toys or with the similar way but not with the kids. They can differentiate that these are real people and not a toy but still they look for game not for friends. Experts call that parallel play as they are least interested in people but prefer to play nearby.

Once your kids turn 4 they get little interest in people but still interest in toys are much more important than interest in people. They like to mingle with kids but they prefer toys if they really need to choose. They may have soft corner for one or two friends but they are still self-oriented. That’s the only reason group play date for age 4 to 5 years doesn’t go well but you can always plan a play date with one friend at a time. Here you can have little idea about your kids’ social skills but yet it is just a start, you can’t say much. Experts say “If they feel you are social at this age they too become social sooner or later. Though nature of individual matters, If you would talk to people they too become free with them and if you hesitate they too would hesitate. So technically you should focus on your social skills more than theirs.”

Once your kids turn 5, kids get interest in other kids than play and toys and that’s why they play together. Perfect time to arrange play dates. They play and they fight too but who don’t fight? So arrange play dates and encourage them to make new friends. Though actual difference you will see after the age 6, this is the perfect age to teach them social skills. At this age they give importance to people, sometimes more than their likes and dislikes which shows their correct nature. So observe carefully to enhance their social skills with your wise knowledge.