Which of the following age group children engage in parallel play?

Appeared in: SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2015 (Set-A)

Explanation

Toddlers, typically between 1 to 3 years of age, are in the developmental stage characterized by parallel play.
Parallel play involves children playing alongside each other with similar toys, but without direct interaction or a shared goal.
This stage is a normal transition from the solitary play of infancy to the more social associative and cooperative play of preschoolers.
During parallel play, a toddler observes other children and may mimic their actions, which is a crucial step in learning social skills.

Option A: Infants (0-1 year) primarily engage in solitary play, where they are focused on their own bodies and immediate surroundings, playing alone without regard for others.
Option C: Preschoolers (3-5 years) move beyond parallel play into associative play (interacting and sharing but without a common goal) and begin to develop cooperative play skills.
Option D: School-age children (6-12 years) primarily engage in cooperative play, which involves organized games with rules, teamwork, and shared objectives.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Developmental Stages of Play in Children as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses assess a child's type of play to evaluate if they are meeting developmental milestones. A deviation may indicate a need for further screening.
Understanding play stages helps nurses provide age-appropriate toys and activities for hospitalized children, which promotes coping and normal development.
Nurses can educate parents on the importance of each play stage and encourage them to provide opportunities for their child to engage in age-appropriate play.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question, which is "parallel play".
Recall the definition of parallel play: children playing side-by-side but not interacting with each other.
Connect this definition to the correct developmental age group based on your knowledge of child development theories (e.g., Piaget, Erikson).
Systematically evaluate each option: Infants engage in solitary play, preschoolers in associative play, and schoolers in cooperative play.
Conclude that toddlers are the age group most characteristic of parallel play.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 2817-2819

Practise the full SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2015 (Set-A)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.