Play is how your toddler explores and learns about the world, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). As a parent or caregiver, you can support and encourage this play by allowing lots of time for it and joining in when you can. For a closer look at how play fuels every area of growth, visit our Play and Learning page.
Why play is the engine of toddler learning
The AAP explains that play is how young children start to get ready for school. Through play they learn to feel comfortable being with other children, how to be a good friend, and how to pay attention to adults. Play also helps them feel at ease being away from their parents. Pretend play, in particular, gives toddlers a way to work through difficult feelings like anger and fear.
More than just fun, play is serious business for a child’s health and development. The AAP’s clinical report, The Power of Play, describes how playing with parents and peers builds thriving brains, bodies, and social bonds. Research shows play can improve children’s abilities to plan, organize, get along with others, and regulate emotions. It also helps with language, math, and social skills, and even helps children cope with stress. Because of these benefits, pediatricians may begin writing a “prescription for play” at every well-child visit through age 2, and they advise parents to look for quality child care or preschool programs that include playful approaches to learning.
Play also acts as a buffer against toxic stress. The mutual joy and one-on-one interaction that happen during play can manage the body’s stress response. The AAP notes that in one study, 3- to 4-year-old children who were anxious about entering preschool were two times more likely to feel less stressed when allowed to play for 15 minutes, compared to classmates who listened to a story.
Types of play that fuel growth
The AAP highlights several types of play, each with its own benefits. Toys and object play turns babies into little scientists. They use their sensory-motor skills to explore properties, like banging a toy on the floor to learn if it is solid. Preschool-age children use objects to develop abstract thought and concepts like symbolism, such as using a banana as a telephone, along with sharing and taking turns.
Physical play such as free play during recess helps develop motor skills, prevent childhood obesity, and build emotional intelligence. The gentle thrill of a playground slide lets a child build confidence as they take risks in a relatively safe environment. Games like duck-duck-goose and tag also help children build empathy as they learn to be careful not to hurt others.
Outdoor play is especially important because it lets children use all their senses to build skills like spatial awareness and balance. It can also improve a child’s attention span. The AAP points to studies suggesting that young children in countries where schools allow more time for recess see more academic success as they get older, yet an estimated 30% of U.S. kindergarten children no longer have recess.
Pretend play lets young children experiment with different social roles and learn to cooperate. Dress up, make believe, and imaginary play encourage creativity and build more complex negotiation, communication, and language skills. This kind of play is a key way toddlers practice the social skills they will need later, which you can explore further in our Social Skills section.
How to join in: practical tips for parents
The AAP suggests describing what is going on as your child plays, saying things like “I see you drew a brown circle” or “What a long jump you made!” Ask questions such as “How did you make this yummy soup?” or “What will happen next?” Find items that match your child’s interests. If your toddler likes to watch ants crawl along the sidewalk, read a book about insects. Visit special places related to those interests, starting with your local library, to get ideas for future play. When you let your child guide the activities, you get a window into the delightful world of a toddler, where everything is new and full of possibility.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers age-specific tips that align with this approach. For toddlers 1 to 2 years old, the CDC recommends reading daily, asking them to find objects or name body parts, and playing matching games like shape sorting and simple puzzles. Encourage them to explore and try new things. Help develop language by talking with them and adding to the words they start; if your toddler says “baba,” you can respond, “Yes, you are right—that is a bottle.” This back-and-forth builds the communication skills described in our Communication guide.
Encourage your child’s growing independence by letting them help with dressing and feeding themselves. Respond to wanted behaviors more than you punish unwanted behaviors, using only very brief time outs, and always tell or show your child what they should do instead. For 2-year-olds, the CDC suggests helping your child learn how words sound, even if they cannot say them clearly yet. Watch closely during playdates, because children this age play next to each other but do not yet know how to share and solve problems. Show them how to deal with conflicts by helping them share, take turns, and use words when possible. Let your child help you get ready for mealtime by carrying plastic cups or napkins to the table, and thank them for helping.
For toddlers 2 to 3 years old, the CDC encourages setting up a special time to read books together and taking part in pretend play. Help your child explore things around them by taking a walk or wagon ride. Teach simple songs like Itsy Bitsy Spider, and encourage your child to tell you their name and age. Give attention and praise when they follow instructions and show positive behavior, and limit attention for defiant behavior like tantrums. Teach your child acceptable ways to show that they are upset.
Throughout all of this, remember that your presence and attention are what enrich children, not fancy electronic gadgets. The AAP emphasizes that simple and inexpensive objects, like plastic cups, pots and pans, books, blocks, play tools, and crayons, are some of the best ways to support a child’s creativity and grasp of how the world works. Store these items in a safe place or container where children can easily see and get to them.
Creating a safe space for play
The AAP advises making the places in your home where you spend a lot of time safe so your child can play and be supervised easily. Give your child lots of time to explore with things like water, sand, boxes, or any other safe item that your child finds interesting.
Because toddlers move around more, dangerous situations can happen quickly. The CDC’s safety tips for 1- to 2-year-olds include never leaving your toddler near or around water without someone watching, blocking off stairs with a small gate or fence, and locking doors to dangerous places such as the garage or basement. Place plug covers on all unused electrical outlets, keep kitchen appliances and irons out of reach, and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Lock up medicines, household cleaners, and poisons, and store any guns in a safe place out of reach. Keep your child’s car seat rear-facing until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by the manufacturer.
For 2- to 3-year-olds, the CDC adds that you should encourage your toddler to sit when eating and to chew food thoroughly to prevent choking. Check toys often for loose or broken parts, and encourage your toddler not to put pencils or crayons in their mouth when coloring or drawing. Do not hold hot drinks while your child is sitting on your lap, and make sure your child sits in the back seat and is buckled properly in a car seat with a harness.
Play and developmental milestones: what to expect
Play both supports and reflects the milestones that most children reach by certain ages. The CDC notes that by 2 years old, many children can kick a ball, run, walk up a few stairs with or without help, and eat with a spoon. They point to things in a book when asked, say at least two words together like “More milk,” and use more gestures than just waving and pointing. In play, they hold something in one hand while using the other, try to use switches or buttons on a toy, and play with more than one toy at the same time, like putting toy food on a toy plate.
During the second year, toddlers tend to imitate the actions of adults and older children, show greater independence, and can recognize themselves in pictures or a mirror. They also begin to recognize the names of familiar people and objects, form simple phrases, and follow simple instructions. By 2 to 3 years old, children typically take turns, play make believe, sort objects by shape and color, and express a wide range of emotions. All of these skills are practiced and strengthened through everyday play. If you ever have concerns about your child’s development, talk with your pediatrician. The CDC also recommends calling your state or territory’s early intervention program to find out if your child can get services to help. For a broader view of how these skills unfold, see our Toddler Development guide.
When play feels like hard work
Playing with your child takes a lot of time and energy, and the AAP acknowledges that when you are tired, your toddler will know it. Find time for yourself. Maybe your family can help out, or perhaps a friend will watch your child for a few hours. You will come back with more energy and joy. If you are having fun, chances are your child is having fun and learning, too. If you find yourself losing patience, it is a sign that you need some time for yourself. Let people know when you need support or help. If you feel bored or anxious a lot of the time, talk with your pediatrician.
It also helps to find company for you and your child. Many libraries have story hours, and community centers and YMCAs often have play groups. A popular playground can be a place to meet other parents with young children. Child care provides an opportunity for your child to meet others as well.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if my toddler is learning through play?
You can watch for the developmental milestones that the CDC lists for each age, such as imitating actions, using simple phrases, or sorting objects by shape and color. The AAP explains that play itself is how children get ready for learning, so when your toddler is engaged in pretend play, exploring objects, or moving their body, they are building skills. If you have questions about your child’s progress, share your observations with their pediatrician.
What if my toddler does not seem interested in playing with me?
The AAP recommends following your child’s lead and matching their interests. If your toddler is fascinated by ants on the sidewalk, read a book about insects or visit the library for related stories. Offer simple, safe items that invite exploration, and describe what they are doing without pressure. Sometimes just being present and available is enough to encourage them to include you when they are ready.
How much screen time is okay for toddlers?
The CDC advises limiting screen time to no more than 1 hour a day of a children’s program with an adult present for children 2 years and older. For children younger than 18 months, the AAP recommends that toddlers not use any screen media other than video chatting. Real-time social interactions and play are much better for children than digital media for learning, and the AAP encourages families to create a media use plan that sets ground rules like keeping televisions out of the child’s bedroom.
Explore more ways to support your child’s development through play on our Play and Learning page.
