According to Mildred Parten, which type of play involves children playing together with some interaction?

Associative play is characterized by children playing together with some level of interaction, where they may share toys, exchange ideas, or engage in similar activities while still maintaining their own individual play agendas. This stage of play typically occurs when children are around 3 to 5 years old and involves more social interaction than parallel play, where children play alongside each other but do not actually engage with one another in a meaningful way. Associative play helps children develop social skills, such as cooperation, sharing, and communication, as they learn to navigate relationships with peers while still asserting their autonomy over their activities.

In contrast, other types of play depict different social dynamics: solitary play involves children playing alone without interaction with others, and parallel play shows children playing next to one another but not actually interacting, maintaining separate play experiences. Cooperative play, which follows associative play, is marked by a higher level of organization and teamwork, with children working together toward a shared goal. Thus, the essence of associative play captures the key feature of children engaging in play together, indicating the developmental progression toward more interactive forms of social play.