At what stage do children start playing with one another?

Children typically begin to engage in social play with one another during the preschool years. At this stage, they develop more advanced social skills and start to enjoy playing together, rather than just alongside each other. This type of play is characterized by cooperative interactions, shared activities, and the use of imaginative scenarios.

During the preschool years, children learn to negotiate roles, take turns, and resolve conflicts through play, which is critical for their social development. This ability to play together marks a significant transition from earlier stages such as infancy, where solitary and parallel play are more common, and even early school years, where play can become more structured but still may not emphasize cooperation to the extent seen in preschool.

In adolescence, play evolves into more complex forms of social interaction, such as team sports or group activities, but the initiation of playing with one another starts to manifest during the preschool years.