{"h1":"Is it normal that my toddler is not yet showing social play?","faq":[{"a":"Cooperative play — truly playing together, sharing and taking turns — deepens closer to age three and beyond. Before that, parallel play (playing side by side) between roughly 18 and 24 months is completely normal and is a healthy stepping stone.","q":"At what age should toddlers play with other children?"},{"a":"Parallel play is when toddlers play near each other with similar toys but not yet together. It is an expected, typical stage of development, not a delay, and it naturally leads into shared and cooperative play over time.","q":"What is parallel play?"},{"a":"Arrange a calm check if your child rarely makes eye contact or shares smiles, doesn't respond to their name, doesn't copy you or point to show you things, has few or no words by two, or has lost a skill. These are reasons to look early, never to worry alone.","q":"When should I seek a developmental check?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social-play","title":"Is it normal that my toddler is not yet showing social play?","entity":{"key":"social-play","kind":"skill","name":"social play","slug":"social-play"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent / Family","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Toddler","value":"toddler"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Social","value":"social"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Concern","value":"concern"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"},{"kind":"ability","label":"Play","value":"play"},{"kind":"assessment","label":"Ages & Stages Questionnaires, 3rd ed.","value":"asq3"},{"kind":"language","label":"English","value":"en"},{"kind":"sdg","label":"SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being","value":"3"},{"kind":"skill","label":"social play","value":"social-play"},{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"ASHA / PHC / Frontline","value":"asha_phc"},{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Therapist / Clinician","value":"therapist"}],"parent":{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social","title":"Is It Normal My Toddler Isn't Showing Social Skills Yet?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social-skills","title":"Toddler Social Skills: Is It Normal?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-socialization","title":"Is it normal that my toddler is not yet showing socialization?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-cooperative-play","title":"Cooperative Play: Is My Child Behind?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-cannot-social-interaction-yet","title":"Is it normal that my toddler isn't socially interactive yet?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-cannot-socialization-yet","title":"Is it normal that my toddler isn't very social yet?"}],"summary":"In most cases, yes — it is normal. Cooperative social play develops gradually, and many toddlers play alongside other children (parallel play) before they play with them, especially between 18 and 24 months. What matters most is connection: eye contact, shared smiles, copying you and back-and-forth games. Seek a developmental screen if your child rarely connects or share-smiles, or if play seems paired with delays in talking or understanding — early support works best.","answer_md":"*Watching your little one play beside other children and wondering when they'll truly play *with* them is one of the gentlest, most loving questions a parent can ask.*\n\n## In short\nYes — in most cases it is completely normal. True cooperative social play (sharing, turn-taking, pretending together) blossoms gradually across the toddler years, and many children play *alongside* others long before they play *with* them. What matters far more than full social play at this age is whether your child is connecting — looking, smiling, copying you and enjoying simple back-and-forth games. If those building blocks are growing, you are very likely on track.\n\n## What's typical at 12–36 months\nSocial play unfolds in stages, and each stage is a healthy stepping stone:\n\n- **Around 12–18 months** — your child watches other children, plays near them, and enjoys back-and-forth with *you*: peekaboo, rolling a ball, copying actions.\n- **Around 18–24 months** — lots of **parallel play** (playing side by side with the same toys, not yet together). This is normal and expected — not a delay.\n- **Around 24–36 months** — the early sparks of shared play: offering a toy, simple pretend (feeding a doll), brief turn-taking. Cooperative play with other children deepens closer to age three and beyond.\n\nGentle flags worth a calm check now — not later — include: little eye contact or shared smiling, not responding to their name, few or no words by two, no pointing to show you things, not copying you, or a loss of a skill once present. These are reasons to *look*, never reasons to worry alone.\n\n## When to seek a check\nIf your child rarely connects, share-smiles or copies you — or if social play seems paired with delays in talking or understanding — arrange a developmental screen now. Early support works beautifully at this age. Trust your daily observations; they are valuable.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nA clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an online list. Our clinicians watch how your child connects and plays, and build support through play itself. Learn more about [social play](/social-play) and how our [child psychology](/child-psychology) team nurtures connection.\n\n## Trusted sources\nCDC \"Learn the Signs, Act Early\" milestone guidance and AAP/healthychildren.org resources on play and social-emotional development describe parallel play as a normal toddler stage that precedes cooperative play.\n\n**Next step —** Trust what you've noticed. [Book a developmental screen](/enroll) for a calm, clear review of your child's play and milestones.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social-play","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social-play","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social-play-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"}],"meta_title":"Toddler Not Showing Social Play: Is It Normal?","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Sit on the floor and follow your child's lead in play — copy what they do, then pause and wait. These tiny back-and-forth moments are the seeds of social play, and noticing how your child responds gives a clinician a clear picture.","published_at":"2026-06-10T11:06:00.19305+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-socialization","title":"Is it normal that my toddler is not yet showing socialization?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-cooperative-play","title":"Cooperative Play: Is My Child Behind?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social-skills","title":"Toddler Social Skills: Is It Normal?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social","title":"Is It Normal My Toddler Isn't Showing Social Skills Yet?","reason":"Linked from this 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doesn't respond to their name, doesn't copy you, doesn't point to show you things, has few or no words by two, or has lost a skill once present — especially if play seems paired with delays in talking or understanding.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int/browse11","code":"d7","label":"ICF d7"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC Learn the Signs, Act Early — milestones"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren — play and social development"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T11:06:00.19305+00:00","meta_description":"Parallel play before cooperative play is normal in toddlers. Learn what social play looks like at 12–36 months and when a gentle developmental check helps.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}