Early Childhood Education (ECE) NOCTI Practice Exam

What type of play is demonstrated when Maria and Jack are washing dishes while the other dries?

1. Cooperative play

2. Individual play

3. Solitary play

4. Parallel play

The correct answer is: Cooperative play

The scenario with Maria and Jack washing and drying dishes exemplifies cooperative play, as it involves two or more children actively working together towards a common goal. In cooperative play, children engage in shared activities that require collaboration, communication, and coordination. Their interaction demonstrates teamwork, as they must cooperate and negotiate roles—one washing and the other drying—indicating an understanding of shared responsibilities and the value of working together. In contrast, individual play involves a child engaging in play alone, without interaction with others, which does not apply here since Maria and Jack are actively participating together. Solitary play also refers to a child playing alone, and parallel play is characterized by children playing next to each other without engaging directly with one another. Since Maria and Jack are performing complementary tasks together, the correct characterization of their activity is indeed cooperative play.