The next stage of play is associative play. Think of this stage as âtogether alone.â A group of preschool children might all be participating in the same activity, but they are not cooperating or working toward a common goal. At this stage, children learn about sharing their toys and begin to take turns with lots of adult assistance. Children watch and often copy each otherâs play. Finally, children learn cooperative play. The highest level of social play, children typically do not develop cooperative play until they are 4 or 5. In cooperative play, children interact with each other, form rules, assign roles and work toward a common goal.