Naturalistic research is done by observing the type of play of children in the early childhood. According to the Piaget stage theory, it is mentioned that the children’s age of 2 to 7 year old is the period when the most occurrence of creating relationship with peers happened (Lahey, 2012). Based on the statement itself, we know that we can easily observe the interaction between children through the type of play in this age range. In current theory, Piaget mention that children in current age are classify with three type of play to occur relationship with peer (Lahey, 2012). One of it is solitary play (Lahey, 2012).Solitary meaning is same with the children are playing alone in the area (Lahey, 2012).Yet solitary play are been classify to two different components, first it name solitary constructive play and second it name solitary non-constructive play(Alicia& Richard, 2005). Solitary constructive play is broadly defined as the movement of objects with the purpose of creating something and exploratory play, more specifically including activities such as artwork and puzzle and block construction (Katz & Buchholz, 1999; Rubin, 1982; Alicia& Richard, 2005). Solitary non-constructive play is described as repetitive muscle movements with or without an object (such as banging a block against a wall; Coplan, Rubin, Fox, Calkins, & Stewart, 1994; Lloyd& Howe, 2003; Alicia& Richard, 2005).

Second type of play is called parallel play, it means that children who play around with other children with close distance and yet they are not playing together or having fun together (Lahey, 2012). The last type of play is corporative play which means that children are playing with other children which it could be two children or more (Lahey, 2012).

One of the reasons why we conduct the naturalistic research is that we are able to explain the personality of the child according to the three type of play. For example, the majority of solitary play involved active, goal-directed activities such as blocks and arts and crafts; large muscle play; and educational play, such as challenging puzzles, workbooks, or reading (Moore, Evertson & Brophy, 1974). As such, children who play alone are most likely to be seen independent and mature more than immature (Moore, Evertson & Brophy, 1974).

The objective that we focus in the current observation is to determine that children age from 2 to 7 (Preoperational stage) are solitary play in public playground even that other children are around. By past research paper we found that there have a lot thing that children can able to interact with other children for example in public playground which is the place that full with children’s laugher. From the current information, we have a reason that to choose public play ground as the location to do the naturalistic observation.

Method

Participants: The sample of this survey includes children in the early childhood which was children ranging from 2-7 years old. There were a total of 30 children who participated in the observation. There were about 60% of the children which were male while 40% of them were female. The major percentage of the children’s race which is was 55% is Malay, while about 25% percent of them were foreigners. The rest of the percentage which was 20% consists of both Chinese and Indian. Researchers predict that the age of the children observed were mostly 3 years old.

Materials: The materials used for naturalistic observation were simple. Pen and paper were used to record the observations made. Every single detail of the observations made were jot down at the paper with the pen. Any forms of camera or video recorder were not used.

Procedures: We did the observation in the children’s playground in KLCC Park for three consecutive days which was Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Observations were done from the time 12-3o’ clock in the afternoon. We assigned each other to observe from different spots in the park. One observer observed in the center of the of the children’s playground while the rest observed from each corner at the side of the playground.

Conclusion

The purpose of the research is to investigate the type of play of the children in their early childhood. In this naturalistic research, we managed to collect data by observing 30 children which is under 2-7 ages. We can found that about 30 of children got 17 children were solitary play which is they like to play alone .While the others 13 early childhood were under parallel play and cooperative play. In the 13 of the early childhood, 10 of them were parallel play which is the children were like to play near but not with another child. The rest 3 of them were like to play involves cooperation between two or more children. That means overall in our research ,there are 56 percent of the early childhood like to play alone,33 percent of the them like to play near but not interact with the child and 11 percent of the early childhood like to involves cooperation with other children while they playing.

Based on the result we found that our hypothesis match with that result which is to study that children in the age of 2 to 7 years old that children will have a distance with other children when they are near. The situation of children to get near with other children is when one of the children is playing with the playground facility and the child has to share with other children. In the current situation we will list it as parallel play