Observing children's triadic play

The chapter highlights the interest for the rather unexplored issue of triadic children’s play, which is considered as a relational context that creates unique opportunities for types of interactions that are qualitatively different from those observable in dyads. The chapter comprises three sections. In the first section, we describe the psychological aspects of the routine of gaining entry into the interactive space. The second section presents a review of psychological research on triads. Finally we report the main results of an observational study on triadic interactive play in preschoolers. Educational implications of such research topic are discussed in the conclusion.