Who says social circles are just for grownups? Babies need engagement with others to broaden their horizons. Even if they can’t converse with their little friends, they learn a lot by observing and mimicking their peer's behavior, as well as the concepts of sharing and turn taking.

Here’s a small sampling of what babies and toddlers learn during playdates according to age group:

Under 1 Year

When a child is less than a year old, playdates can be more about the parents wanting to engage with each other than the children.  Still, their tiny powers of observation are considerable, and playtime with other children helps baby work on their social, intellectual, and problem-solving skills in ways you might not suspect. You’ll see a lot of sympathy crying at this age (when one starts, the other will invariably follow), but you’ll also see a lot of smiles exchanged.

1 to 2 Years

Kids really learn a lot about socializing at this age -- as much by observation as by interaction. They start to perk up around children and mimic their actions.  They can also greet each other (exchange hugs), chatter together (even if comprehensible words aren’t exchanged), and engage in “parallel play,” when children do their own thing but next to each other, which is quite normal at this age. A good rule of thumb to avoid crankiness and burn out is to keep each playdate to about an hour or 90 minutes.

2 and Up

Now that your kid can fully communicate and engage with others, playdates are both fun and challenging. By now, your child has developed preferences for certain playmates, so try and let them choose who they want to hang out with, or see who they gravitate toward and take it from there. Playmates don’t necessarily have to be the same age -- kids have lots to learn by interacting with kids a little older or younger.

You might want to turn the TV  off, so the kids can hang out and get to know each other, instead of spacing out at the boob tube. Offer choices of a few different things they can do together, like color with crayons, or smooshing Playdoh.

An important caveat: Kids this age have developed attachments to favorite toys and may not be willing to share them. A great way to avoid conflict is to stash favorite toys out of sight during the playdate.

Last but not least, as long as there is peaceful and safe interaction, let the kids do their own thing. The hour may be filled with fun and laughter or silently parallel play, but either way it goes, your child is enjoying a positive social experience they are comfortable with.