The Science and Benefits of Peer Interactions in Infancy

By: Derrick Toups, M.Ed.

Photo by Greta Fotografía from Pexels

One of the core principles of Magda Gerber’s Educaring approach is providing infants the freedom to explore and interact with their peers. This freedom might look like babies sharing or “fighting over” the same object, touching or crawling on top of one another, or simply looking at one another. Gerber (2002) explains that while some teachers restrict infant-infant interaction out of fear that infants may harm one another, teachers following the Educaring approach “facilitate interactions by closely observing in order to know when to intervene and when not to” (p. 183).

Recent research supports Gerber’s idea that freedom of movement can facilitate social interaction. A study by Cochet et al. (2024) showed that 4- to 6-month-old infants who were lying on a play mat reached toward peers more than when seated in bouncers, and a study by Toyama (2023) showed that the development of movement skills is linked to peer imitation and joint attention.  As long as children are safe and adults intervene when necessary, research suggests there are benefits to allowing infants to explore by observing, touching, and interacting with one another.

As early as two to three months of age, infants begin to participate in simple social exchanges, such as coordinating gestures, vocalizations, or facial expressions with peers (Reddy, 2008). By six to 12 months, this evolves into shared activities, including turn-taking and following or directing a peer’s attention (Reddy, 2008; Hamlin et al., 2007). While cooperative social pretend play is often associated with three-year-olds, studies by Howes (1985, 2009) demonstrated that children younger than two are capable of social play when they are familiar with one another, that is, when they’re friends.

As infants attune themselves to the reciprocal cues and psychological states of their peers, they establish the foundation for sustained friendships (Moll & Tomasello, 2007). Research indicates that even very young children possess the capacity for friendships defined by companionship, mutual affection, and intimacy (Rubin et al., 2006). Providing children with the freedom to interact with one another is key to building these relationships. By one year, children often demonstrate a clear preference for specific peers and actively seek out certain individuals over others, and these early friendships are often connected to shared activity levels, interaction styles, and social skills (Gross, 2024).

Research highlights at least two benefits of early friendships. The first is support during major transitions. Children who transition to new classrooms alongside their friends exhibit more positive interactions with the broader peer group, and the presence of a familiar friend acts as a social buffer, increasing confidence and engagement in new environments (Bauminger-Zviely & Agam-Ben-Artzi, 2014; Howes, 1988; Shohet et al., 2019).

The second benefit is increased prosocial behavior. Friendship in infancy fosters empathy. Young children are significantly more likely to offer help or comfort to a friend who is emotionally distressed than to a less-familiar peer (Roth-Hanania, 2025; Howes & Farver, 1987). Ultimately, early educators who facilitate rather than fear infant-infant interactions, allow children to develop peer relationships that engender important social skills. Early educators can support infants’ social development by allowing them greater freedom of movement during floor time which can lead to increased peer interactions that support the development of social skills, empathy, and friendships.

References

Bauminger-Zviely, N. & Agam-Ben-Artzi, G. (2014). Young friendship in HFSAD and typical development: Friend versus non-friend comparisons. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(7), 1733-1748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2052-7 

Cochet, H., Chéné, F., & Guidetti, M. (2024). Peer interactions in 4/6-month-old infants: From motor development to multimodal communication. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2024.100869 

Gerber, M. (2002). Dear parent: Caring for infants with respect (2nd ed.). Resources for Infant Educarers.

Gross, D. (2024). Infancy: Development from birth to age three (4th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.

Hamlin, J. K., Wynn, K., & Bloom, P. (2007). Social evaluation by preverbal infants. Nature, 450(7169), 557–559. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06288 

Howes, C. (1985). Sharing fantasy: Social pretend play in toddlers. Child Development, 56, 1253-1258. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130240 

Howes, C. (1988). Peer interaction of young children. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 53(1, serial no. 217). https://doi.org/10.2307/1166062 

Howes, C. (2009). Friendship in early childhood. In K.H. Rubin, W. M. Bukowski, & B. Laursen (Eds.), Handbook of peer interactions, relationships, and groups: Social, emotional, and personality development in context (pp. 180-194). Guildford Press.

Howes, C. & Farver, J. (1987). Toddlers’ responses to the distress of their peers. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 8, 441-452. https://doi.org/10.1016/0193-3973(87)90032-3 

Moll, H., & Tomasello, M. (2007). How 14- and 18-month-olds know what others have experienced. Developmental Psychology, 43(2), 309–317. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.2.309 

Reddy V. How infants know minds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press: 2008.

Roth-Hanania, R. (2025). Empathy development: Typical and atypical tracks, from infancy to early childhood, Infancy. https://doi-org.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/10.1111/infa.70049 

Rubin, K. H., Bukowski, W., & Parker, J. G. (2006). Peer interactions, relationships, and groups. In W. Damon & R. Lerner (Eds.) & N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development (6th ed., pp. 571-645). Wiley.

Shohet, C., Shay, M., Almog-Greenberg, C., & Adi-Japha, E. (2019). Early friendships: Does a friend’s presence in daycare promote toddlers’ prosocial behavior toward peers? The Journal of Experimental Education, 87(3), 517-529. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2018.1496062 

Sommerville, J. A., Woodward, A. L., & Needham, A. (2005). Action experience alters 3-month-old infants' perception of others' actions. Cognition, 96(1), B1–B11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2004.07.004 

Toyama, N. (2023). Imitation among infants in a day-care center and the development of locomotion. Infant Behavior & Development, 72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101870 

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Derrick Toups teaches education and child development courses at Tulane and multiple Louisiana community colleges and is an early childhood Ph.D. student at LSU. He can be contacted at derricktoups@gmail.com.

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