Playgrounds are underutilized for enhancing the social development of young
children with special needs. The unstructured fast-paced nature of play in
this setting necessitates using teacher-mediated interventions to enhance
inclusion of children with special needs in cooperative interactions with t
heir typically developing peers. In this review, we discuss the importance
of moving classroom centers, activities, and materials onto playgrounds. Th
is sets the stage for teachers to implement interventions to foster coopera
tive interactions between young children with and without special needs and
increases opportunities for generalization. Children who exhibit aggressiv
e behaviors may have significant difficulty engaging in social interactions
on playgrounds; hence, interventions to foster their social skills are pre
sented. Despite barriers to implementation, playground interventions need t
o be incorporated into educational plans, and research determining whether
interventions improve social skills and acceptance of children with special
needs is required.