Making friends at the park

[Mytoddlerisamazing]

DD is nearly 2 and is increasing keen on social interaction at the park etc and I'm wondering how best to support her with this. We often go to the park just me and her and she will look at other children clearly wanting to play with them but having no idea how to join in. There have been a few times when older children have taken her under their wing and played with her and she has LOVED it, and she wants to replicate it but doesn't know how.
I'm not particularly socially skilled or confident myself which doesn't help. Also she's an only child with no cousins her own age so I really want to get this right and set her up for a life of friendships and confidence. Should I be encouraging her to go up to children who are on their own ask if they want to play? Or just join in with them? Or is that just setting her up for rejection??

(For context she does go to nursery 3 X week and we have the occasional playdate, so she does socialise, but it's the solo park trips that I'm having difficulty navigating.)

Thanks for any advice!

Personally I would follow her lead. Through my experience of children that age, it's unusual for them to be able to play with other kids they don't know in the park. All children have different personalities though of course. My daughter has just turned 4 and will almost never play with a child she doesn't know if we are out somewhere.

My child was desperate to play with other children at the playground. But also too shy to do it.
Sometimes I actually went up and said do you want to play with my child! (Because my child wanted me to really much)
It worked though sometimes!!

Leave them to it tbh.

She's young to want to actually play WITH other children. She's probably interested in what they're doing,which is great.

She is at nursery so will get plenty of practice playing and making friends when she's ready.

Thanks all.

@00100001 @SecondhandTable What does leaving them to it/following their lead look like in practice? As in she will just stand and stare for ages or follow from a distance... Do I just ignore it? Or encourage her to do something else (sometimes I say "come on, let's go and play on the slide" or whatever, but then I worry that I'm discouraging her and damping her spirit). NB I really think she is interested in the other children rather than what they are doing, and agree it is early, but she has always been very sociable.

@purpleme12 yeah I have done that once, the grandparents the little bit was with were very welcoming, but unfortunately the boy himself was super shy and completely clammed up, so I made my excuses after a few minutes and bribed DD back into the buggy with raisins. It's so bloody complicated!

*little boy

Sometimes asking other children works sometimes it doesn't. But you have to be prepared for the possibility it won't work. But not a big deal if the child doesn't. Just shrug it off tell your child that that person's a bit shy/doesn't feel like playing and carry on with what you were doing at the playground anyway

I would ask your child what they want to do/what they want you to do if they have the communication skills to reply? Ask them what they want to do in the playground, whether they want to play with the child, if so I'd encourage them to approach the other child to play. If they seemed uninterested, didn't understand or unhappy at any point I would divert them to something else. If they confirmed they want to play with the other child but wouldn't approach the child themself I would offer to go with them to the child and facilitate conversation and play, if my child wanted that and was happy with it. Again if at any point my child (or the other child, if already approached) seemed unhappy or disinterested I would divert to another activity. Some of this obviously depends on your child's communication skills though.

Just leave her to it. If she wants to watch others then let her, I think that's normal behaviour that you don't need to interject on.

If a child or parent approached my 2 year old and asked him if he wanted to play he wouldn't have a clue what was being asked of him (and he looks about 4) but he will happily play alongside others.

Thanks, yeah i think asking her is probably the way to go, plus making a judgement myself about whether the kid might be receptive.