This article focuses on the development of forms of vitality play, a recently described typeof play, and links it to the development of symbolic play, one of the most studied types ofplay in developmental psychology. Two adult–infant dyads were videotaped longitudinallyduring in-house free play meetings every 15 days during the third year of life. Convergencetechnique was applied in order to accelerate the longitudinal study. A total of 17 h 48 minwere registered in 28 sessions. An observational code with categories of forms of vitalityplay (a non-figurative play frame in which child and adult play together with the dynamicsof their own movements and sounds in a repetition–variation form), symbolic play, andcategories of combined patterns of both types of play was applied. The rate of each playwas calculated for different age periods. Forms of vitality play is present at a constant rateduring the third year of life. Symbolic play flourishes during this period. Combined playpatterns are not the most frequent but are present from the beginning to the end of thethird year. We suggest that FoVP favours intimate and intersubjective experiences essentialto the understanding and the development of the interpersonal world; that it can be thoughtof as a good runway for the development of symbolic play; and that it prepares the child toparticipate in the temporal arts that belong to his culture.