In the following work, we introduce the mathematical and theoretical underpinnings of dynamical systems theory and enactivism and extend them to child-robot interaction. We believe this approach leads to more tangible methods for studying such interactions. Dynamical Systems Theory (DST) are described and applied through Participatory Sense-Making (PSM), an enactive approach to social cognition. While PSM does well to lay out a new level of analysis for social interactions between humans, robots don’t cleanly fit in. We propose here that a child’s perception of a robot as a genuine sense-maker allows the interaction process to be considered a dynamic and coupled system. Perceived sociality is integral to creating and sustaining a meaningfully dynamic interaction, and we call for finer distinctions to that end while studying child-robot interaction. Our proposed spectrum of perceived sociality, informed and grounded by a dynamical systems approach to child development and theories aimed at socially categorizing a robot interactor, such as sociomorphing, operationalizes the study of child-robot interactions. This approach enhances dynamical and enactive systems methodologies in developmental research and human-robot interaction studies.