Encouraging Collaboration in Children Through Cooperative Play
Posted on August 23, 2024 by CHS
Play is not just a fun activity, it is an essential part of a child's learning and development. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), there are several developmental benefits that children can learn and develop through play, such as nurturing creativity, encouraging physical play by motivating children to try new things (structured play or free play, like running, jumping, climbing, etc.), cognitive skills also known as cognition (memory, thinking, and problem-solving skills), social skills, and literacy skills (language skills, vocabulary, and concept knowledge).
Collaborative play is also known as social and cooperative play in which two or more children work together to achieve a common goal and begin to think about and balance their needs and wants with those of another child. This is a fundamental skill for children to be able to connect and get along with others.
How do we teach children collaboration through play? Below are a few techniques and activities to develop this skill.
- Practice taking turns. At three and a half or four, a child can begin to develop this skill by taking turns, sharing materials, and negotiating with others. Sharing is a complex new concept for a young child; children at this age are currently focused on their thoughts and feelings, so patience is key. Observe the child's developmental level; provide positive role modeling and use clear expectations, adjust and determine their readiness.
Some activity ideas:
- Involve your child with household chores (having them put away their toys, clean up their room, help set the table, or involve them in preparing a meal)
- Work together to water plants or pick fruits in the garden
- Play a board game such as Candyland or tic-tac-toe
- Create a large art project together
- Take turns blowing and catching bubbles
- Explain and set clear expectations for behavior so your child can anticipate what is going to happen.
-Discuss the expectations every day, or as often as possible
-Keep your expectations specific
-Provide simple and short explanations
-Focus on what your child can do, rather than what they cannot do
-Circle back with support if the expectations were not met and re-introduce them in a different way
Some activity ideas:
- Create a schedule board with pictures or use a routine timer together to help stay on time (going to school, activity practice, etc.)
- Role-model the desired behavior
- Read a book about behavior
- Have conversations. Create three simple rules with a picture for each. Three rules might be: (1) We are safe, (2) We are kind, (3) We are healthy. Now you are ready to ask questions and allow children to discuss if a behavior is acceptable. For example, “Is pushing safe?” and “Is pushing kind?”
- Provide support to problem-solve
As children work together with others, they can begin to think from another person's perspective, which is the action of understanding and being sensitive to someone else's feelings. This fosters positive and healthy relationships. This is especially helpful when trying to solve a problem that is not going as expected, and a discussion must take place to achieve the common goal. Asking open-ended questions is a helpful tool to guide a child through an activity that needs to be solved.
Some activity ideas:
- Complete a large floor puzzle together
- Build a wooden block tower together
- Play outdoor games such as catching or tossing a ball, Red Light, Green Light, or Duck Duck Goose
- Create an obstacle course
- Provide Choices
Providing choices to children during playtime is a common best practice to encourage self-control, promote improved behavior, form their own social groups, and expand their self-autonomy. As children take turns, compromise, and negotiate, offering choices provides the child access to choose their preferences throughout the day.
Some activity ideas:
- Play music. Do they have a favorite song or genre they would like to listen to? Tooty Ta is a fun dance song for children to come together and act silly
- Choose a favorite book to read together
- Decide on the snack for the day
- Choose an activity for the day (go to the park, paint outside versus inside, etc.)
- Positive reinforcement is a method of emphasizing the positive desired behavior, instead of focusing on the undesired behavior. The idea is to recognize and motivate the child to keep doing well.
Examples of positive reinforcement:
- Cheering or high-fiving. “We finished the puzzle! Thank you for your help”
- Highlighting that clean-up went well. “Thank you for helping me put away the toys, we finished so quickly together. Now we can go outside and play.”
- Recognizing effort. “You worked hard on that!”
Through collaboration, children can become better communicators, resolve conflicts, manage their emotions more flexibly, and develop empathy for themselves and others—what better way to learn this skill than through play?
Recommended Books
Big, Big Feelings, by Perry Emerson (Author), Sean Julian (Illustrator)
We’re All in the Same Boat, by Barney Saltzberg
References and Resources
CDC’s Developmental Milestones | CDC
Flower Petal Suncatcher: Nature Art for Kids - YouTube
Helping Young Children With Sharing | ZERO TO THREE
this-is-play-chap-1-excerpt.pdf (naeyc.org)
Tuning In: Sharing and Taking Turns | ZERO TO THREE
Preschool Play for Physical Development | ECLKC (hhs.gov)
Articles for Families on Literacy | NAEYC
11 Types of Play for Child Development (parents.com)
Tooty Ta | Fun Dance Song for Kids | Brain Breaks | Tooty Ta | Jack Hartmann (youtube.com)
Power of Play in Early Childhood (aap.org)
Physical Development | CPIN.us
Supporting the Development of Creativity | NAEYC
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/encouraging-children-to-share-and-take-turns
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-positive-reinforcement-2795412
https://www.chs-ca.org/blog/entry/cooking-with-young-children