Cooperation and teamwork are two very positive values for the development of the little ones. But, how to work on them beyond school?
In this article we propose 12 cooperative games for children (to improve teamwork), which will allow you to enhance these qualities in your children or students.
12 cooperative games for children to encourage teamwork
Cooperation implies that, with the action and effort of several people, the same result is achieved. Thus, this has a lot to do with teamwork.
These two aspects are both values, important to transmit to children. How to do it? For example through play, a very powerful tool in education.
It is for all these reasons that in this article we bring you 12 cooperative games for children to improve and work on teamwork, of different types and difficulty. Let's meet them next.
one. Move the globe
This game consists of moving a balloon in pairs through a pre-established route (with a clear origin and end). The requirement of the game, and at the same time its grace, is that no member of the couple can touch the balloon with their hands, only through the other parts of the body.
This requires great physical contact between the participants, and great teamwork. If the balloon falls, you must return to the starting line. The couple that reaches the finish line first wins.
2. Sack-race
Another of the cooperative games for children, also quite physical, is the sack race. This can be done individually or in pairs, ideal for improving teamwork.
In this case, the couples tie their ankles together and place themselves inside a sack. It is a normal race but in bags; The objective of the game will be to reach the finish line as soon as possible, avoiding falling.
3. The human chain
This simple game is also a lot of fun. Start by "stopping" one; it is about going after others. When one is caught, it joins the person who stops it, so that the chain will increase until no one is left alone. It is a game that requires teamwork and coordination, because everyone “goes together”.
4. Kill-rabbits
Another of the cooperative games for children is the rabbit killer, also called “feet together”. It is played with a ball, and the game consists of the following: one of the group throws a ball into the air and says the name of another player.
That player must catch the ball, and the others will run away. Right at the moment when the starting player has the ball, he will shout: “Feet off!”, and the others must stand up.
The player with the ball may take three steps to either side; he will throw the ball towards someone to catch him. In the event that it hits, this player "dies"; If, on the other hand, the player catches the ball, he "dies" the one who threw it and the other "stops" it. Players who "die" will sit on the ground, and must wait for someone to save them by chopping their hand.
5. Search words
The following game is not as physical as the previous ones.In this case, the material needed is some paper and some pencils. The objective of the game will be to find the greatest number of words. Teams of 3 or 4 players will be formed (ideally there should be at least 2 teams), which will be placed in a group around a sheet of paper.
The teacher or the person leading the game will say a word with at least 9 letters (for example “bat”, which has 10), and the objective will be for the teams to form the as many words as possible with those jumbled letters. They will be given time, for example 3 minutes. The team that manages to score the most words wins.
6. 3 stroke
This physical cooperative game requires a minimum of 6 players. Groups of 3 will be made, which must be placed between them so that their backs touch and their arms are intertwined. They will not be able to separate. It is a race, and the objective of the game will be to reach the finish line as soon as possible.
7. Pass word
The following cooperative game idea is more intellectual in nature. It is about playing the classic “Pasapalabra”, which consists of: there is a question for each letter of the alphabet; each answer begins with the corresponding letter, for example; “with the V, animal that gives milk=cow”, and so on with all the letters.
Teams of 3 or 4 players will be formed (depending on the total number of players) and the team that answers the most questions will win. The question will be said aloud, and when the team thinks they know the answer, the group leader will raise their hand (or other similar gesture) to respond.
8. Game of chairs in pairs
A variant of the classic game of chairs. Remember that in the game of chairs, as many chairs are placed in a circle as there are participants in the game, minus one (that is, if there are 8 participants, 7 chairs are placed).
A song will play while everyone spins their chairs. Someone will stop the song, and the players must sit on one of the chairs, as quickly as possible. There will always be a player who runs out, who will be eliminated.
In the variant of the game in pairs, it is the same thing but this time, pairs will be formed, who must always sit together (one on top of the other); If one of the two members of the couple fails to sit down, they both lose. This will enable teamwork.
9. The parachute
Another of the cooperative games for children. In this case we are talking about the parachute, a very fun game where the little ones will have a great time. For this you need a large parachute, or a large cloth.
Each participant (ideally there should be at least 6), will take the fabric or the parachute from a specific side or point.In the center of the fabric we will place a ball. The objective of the game will be to hold the ball for as long as possible, without it falling, by moving it from side to side.
10. The masquerade ball
A very fun game, where the important thing is to recognize the other without seeing it! It is ideally performed on a dance floor or in a large area. Pairs will be formed to cover their eyes with a handkerchief.
Whoever dynamizes the game will offer a series of premises to follow: take “X” steps in “X” side, forwards, backwards… so that the couples disperse and separate from each other. When the facilitator announces, the game will begin, and the pairs must find each other by touch.
eleven. Rope
The next cooperative game for children is rope. Two teams are formed with the same number of members (ideally the groups should be balanced in terms of weight and strength).
The two teams stand along a rope, which they hold with their hands. Each team at one end, and in the middle of the rope, a sign on the ground. The goal is to move the other team past the center line, through strength and coordination; The first team to do so wins.
12. The handkerchief in pairs
The last of the cooperative games for children that we propose is the handkerchief in pairs. Another classic; In the handkerchief game, each player is assigned a number. In this variant that we introduce to work on cooperation, each pair has a unique number.
Two sides are formed, on either side of the track (each side will have the same assigned numbers), and one person stands in the middle holding a handkerchief. The couples are tied to each other by the ankles.
The person in the center will shout a number, for example “3!”, and the number 3 couple from each side will run as best they can to get the handkerchief. The couple that manages to catch the handkerchief and return to their starting position without being caught by the other couple wins.