Games for Cooperation and Collaboration

 

Two Fun Games for Cooperation and Collaboration

Have you noticed how much time our kids spend by themselves these days in comparison to years gone by? When families were generally bigger and neighbours knew each other, there were so many more opportunities for kids to get together to be kids. The games we used to play were different too. With no tablets in sight, and very few computers in homes, we had no choice but to play together, or read a book!

A lack of opportunity to socialise with other kids can lead to poor social skills. This can include an inability to play well with others e.g. take turns, lose gracefully. This can also lead to an impaired ability to cooperate and collaborate well with others in later years. These are essential skills to have as we move into adulthood, so kids really need to be given plenty of opportunity to practice from an early age.

I had the opportunity to review a couple of games and toys from the very cool website – Cool Things. They are really different activities, but I love them both for different reasons, and both are great to have on hand to work on those all important cooperative play skills.

Nicole from Gateway Therapies

1. Cat Stax

This game reminded me of Tetris, because the object of the game is to fit cats of all different shapes and sizes into a specific design. When I played this at the therapy clinic with a few different kids, and mentioned Tetris, few knew what I was talking about. Madness!

Anyway, Cat Stax can be played alone, but is also really fun to play with another person. Together you can chat about the possible solutions. This game is awesome for problem solving and a great opportunity to practice collaborating with others to work towards a shared goal.

$29.95 from Cool Things

2. Cubby Kit

This kit is just cool. It comes with a sheet, and a few different gadgets for anchoring the sheet to different surfaces and furniture items. It’s the perfect kit for inspiring the small people to get together, and get busy. There’s even a Keep Out sign, so the kids can create a spot that is just for them. If the cubby kit doesn’t get the kids outside (which it just might!) it will at least get them away from a screen and talking to each other instead. This is a great activity for team work, problem solving, motor planning, and imaginative play.

 

$49.95 from Cool Things

This is a Review Post (see the BAFM Review Policy here)