Cooperative play is enjoyed by children of all ages. From a psychological perspective, play plays a pivotal role in developing essential cognitive, emotional, and social skills for all children. As children grow older, their play can be categorized into four different types: solitary play, parallel play, cooperative play, and finally, collaborative play.
Cooperative play emerges as the ultimate way to play, and it's an important social skill that helps children form meaningful bonds and adhere to the rules of group activity. Keep reading for everything you need to know about it and how you can help your child improve at cooperative play.
What is meant by cooperative or social play?
Early in life, infants begin to engage in solitary play, playing alone without being aware of the presence of others. Between the ages of 2 and 3, children begin to play alongside other children without influencing each other in what is known as parallel play.
Cooperative play emerges next, where children have social interactions and engage in shared activities that include toy exchange and verbal chatter. Around the age of five, children begin to engage in cooperative play, taking turns and playing with shared goals and a shared vision.
As the most complex type of play children engage in, cooperative play is important for teaching them social rules such as sharing, cooperation, taking turns, and dealing with conflict. They also participate in setting rules, taking on leadership roles, and negotiating responsibilities, which ultimately contribute to the formation of meaningful friendships.
Although less mature forms of play are present in children as they grow older, cooperative play is the most prevalent. An example of complex cooperative play is the imaginary game "cops and robbers."
What is the importance of cooperative play?
Psychologists consider cooperative play a milestone in a child's development. Here are some of the benefits of cooperative play:
Cooperative play is important for reducing aggression in children.
The more they engage in such games, the more social skills they gain beyond being polite.
Cooperative play increases pro-social skills.
Such as sharing, empathy, and kindness, which are essential life skills.
Cooperative play increases discipline.
Cooperative play in early childhood education has been noted to have numerous benefits, including reduced discipline and classroom management, intellectual development, and increased content mastery.
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Cooperative play fosters a sense of belonging.
When it comes to therapy for socially excluded children or children with autism, cooperative games have a positive impact on the sessions. Being inclusive in nature, cooperative games foster a sense of belonging in children. A sense of belonging is crucial in academic settings and for the mental well-being of both children and adults.
Cooperative play builds empathy.
Unlike competitive games where it's "every man for himself" and "nice guys finish last," cooperative games are built on a foundation of mutual care and concern, and not being superior to one another at any cost.
A comfortable, friendly environment for cooperative play encourages children to solve problems. Together, they can pool their ideas and build on top of each other.
Cooperative play teaches children to work together to achieve a common goal.
Cooperative play gives children a much-needed respite from the excessive competition that most schools are structured to be competitive.
Excessive competition is noted to be anxiety-inducing and stressful for their mental health. Cooperative play is important in establishing group identity and fostering group cohesion. The inclusiveness of cooperative play ensures that everyone has a role, and no one sits idly by and wastes time.
Cooperative play teaches children resource allocation and efficient use of effort and time.
Many cooperative games involve a lot of physical movement and exercise, which promotes children's health and fitness.
Cooperative play teaches politeness.
Being polite to other group members and taking turns are the foundation of many cooperative games. These are valuable life skills taught at the appropriate age. At the heart of most professions is teamwork, and cooperative games teach children all the necessary skills.
Cooperative games prevent many of the behaviors associated with competitive games, such as embarrassment, ambiguity, and meltdowns. Cooperative games are essential for creating a positive social climate that everyone enjoys. They work because these games teach children that cooperation and mutual respect are valuable social norms.
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How can parents encourage their children to play cooperatively?
Parents can engage their children in different types of cooperative play to instill the values that come with it. Here's how to build toward it:
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Encourage participation
The meaning of the word sharing can seem quite complex to growing children. It can range from momentarily giving up their toy so you don't see the cookie they gave them. Therefore, to build the concept of sharing, it's essential to engage in age-appropriate sharing games to positively integrate the word into the child's mind.
The earlier you integrate the meaning of word sharing into your child's mind, the better prepared they will be for cooperative play.
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Taking turns
Taking turns is at the heart of cooperative play, and babies are able to interact back and forth as early as 6–9 months. Use this opportunity to play games like pat-a-cake and rolling a ball back and forth to teach them to wait for their turn. In the long run, this builds impulse control as your baby can wait for something they want right then and there.
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Compliance with rules
Adhering to established rules for the common good is a crucial skill that children need to learn as early as possible. It prevents them from becoming self-absorbed, which can be detrimental to social play.
Ideally, the best way to teach them the rules is to not let them win all the time. While this can be frustrating and even unfair, it's a good way to teach them that all games have rules that must be followed.
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Teamwork
Teamwork is the hallmark of cooperative play, so your child needs to learn to help and cooperate with others in the activity that specifically involves cooperative pretend play.
Since they're not old enough to help with chores, teach them teamwork by having them pick up toys after a game, or arrange simple items on a shelf.
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Cooperative activities
You can build many essential social play skills through cooperative games for preschoolers. At family gatherings, have painting projects like "Blank Canvas," which involves drawing a picture as a group. Gather preschoolers in your community for events like planting a vegetable garden. Some examples of social play include:
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Here are some examples of cooperative play you can try with your child at school or in your community:
- Puzzles.
- Treasure hunting.
- Relay races.
- Construction dens.
- Team games.
- Board games.
Developing cooperative play is a milestone that most children can reach by the age of five when given the right stimulation as they grow.
As they learn behaviors that promote cooperative play, they are able to engage with other children, form meaningful friendships, and ultimately build essential life skills.
Article source: Importance of Collaborative or Cooperative Play in a Child's Development
