May 14, 2008

Cooperative Board Games

Why Choose Cooperative Board Games?

Teaching cooperation skills helps children learn how to problem solve and how to work with others. And, cooperative games are fun. My oldest son and I played a cooperative game called Marsh Master (made in Vermont by Great Blue Productions) and were laughing quite hard as we worked together to put all the marsh creatures in their habitat before “Arnold Pathetic” made it around the board.

There are many cooperative games on the market. An on-line store called EcoToyTown has several that cost less than $20 and are appropriate for ages 3 and up. The themes vary, but they all involve working together to reach a goal.

What is Wrong with Traditional, Competitive Board Games?

Many experts have weighed in on the competitive nature of games in our society and what those games teach children. Parenting expert Alfie Kohn believes that competition is a matter of social training and not human nature.

We all know a young child who has a hard time with losing at board games. Some even have a hard time with winning, choosing to brag about the accomplishment. Instead of playing games that involve one person winning at another’s expense, parents can choose cooperative games for their children that involve the group working together to achieve a goal.

Skip the usual board games, think outside the box and give a cooperative game to the children in your life.

Source:

EcoToytown, “What is a Cooperative Game”, website, accessed May 14, 2008