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Craft idea: 3 play games for cooperation games

In the collection of craft ideas 3 games are included that are suitable for super competitive-, or station games. You can prepare all those ideas with little effort and cost. They also can be repeated for a corresponding street game parties.

What is it actually about cooperation games?

Primarily the fact that the game can be won only by working together as a team. All have to work together and learn to be considerate with each other. For some children that might not be all that easy or they are just not used to it. Movements challenging gross and fine motor skills are also required in cooperation games. If a child has shortcomings in this area even more is the cooperation and support of other kids needed.

Dry ski race

Depending on the length ofthe “dry skis” 3,4,5 or more children get to stand on the skis, trying to get some forward movement going by coordinating their own movements. The objective is to cover an obstacle course. The difficulty of this game is indeed the need of coordinated movements, built in bends, which might cause the team to lose balance. First the team has to find its rhythm (communicate) then they have to work out how to get around the corner the best way possible.

The game is well suited to be palyed in grass. Creating those skis won’t take you longer than 30 minutes. All you need is 2 sturdy wooden boards (per pair), old roller shutter belts, cutter knife, wood screws, sandpaper, and a jigsaw.

Dry ski race
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Running A (triangle race)

triangle race
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The triangle looks like a big A. This big A is upheld by two kids by the help of a rope. Another child stands on the A and tries with coordinated movements (shifting of weight) to move through the obstacle course. In this game, cooperation is not all that important, however, without the two kids holding the rope the game would not come to pass. What the game indeed needs is skill.

The game is suitable for outdoor use. What you need is: ropes, 3 stable wooden boards (4-5cm thick and 2,5meter long wooden poles – you can get them from the woods). A drill and screws with nuts and washers, in case you want to screw the boards together. However, you can also use ropes to tie the poles together to an A. Altogether the preparation time would not be more then 30 minutes.

Caterpillar

The team (at least 2, no upward limits) moves forward on wooden boards. It is important that their feet stay in the straps attached to the boards. The difficulty of this game increase with every more “caterpillar member”.

The first player moves with its front board 50cm forwards. Now he must pull his footboard, which simultaneously is the holding board for the man behind him, to follow suit. This requires coordination of these two players. Once this is done, the next player has to pull his footboard, which again is the holding board to the guy behind him. Slowly but surely, the caterpillar can move forward in this way. The more coordinated and faster the sequence, the faster the caterpillar enters the finishing line.

Per boards (about 60x20cm) 4 straps are mounted – for the hands and feet respectively. The straps are made of old roller shutter belts, which are fixed with wood screws. The building time per board is around 5 minutes.

If you create 12 boards, you can have 2 teams with 5 people each. Or you use 11 people and keep two additional boards. That can never hurt because one or the other strap can get lose if it wasn’t mounted properly.

Caterpillar-alternative without boards:

All Caterpillar member bend forward and tightly hold on to the ankles of the person ahead of them. (Except of course the head of the caterpillar). Now they have to move forward. It is uttermost important that you do not let go of the ankles of the kid in front of you. This version requires cooperation and good team spirit.