Why Cooperative Play Matters
Children who have experienced trauma may have learned that relationships are unpredictable, adults may not always be safe or available, and they may need to rely heavily on themselves to get their needs met.
Trauma can affect children's behavior, learning, relationships, emotional regulation, and sense of safety. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network emphasizes that trauma-informed care involves recognizing the impact of traumatic stress and creating environments that promote safety, collaboration, recovery, and resilience.
That makes the cooperative structure of games especially interesting. The players are not opponents. There is no child who is “bad at the game.” No child has to defeat another child.
Instead:
“We are on the same team.”
• collaboration
• shared problem-solving
• listening
• taking turns
• tolerating uncertainty
• considering another person's perspective
• making decisions together
• recovering from mistakes
• asking for help
• sharing information
• trusting another person's contribution
• experiencing success as a team
Below are some of my favorite games for cooperative play that can teach important skills. As a Parents as Partners member, you’ll also receive a therapeutic handout for each cooperative game. Each handout offers simple, practical ways to connect with your child through play while building communication, emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, flexible thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.
The goal is not simply to win. The goal is to experience what it feels like to solve a problem with another person without having to protect yourself from that person.