• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching Expertise

  • Home
  • Classroom Ideas
  • Technology
  • Teacher’s Life
  • Deals & Shopping
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • Classroom Ideas
  • Technology
  • Teacher’s Life
  • Deals & Shopping
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

50 Awesome Cooperative Games For Kids Of All Ages

November 30, 2023 //  by Seda Unlucay

Cooperative games are a wonderful way to build a wide variety of transferable learning skills in your kiddies. These games are a super way to teach them crucial skills like communicating clearly, problem-solving, overcoming challenges, time management, decision-making, following instructions, and thinking on their feet. We’ve gathered a collection of 50 fun and exciting cooperative team-building ideas, board games, and physical activities that will teach your kids what they can achieve when they work together! Let’s dive in!

1. Lego Copycat Game

In this simple game, you’ll divide your kids into groups of builders and messengers. The messengers will see what the first group of builders is creating and then they’ll have to communicate it to the other group to see if they can copy it by listening to the directions.

Learn More: Frugal Fun For Boys

2. Spud

Get your kids running off some of their energy with this one! Spud is a fantastic game for them to practice their throwing skills and improve their balance while also building spatial awareness. All you need is one playground ball and you’re ready to go!

Learn More: Playworks

3. Spy Alley Board Game

Who doesn’t want to be a spy?! In this cooperative board game, your players will work in teams as spies to figure out their opponents’ secret identities through careful reasoning, uncovering clues, and deciphering code books. Can your kids crack the case and discover the enemy spy?

Learn More: Board Games

4. Flashlight Tag

The classic game of flashlight tag is best played in the dark! Your kids are sure to love tagging their friends and shining their flashlight beams before calling out their names. Like all variations of tag, this one builds emotional resilience and social skills as well as effective communication!

Learn More: Petoskey Provisions, Gifts, & Wisdom

5. Caterpillar Tag

Ever heard of caterpillar tag? In this simple cooperative game, the chaser tries to tag the last person in the caterpillar line. The caterpillar will try to stay in the way of the chaser, protecting the person at the tail end. This is a fantastic game for developing their gross motor skills such as agility and balance while working together!

Learn More: Fit Kids, Healthy Kids

6. Island Cooperative Game

This team game puts your players’ communication skills to the test as they work together to survive on an imaginary deserted island. Apart from problem-solving and critical thinking skills, it’s an easy way to develop your kiddies’ creativity and cooperation. You get to decide what kind of resources the island will have and can make this game as easy or challenging as you like!

Learn More: Mrs. Fintelman Teaches

7. Popular Board Game: Pandemic

Can your kids work together to save humankind? Whether they’re scientists, dispatchers, or researchers, your players must work together to save the world from a deadly pandemic. This is a wonderful game for developing their reading skills while devising survival strategies and basic math skills to understand the various charts and tables of data.

Learn More: Z-Man Games

8. Play a Game with Hula Hoops

In this fun game for kids, you’ll need to sort your class into teams. You can then ask them to construct a hut with a limited number of hula hoops, before having them find a way for their entire team to pass through the hut, one at a time. Why not throw in an additional hoop or challenge players to move backward for some added fun?

Learn More: Lead By Adventure

9. Master Word Board Game

Master Word makes a great cooperative board game to add to your class games collection. You can change the time the game runs or the difficulty of the vocabulary used depending on the age of your kids. It’s an excellent game for increasing inference skills, developing word recognition, and improving reading fluency.

Learn More: Coopgestalt

10. Team Build With Tennis Balls

This amazing team-building game encourages your kiddies’ creative thinking with a fun, physical twist! Challenge your players to pass a tennis ball between the group members as quickly as possible. They’re sure to enjoy finding clever shortcuts to increase their speed!

Learn More: World of Work

11. Duck, Duck, Goose

Duck, Duck, Goose has been a classic kid’s game for decades, and with good reason! This fantastic game requires no equipment. Simply have your kids sit in a circle and have one child walk around the circle tapping each person and saying “duck” until they pick a “goose”. The goose then has to try to race around the circle and get back to their spot!

Learn More: Kid Spot

12. Red Rover

Red Rover is another classic team game, that requires no equipment. One team decides who they want to call over from the other team and the chosen player has to run and attempt to break through the row of students holding hands. Whether or not they succeed, everyone is sure to have a great time!

Learn More: The Genius of Play

13. Escape Room Game

Why not transform your classroom into an escape room fit for an Alice in Wonderland adventure? This kit includes riddle sheets, suspect cards, challenging clues, and even background music to create a truly immersive experience for your kiddies! Escape games are a great way to develop their problem-solving skills and strengthen their communication skills.

Learn More: Escape Kit

14. Castle Panic Board Game

Castle Panic is a fantastic cooperative game where your players must band together to achieve a series of goals in order to protect their caste against threatening monsters. The catch is that they can only succeed by contributing to the welfare of their team; what a great lesson in working cooperatively!

Learn More: Board Game Geek

15. Storybook Drawing

This simple art activity is the perfect way to inspire your kids to work cooperatively. Have one of your kids draw a picture of an object of their choice and then let the others add to it, taking turns until they’ve told a complete visual story! This is a fantastic game that has them working together to discover elements of narrating such as plot, setting, and characterization!

Learn More: The Inspired Treehouse

16. Obstacle Course

Challenge your kiddos with an exciting obstacle course! In this physically demanding game, your players will have to work as a team to make it through an obstacle course. You can keep it simple or try adding trampolines, bikes, tunnels, balancing challenges, and slides! What a fun way to get your kids cheering each other on!

Learn More: What Can We Do With Paper And Glue

17. Max Cooperative Board Game

If your kids have a pet cat at home, they’re probably well aware of the unwelcome presents that they sometimes leave for their owners! In this game, your kids will take turns to roll the dice and get their little creatures safely around the board and away from Max, the cat! This game is the perfect starting point for a discussion about food chains and animal habitats.

Learn More: Family Past Times

18. Race to the Treasure Board Game

Who will get to the treasure first- your kids or the ogre? Encourage your players to think quickly as they build a path toward the pot of golden treasure. This award-winning game encourages your kids to work together and strategize, developing both their social skills and their ability to work as part of a team!

Learn More: Mastermind Toys

19. 15 Seconds

All you’ll need for this classic team-building game are some interesting questions and a timer! Everyone has only fifteen seconds to answer a question about a subject of the leader’s choice, such as their favorite films, foods, or hobbies. This simple game is perfect to quickly build rapport between your players and encourage a more cooperative learning environment.

Learn More: Fun Attic

20. Codenames

Codenames is a classic word game that challenges your learners to reveal all of the top secret agents without hurting any bystanders or alerting the undercover assassin. Spymasters will give a one-word clue that relates to one of the words on display and their team must debate and make a decision on which one they think it is. They’ll need to work together to win this one!

Learn More: Ultra Board Games

21. Build a Tower of Cards

This activity is the ultimate test of patience and a steady hand! Your kiddos are sure to enjoy building a tower of cards by sharing their construction ideas and working together toward a shared goal. This STEM-based activity can easily be incorporated into a math or science lesson as they discuss the elements of engineering and architecture to build a sturdy tower.

Learn More: Education World

22. Balloon Bop

Who knew a simple balloon could be the key to inspiring great teamwork? In this fun, active game, you’ll instruct your players to stand in a circle and hold hands; you’ll then challenge them to see how many times they can tap the balloon into the air while continuing to hold hands! This seems simple, but they’ll need to communicate and work together quickly to keep it up!

Learn More: Responsive Classroom

23. Bandido

A bandit is trying to escape through underground tunnels! Will your kids be able to band together to stop him? They’ll need to work together, strategically placing cards to curb this jailbreak! The rules are straightforward enough, making this a great game for players of any age to encourage teamwork and develop those all-important problem-solving skills. 

Learn More: Walmart

24. Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle: A Cooperative Deck-Building Game

There are bound to be at least a few Harry Potter fans in your class who will love this next game! They’ll need to work together to help Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville save Hogwarts from the forces of evil! Fighting villains, gaining health points, and joining forces are the only ways to beat the masters of the Dark Arts in their own game.

Learn More: Amazon

25. Mysterium

Have your kiddos band together as a group of psychic mediums! They’ll have to communicate with a ghost to determine all the details of the murder including the weapon, the location, and the motive. Will they succeed? Only time and a little mysterious intrigue will tell!

Learn More: Ultra Board Games

26. Smaug’s Jewels

Smaug’s Jewel is a classic game that’s inspired by the dragon in Tolkien’s book The Hobbit. Choose one player to be Smaug the dragon, who has to protect the jewels, which could be a ball, and the other players have to try and steal the treasure without getting tagged! Encourage your kids to work together to get around Smaug and make off with the prize!

Learn More: Drama Based Instruction

27. Icebergs

Iceberg, right ahead! The object of this classic P.E. game is for your students to get onto the iceberg with the correct number of team members! They’ll be practicing organization and group cooperation skills all while getting a challenging workout; what’s not to love?

Learn More: Active Superstars

28. Toxic Waste Dump P.E. Game

Give your kiddies the role of ‘biohazard specialist’ for the day! The object of this game is for two players to move some toxic material from one point to another, without touching it; and to make it even more complicated, they’re blindfolded! They’ll need to rely on their fellow students to give them clear directions to be successful in this fun game.

Learn More: YouTube

29. Caterpillar Riot

The goal of the Caterpillar Riot is to collect as many objects as possible; sounds simple right? The catch is that your kids’ caterpillars can only move within a series of touching hula hoops which they’ll need to work together to move if they want to go anywhere! This deceptively simple-looking game requires a great deal of collective strategizing if they want to win!

Learn More: Stef’s Phys. Ed Games Binder

30. Race to the Galaxy

Ready for blastoff! The interstellar planet is almost out of resources (beanbags) and your students need to use their hovercrafts (hula hoops) to move around to collect the fuel! All you’ll need to play this space-themed game are some hula hoops, placemats, and a galactic storyline and it’s sure to get your players excited!

Learn More: S&S Blog

31. Hoot Owl Hoot Board Game

Can your young players join forces to get all the owls safely back to their nest before sunrise? They’ll learn how to follow directions and take turns in this super sweet game that’s perfect for your littlest learners.

Learn More: Board Game Geek

32. Tell Me a Story Cards

Make storytelling into a collective experience for your learners! This imaginative storytelling game consists of animals who can sing and dance and can result in completely new stories each time your kiddies play! Why not have groups write their stories down to read them aloud for the rest of the class?

Learn More: Eeboo

33. Hanabi

Did you know that the Japanese word for fireworks is ‘hanabi’? This might give you an idea as to what this inventive game game is all about! Challenge your kiddos to work together to put on a spectacular fireworks show! They’re sure to love launching the rockets in their final ensemble performance!

Learn More: 401 Games

34. Wheelbarrow Race

The classic wheelbarrow race is a staple of the school sports day, but who says you can’t play it before then? This game encourages your kids to work together to get across the finish line together; one student walking on their hands, while the other of the pair holds their legs! They’ll need to strategize and work as a team if they want the win!

Learn More: Party Games 4 Kids

35. Human Knot Game

This popular cooperative game has been around for a long time as it’s a great way to encourage teamwork! Start by having your kids stand in a circle, then each grabs the hand of someone else in the circle until they’re all tangled up. Next, they’ll have to untangle themselves from a knot of hands without breaking their grip! Can your students untangle their human knot? 

Learn More: Team Building

36. Water Balloon Pass

This game is like a higher-stakes version of the balloon bop game! The objective of this game is to catch the water balloon before it hits the ground; so it’s probably best played outside! Have your kiddies move further and further apart as they throw the balloon between them until someone finally drops it!

Learn More: Fit Kids Healthy Kids

37. Pass the Frog

This easy-to-organize game has so many variations so your kids will never be bored of it! The basic premise is that your students must work together to get a frog around the circle as quickly as possible using different body parts such as hands, elbows, or knees! You’re sure to be surprised by some of the inventive ways they approach this task!

Learn More: The PE Specialist

38. Feed the Woozle

Your kids will love feeding silly snacks to this ferocious monster in this fun board game! This is the perfect activity for practicing their counting and basic numeracy skills as they roll the dice to find out how many snacks to feed the monster. They’ll then work as a team to try to get at least 12 snacks into the Wozzle’s mouth before they run out! 

Learn More: Amazon

39. Fingertip Hula Hoop Game

In this creative team-building game, your students will have to stand together in a circle with their arms raised above their heads, balancing a hula hoop on their fingers. They’ll need to work together to keep the hoop balanced and lower it to the ground using nothing but their fingers without dropping it!

Learn More: Meraki Lane

40. What’s Next?

Choose-your-own-adventure, anyone? Just pick a card, any card! Your kiddos will follow the prompts and decide on a choice at the bottom that will influence what happens next! If they choose the correct path they’ll get to move forward. However, if they take a wrong turn then they’ll need to add to a Jenga-like “Tower of Peril”. Either way, it’s tons of fun!

Learn More: Board Game UK

41. Junior Detective

Have your kiddos work together to solve a crime in a fictional town of unsavory characters! There are dozens of different who-done-it cases to figure out. In each case, they’ll need to work with their classmates to find out the identity of a town troublemaker as well as their hiding spot!

Learn More: Board Game Quest

42. Gnomes At Night

Indoor recess on a rainy day? This is the perfect way to keep your kids entertained and develop their teamwork skills! Have them set the timer and help each other guide gnomes through a maze of riches with the goal of bringing as many treasures as possible back to the Queen! It’s a fast-paced game and cooperation is the only way to achieve the goal!

Learn More: About The Game

43. Stone Soup

Everyone wins with this team-based matching game! Encourage your kiddos to work together with ingredients and spices to “cook up” a delicious soup! They’ll practice their memory and collaboration skills while they work against the clock.

Learn More: How To Play

44. Castle Quest

For your younger kiddos, nothing beats this fun and cooperative sight word practice game! It’s sure to keep the attention of even your most distracted learners as they make their way around the board. You can use different lists of words to challenge lots of different ability levels and keep the game interesting for your kiddies!

Learn More: Castle Quest

45. Now Boarding

Teamwork is sure to take off in your class after your kids have played this next game! This fun logistics game takes less than an hour to finish, and they’re gonna love the challenge! Everyone has their own plane, but they’ll need to work together to get all passengers safely to their destination. 

Learn More: Now Boarding

46. Puzzle Barter

Take teamwork to the next level with this puzzle game! First, grab four simple puzzles and split your class into four groups. Mix up all of the puzzles and hand them out randomly to your groups. The tames will then have to barter with other teams to get enough pieces to complete their puzzle. The winning team is the first with a completed puzzle!

Learn More: When I Work

47. Geocache Mini Field Trip

You’d be surprised by how many Geocaches are hidden in plain sight right in the midst of your city or town! First, you’ll need to find what’s already nearby using the Geocaching app. Once you find an easy level one, it’s time to head out and set your class to work on this outside mini adventure!

Learn More: Geocach101

48. Escape Room Mini Field Trip

Need another excuse to leave the classroom for some fun teambuilding? It’ll be worth the extra effort of finding a few extra chaperones for this off-campus challenge. Organize a trip to your local escape room and watch on as your kiddos think critically to find their way out! They’ll need to work together and play to each team member’s skill set if they want to get out before time runs out!

Learn More: What Is An Escape Room?

 49. Money Bunch

It’s never too early to get your kiddies learning about financial literacy! This money management game is sure to have them thinking about their piggy banks in a whole new way. Your kids will not only earn play money but they’ll also need to decide how to spend it for the good of everyone! A definite win-win!

Learn More: MindWare

50. Stories Of The Three Coins

This fun and imaginative game is a great one for your lovers of story, fantasy, and magic! Your kiddies will flip cards to make up the next part of the story; then they’ll place magic coins and others make a guess a what they picked. It’s truly enchanting!

Learn More: More About The Game 

Category: Classroom Ideas

Previous Post: «SEL activities for high school 20 SEL Activities For High School: Challenges, Journal Writing, Games, Projects, And Exercises
Next Post: 49 Autumn-Themed Bulletin Boards For Your Classroom  »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Why Today’s Graduates Aren’t Ready for College (and How We Can Fix It)
  • Why Students Struggle in Calculus: It All Comes Down to the Basics
  • Why Elf on the Shelf Doesn’t Belong in the Classroom (and What to Do Instead)
  • 6 Forgotten Subjects Teachers Desperately Want Back in Schools
  • OPINION: Holiday Decorations in Classrooms Are More Harmful Than You Think!
  • 20 Phrases Teachers Say 100 Times a Year (And Still Mean It)