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
20 SEL Activities For High School: Challenges, Journal Writing, Games, Projects, And Exercises