Definition: Cooperative play is a form of social play in which children actively play together, communicate with one another, and work toward a shared activity, idea, or goal. Rather than simply playing beside one another, children participating in cooperative play interact, exchange ideas, take on roles, share materials, negotiate rules, and contribute to the same play experience.
Cooperative play commonly becomes more noticeable during the preschool years as children develop stronger language, communication, social-emotional, and self-regulation skills. Examples include children building a block structure together, pretending to operate a restaurant, completing a group art project, playing a simple team game, or taking different roles during imaginative play.
Why It Matters in Childcare: Cooperative play gives children valuable opportunities to practice sharing, turn-taking, communication, teamwork, listening, problem-solving, negotiation, empathy, and conflict resolution. It can also help children learn how their actions affect others and how to participate successfully in a group.
Childcare providers can encourage cooperative play by offering activities that allow several children to participate, providing enough materials to support collaboration, modeling respectful communication, and helping children work through everyday disagreements without unnecessarily taking control of the activity.
Example: Three children decide to build a pretend house with blocks. One child builds the walls, another gathers blocks, and another creates furniture for the house. They discuss their ideas and adjust their plans as they work. This is cooperative play because the children are interacting and contributing toward a shared play experience.
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