Growing social skills through cooperative play

When kids work together toward a shared goal, they practice the same skills that make friendships smoother, classrooms calmer, and group projects successful. Cooperative play is not just a game, it is a training ground for real-life social growth.

Cooperative play is any activity where children share a goal, plan roles, and solve problems together to keep the play going.

These moments invite children to read cues, talk through ideas, and adjust when things do not go as planned. Over time, that builds social confidence and resilience.

• Language and communication: Kids learn to ask for turns, clarify rules, and repair misunderstandings, which strengthens expressive and pragmatic language.
• Emotional intelligence: Working as a team encourages noticing how others feel, practicing empathy, and offering help.
• Problem-solving: Disagreements about rules or roles become chances to negotiate, compromise, and try new strategies.
• Self-regulation and flexibility: Waiting, sharing, and adapting to group ideas support impulse control and flexible thinking.
• Belonging and confidence: Completing a shared task gives a sense of purpose and pride that deepens peer connections.

Not sure where to start? Choose games with clear goals and simple roles. Building a blanket fort, running a treasure hunt with picture clues, or playing cooperative board games are great options. Keep groups small at first, model turn-taking language like “My turn, then your turn,” and narrate problem-solving out loud. Rotate roles so every child experiences leading and following.

Occupational therapists often use team tasks to practice motor planning, sharing materials, and managing sensory needs during group play. Speech-language pathologists may script and rehearse peer conversations, then embed those scripts in cooperative games so children can use the skills in the moment.

Quick fact: About 1 in 36 children are identified with autism in the United States, and structured, supported play can help build social communication skills across settings (CDC).

Most of all, keep it joyful. Celebrate small wins, pause when frustration rises, and reconnect with the shared goal. With repetition, the social tools learned in cooperative play begin to show up on the playground, at the dinner table, and anywhere kids team up to make something great.