Collaborative play: building a sense of community
Chatting, laughing, helping each other, and occasionally having a friendly argument. All of this during a simple moment of fun. Through collaborative games, children develop essential skills. Empathy, communication, conflict resolution... Here’s a look at all the skills these shared activities help children acquire.
They take on a thousand forms. Role-playing games, escape games, certain card or board games, even some video games, the sources of inspiration are endless. Collaborative or cooperative play are defined as follows by the Canopé1, teacher training network: “Cooperative games (or games of cooperation) are games in which players play collectively, without competition, to pursue a common goal. Either all players win if they achieve the objective, or they all lose together if they do not.” They differ from individual games - in which a child plays alone - and competitive games - where a single winner emerges.
While all types of games have their own specific benefits, those based on cooperation emphasize a core value in our society: teamwork.
Playing collaboratively to develop social skills
Research in developmental psychology and educational science agrees on this point: collaborative play is a key driver of social and prosocial development (referring to voluntary actions directed toward others with the aim of benefiting them).
By playing together toward a shared goal, children learn to follow group rules, coordinate their actions, and take on complementary roles.
The groundwork for the game is laid. Everyone begins to think things through. The discussion begins, hesitant at first, then growing increasingly enthusiastic. Roles are assigned, generally in a rather natural way. Each child embarks on their own “mission” to ensure the group’s success. Thus, this game, so simple in appearance, fosters cooperation, communication, attentiveness to others’ needs and desires, negotiation, and social understanding2.
Among prosocial behaviors, sharing and helping others are key elements. Children who are accustomed to engaging in collaborative play continue to exhibit these behaviors as they grow up3.
A study published in 20244, conducted with children aged 5–6, demonstrates that these active interactions during shared tasks help develop lasting cooperation skills that can even be transferred to other social situations. To support this research, scientists used collaborative construction-based games.
>> Discover all the benefits of building toys on child development, in our detailed article.
The emotional benefits of collaborative games
To play and win together, we must accept others as they are, in their entirety: their strengths and qualities, but also their doubts and weaknesses. It is impossible to leave anyone behind, as that would mean collective failure. Consequently, collaborative play is strongly linked to the development of empathy and understanding of others.
Accepting others’ perspectives, regulating one’s own emotions (such as frustration or impatience), and learning to compromise are all essential concepts in emotional development.
Experimental studies5 even suggest that symbolic collaborative play, using dolls, helps improve understanding of others’ beliefs and emotions. A first step toward greater inclusion and acceptance of differences.
Cognitive development and problem solving
Working toward a common goal stimulates essential cognitive skills: reasoning, planning, and collective decision-making, not to mention problem-solving and conflict resolution.
Who hasn’t witnessed this scene before? One member of the group decides to go it alone, to make decisions without consulting teammates, to embark on a solo adventure. Reactions are quick to follow. They’re soon reprimanded by the rest of the merry band. One is angry, another is worried, a third is panicked. Lively little discussions allow everyone to voice their thoughts, and they move forward on calmer terms. As you’ve likely noticed, they rarely need an adult’s intervention to sort things out.
This collective problem-solving represents a central aspect of peer interactions based on play, starting as early as preschool6. The context of social play, whether in the classroom or in a more free-form setting, proves particularly effective in helping children learn from one another.
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Keys to language and communication
This is the very foundation of these collaborative games. To succeed together, players must be able to communicate. Language is the primary tool for working toward that much-desired common goal.
Children find themselves explaining, negotiating, and asking questions to coordinate their actions. Giving others time to speak, taking turns, and arguing their points... these activities structure communication processes while expanding vocabulary.
Of course, this vocabulary includes the entire lexical field related to the game in question. But that’s not all! To express their ideas, children form complex sentences, including, for example, causality and hypotheses. They have the opportunity to use common conjunctions rarely used in play, such as “because,” “if,” or “then.” Language is no longer merely descriptive; it becomes explanatory and structured.
Collaborative play is an important tool for children’s development, yet one that is all too rarely explored. Some games possess these intrinsic qualities and naturally encourage cooperation. Others can be adapted or even invented to create such situations. A simple example: ask a small group of children if they would be willing to rake up all the fallen leaves in the garden using the rakes provided. The reward? Choosing the snack that makes their mouths water. Whether indoors or outdoors, the possibilities for collaborative play are endless. If the children don’t initiate it on their own, the suggestion can come from the adults caring for them. Make the suggestion, and watch the magic happen.
Sources :
- Réseau Canopé : Les jeux coopératifs
- Healthline.com : What Is Cooperative Play ? Définition, Examples and Benefits
- Coelho, V., Grande, C., Pontes, A., & Ferreira, J. (2025). The predictive role of time spent in associative and cooperative play on prosocial behavior in children with and without disabilities. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 33(6), 902–918
- Lin, X.; Wu, Y.; Wu, J.; Qin, L. Enhancing Cooperation in 5–6-Year-Old Rural Chinese Children through Cooperative Constructive Play Based on Anji Play: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Behav. Sci. 2024
- The Guardian : Playing with dolls can help children develop imagination and social skills – UK study
- Ramani, G. B., & Brownell, C. A. (2014). Preschoolers’ cooperative problem solving: Integrating play and problem solving. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 12(1), 92-108
- Garaigordobil M, Berrueco L, Celume MP. Developing Children's Creativity and Social-Emotional Competencies through Play: Summary of Twenty Years of Findings of the Evidence-Based Interventions "Game Program". J Intell. 2022 Oct 2
