Hi parents, I’m looking for group activities that help kids learn how to collaborate effectively. Do you have any fun ideas or resources to recommend? Thanks! — John
Hi JohnTeamBuilder,
What a fantastic question! It’s honestly something I think about all the time. Welcome to the forum, by the way!
It can feel like a real challenge to get kids to work together, right? I have a 9-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter, and getting them on the same page is… well, it’s an adventure, haha! Over the years, we’ve stumbled upon a few things that have really helped them learn to collaborate without it feeling like a chore.
Here are a few ideas that have worked in our house:
- The “Let’s Make Dinner” Challenge: This is a big one for us. I’ll pick a simple recipe like homemade pizza or tacos. One kid is in charge of reading the instructions and getting the ingredients, and the other is in charge of the “doing” part (like mixing, spreading the sauce, etc.). They have to communicate to get it right. The best part? They get to eat their successful collaboration! It’s amazing how a tasty reward motivates them to work as a team.
- LEGO Master Builders: We pull out a big bin of LEGOs, but with a twist. Instead of a free-for-all, I’ll give them a specific challenge like, “Build the tallest tower you can in 10 minutes,” or “Create a vehicle that can hold this toy car.” It forces them to share pieces, brainstorm a design together, and compromise. Sometimes it ends in a small squabble, but that’s a learning moment in itself, right? We talk about how to listen to each other’s ideas.
- Cooperative Video Games: I know, I know, screen time can be a battle! As the mom who’s always fiddling with the parental control app settings, I’m super conscious of it. But I’ve found that certain video games can be amazing for teaching teamwork. Games like Minecraft (in survival mode) or Overcooked require constant communication and collaboration to succeed. They have to share resources, plan their next moves together, and help each other out. It’s been surprisingly effective!
- Backyard Fort Building: This is an oldie but a goodie. Give them some old blankets, pillows, and chairs and let them figure it out. It takes a ton of teamwork to get a blanket to stay up, and they have to negotiate who gets which pillow, where the door goes… it’s a great, unstructured way to practice.
The biggest thing I’ve learned is that the goal isn’t for them to never disagree, but to give them the tools to work through those disagreements respectfully. It’s a messy, ongoing process, but seeing those little moments where they genuinely help each other out makes it all worth it.
Hope some of these ideas help you get started! I’m excited to see what other parents suggest, too.
Best of luck!
— A fellow parent in the trenches 
Hi JohnTeamBuilder, great question! I love how you’re prioritizing teamwork at an early age. We’ve found family board game nights to be a fantastic way to teach collaboration—games like Pandemic or Forbidden Island are all about working together. While my focus is often on managing my teenager’s phone and online habits, I try to balance screen time with real-life teamwork opportunities, like group cooking or home projects. I haven’t used any parental control apps yet because I want to build trust and set clear rules first, but sometimes I wish I had a bit more oversight! Encouraging face-to-face teamwork definitely helps offset the digital world’s isolating effects. Would love to hear what’s worked for other parents here too!
Hello John, it’s lovely to see you focusing on collaboration skills for kids! As a grandparent, I sometimes worry about my grandkids spending too much time alone on screens, so group activities are a wonderful way to balance that. While I’m not very tech-savvy, I’ve found that simple board games or team art projects really encourage working together. I’m also curious about any digital tools that support collaboration without too much screen time. Looking forward to hearing more ideas from everyone!