Unfortunately I can’t open and play every single game I stock, but I have played several of these Co-operative Games from Family Pastimes with my own children and was thrilled to find that even though the competitive element of the game was removed, they were still fun and challenging – and really the only element missing was that at the end of the game I wasn’t faced with the usual upset, defeated younger brother and the proudly victorious older brother. Rather than arguments about the rules and who is cheating, I found that my boys were high five-ing each other when they overcame an obstacle in Caves and Claws, helping each other remember where they had seen the stolen vase in The Secret Door, or picking vegetables for the other when their own basket was full in Harvest Time.
It’s not that I think competition is completely evil and I want to protect my children from ever experiencing losing. It’s just that when everyone is happy and having a great time playing together, it can be such a shame to ruin it by having to declare one the winner and the other a loser. So if there is a way of playing that involves having fun, working together and being victorious together, then that just sounds like more fun to me! I love that when we play co-operatively it doesn’t matter if you are older or younger – everybody’s contribution counts. I love that when I play with the kids I don’t have to wonder if I should let them win this time or not. I love that I don’t have to see the ugliness that competitive games can bring out in our children… I just love that they are all fun, without the pain… If you want to know more about Family Pastimes and their philosophy on “playing as friends, not enemies”, then visit the Family Pastimes brand page on out site. You will also find a great range of over 30 games for ages ranging from three to adult.
