Work Together Wednesday - Five fun ways for children to work together

When children work together, they explore math and science concepts and develop their social and early literacy skills.

Did you know…?

Children develop self confidence in their own abilities by being part of a team and practicing leadership skills
Children build communication and listening skills by working together
Working with a variety of people helps children to understand and value the strengths each person has, developing their sense of empathy and acceptance of others

Group Art: provide a large piece of paper and have children choose a theme (home, farm, ocean, animals, etc.). Have children work together to create a piece of artwork based on the theme. Encourage them to share ideas and divide duties to create their masterpiece!
Assign roles for everyday tasks. Children who are given specific jobs feel a sense of belonging and identify with being part of a team. When every child works together to nurture a garden, for example, it’s as much of a bonding experience as a sense of pride in getting the job done!
Playing a game helps children to hone their problem-solving skills. Host a building challenge to see what team can build the tallest structure, for example. Here’s a list of 5 Construction Challenges for Kids.
Sneak peek building game: Have children duplicate a simple structure you make. The catch? Each team member can sneak one peek during the activity. What a great way for children to learn to listen and communicate, as well as strengthen memory and solve problems!
Produce a play! Guide children in choosing a story they would like to act out. They work together to assign roles, choose costumes, and create props. Then they work together to act it out at the end of the day (or week).