Sharing the last cookie, playing with the same toys and letting everyone have a turn on the swing is not always easy. Sometimes it can be hard to co-operate and share with others, but fear not! There are plenty of good tips and tricks for how to become better at co-operation and also help others to do so. One person who knows a lot about co-operation is preschool teacher Mumba Muleba. Mumba, who works as a teacher at the English preschool, explains how they get the children to co-operate and want to play together.
- At the preschool, we try to have very clear projects to work on, for example, different games and activities. This gives us as a group a sense of belonging where we work as a team towards a common goal. For example, we have worked on a project where we built an insect hotel. All the children were very engaged and as a group the co-operation meant we could work together and learn more about insects at the same time," he says.
Furthermore, Mumba Muleba points out how important it is to be able to work and play with other people as it helps to create a pleasant and calm environment. As an educator, he explains that one must be attentive when children are at play.
- Safety is also a factor. All children play, but we must remember that some children do not understand the 'rules' of play. This tends to create stress and tension during play. Therefore, it is important to make sure that every child is seen and, when needed, that one helps to make sure that the rules are followed and that no one is excluded.
Tips for you to become better at co-operation
- Create a "we" feeling by doing joint projects with an end goal.
- Listen to others and let everyone have their say.
- Dare to speak up, your voice is important too, just like everyone else's.
- Dare to speak up if something feels wrong, communication is the key to good co-operation.
