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Peaceable Kingdom has something of a corner on the market for ‘cooperative games’. These are games where everyone playing either wins together or loses together. There are no individual winners or losers.
I had a conversation with a friend a while ago and he was saying how important playing sports was for kids. They learn teamwork, reliance on others, etc. I agreed but suggested that playing in a school orchestra or band can be just as good for teaching those concepts. And music has one advantage over sports in that performing is not about winning and losing, which is not how most situations work in life. Instead, everyone in a band contributes and the group’s success is determined by the participation of everyone. These Peaceable Kingdom games are meant to promote that idea. They have lots of similar board games with the same idea.
So, the cooperative game we got was ‘Count your Chickens’. Kids take turns moving chicks into the coop, and if all 20 make it in before mama hen gets home, everyone wins. Otherwise, everyone loses. We have one child who is particularly competitive, overly competitive, and we had hoped this game would offer an alternative to the zero-sum attitude. Whether it has or not, who knows. But everyone likes it regardless.
The pieces are pretty cheaply made – like a dollar’s worth of cardboard and ink – but the game was a hit and the kids continue pulling it out every now and then. The game is so simple, on the level of ‘Candy Land’, but also includes a counting component that makes the game educational even if you don’t care about the collaborative aspect.