One can bring cooperation into a game, but it is very difficult to take competition out of it. An important aspect of playing sports has always been the tendency to compare two individuals, two teams, who wins against whom and who loses against whom. Winning and losing touches a very visceral part of our being and if we observe carefully, the games field becomes a tremendous place to learn about ourselves. We in Pathashaala had dealt with this through interventions during play time when necessary, and during discussions at the end of a games session. Facilitators played a crucial role in emphasizing the non-necessity of comparison and competing, playing games with joy, building skills, and being fit. However, responding to the challenges of Covid-19 showed us what cooperation implies. We also recognized that games could play an important role in instilling this feeling of cooperation among learners in our schools.
The beginning
Having the whole school back on campus in 2022, post Covid-19, was a major transitional phase in Pathashaala. Old practices were reviewed to make space for some new ideas to come in. We also brainstormed the way games and sports could be played. We felt the need to emphasize fitness, exercise and skill building, as well as playing safely, before moving on to playing the popular games such as cricket, football, basketball, and volleyball that students like to play. However, we found that the students were interested only in playing. Before Covid we had played what we used to call ‘community’ games. When we reopened, there was a strong suggestion that we should have dedicated time for playing such games, for there was a feeling that enough of these games were not being played. These had been introduced at The School by Vinayan Anna, the physical education teacher. Seeing the importance of such games in a K School, I volunteered to anchor these games at Pathashaala. We renamed them ‘cooperative games’.
Meeting the challenge
The foremost challenge was to come up with the kind of games to be played. I took suggestions from other educators and ideas from recreational sports activities from around the world. I modified the existing and popular community games to suit our intention of not competing. Most importantly, I tried to evolve original ideas complete with rules and consequences. Another challenge was also to ensure that there is no feeling of monotony while playing these games. Creating new games together with the learners helped in this.
When we moved from cooperative games to resume the popular team games like cricket and football, we observed the difficulty that players had in cooperating when they felt the urge to win. This was a challenging time, to communicate the importance of cooperative games in their educational experience. Inclusion of more physically demanding cooperative games meeting their energy levels, was needed. The process of co-creation was very helpful in this regard. Now, many students share their strong inclination to play cooperative games. One can see a sense of joy in playing these games and also the struggle to cooperate.
The pedagogy of cooperative games
These games sessions in the school represent more than just moments of leisure; they encapsulate a pedagogical approach aimed at nurturing essential life skills while fostering a sense of camaraderie among learners. The games are meticulously designed to avoid competition, prioritize safety, and instil participants with the joy of collaborative play. Within this framework, learners not only engage in physical activity but also embark on a journey of personal and social development, enriched by experiences of cooperation, problem-solving, inclusive discussions, effective communication, trustbuilding, strategic planning, and decision-making.
It has been two years since all classes began playing weekly cooperative games at Pathashaala and now we have tens of games in our stock. This has developed well from having the same kind of games for different classes each week to different games for different classes depending on their interest and skill in playing the game. As each game is played together as a whole class, the learners find it interesting and enjoyable as well. One of the defining features of cooperative games is the emphasis on inclusivity and noncompetitiveness. Modified versions of popular games are crafted with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that every participant feels valued and involved. I now share some examples of such games.
Examples of cooperative games
Dodgeball: An example of such a game is dodgeball. The whole class is divided into two groups. A circle is drawn and the boundary is set. One group stands outside the circle and the other group stands inside of it. The objective is to oust the players inside the circle by making a volleyball touch them below the knee. As each one gets out, they become part of the group outside the circle trying to oust the people inside the circle. After everyone has been ousted, the players who were initially inside are swapped with those outside. Many versions of this game are played. One such is having three sections namely core, crust and mantle wherein the players in the core and crust try to oust the players in the mantle. There is a continuous swap of players as and when they are ousted. This is a popular game and children greatly enjoy it.
These games are not only engaging but are also designed to challenge participants cognitively and physically, prompting them to employ critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork to overcome obstacles and achieve common goals. ‘Great Escape’ is another such example.
Great escape: The participants must stand in a circle, maintaining a rope taut at waist level by pressing their backs against the rope, forming a webbing. The objective is for the entire group to escape the webbing formed by the rope without letting it touch the ground. They must adhere to the following rules:
- Hands and arms cannot touch the rope.
- The rope cannot be lifted above waist level.
- Participants cannot duck under the rope.
- The rope should not touch the ground until everyone has exited the taut rope.
Participants must strategize and coordinate their movements to exit the webbing. They must carefully manoeuvre around the rope without violating the rules. The game is successfully completed when all participants have exited the webbing without letting the rope touch the ground. After the game, participants can discuss strategies, teamwork, and communication skills employed during the activity.
The involvement of experienced educators as well as learners in the creation and facilitation of games adds a unique dimension to the playing experience. With firsthand knowledge of their needs and abilities, educators and learners have tailored games with rules that prioritize the cooperative spirit, ensuring that each activity serves as a platform for meaningful learning and growth. Some of the games that have been created in such a collaborative manner are Collision, Ball rush and Keep it in the air. The latter is a variation of the normal volleyball game.
Keep it in the air: This is an example of a game with simple rules and instructions. The task is for the group to keep a volleyball in the air for the longest time possible. The participants can only tap the ball across the net without holding or grabbing the ball and no one is allowed to do two consecutive taps or touches. The game ends if and when the ball hits the ground.
Carefree games: Due to the nature and the spirit with which we play cooperative games, some learners from Class 10 have done a team project as part of their exam requirement, titled ‘Carefree Games—Win With, and Not Against’. As part of the project, they designed games keeping in mind the prerequisite of simplicity of rules, instructions and materials used, so as to include differently abled players. They did this under the guidance of Vidyasagar, a school for the differently-abled in Chennai. Co-holding their sports event with Pathashaala, the school conducted their Sports Day and issued medals to everyone and not just those who had ‘won’ a game.
We also held Kondattam (celebration in Tamil), an inter-school event, around the same theme, in which different schools participated. Students from different schools shared their positive feelings of playing ‘Carefree Games’.
Lessons from cooperative games
By playing cooperative games, students have gathered many lessons in collaboration and problem-solving. In activities requiring acts of cooperation—such as navigating obstacle courses blindfolded—students learn to trust and rely on one another’s guidance, fostering bonds of mutual respect and support. Similarly, in games demanding strategic planning and decision-making, students engage in lively discussions, weighing different perspectives, reaching consensus through inclusive processes. The quality of listening and communication skills are honed through activities that necessitate clear verbal instructions or relaying of messages. Realizing that success hinges not only on their individual actions but also on their ability to collaborate and coordinate with others, participants learn the importance of attentive listening and effective communication. By prioritizing cooperation, inclusion, and meaningful engagement, these games instill in learners the values and skills essential for well-being in both academic and real-world contexts.
Krishnamurti says, “To me, cooperation is entirely different. Cooperation is the fun of being and doing together, not necessarily doing something in particular.” Cooperative games in Pathashaala are an initiative in that direction. Having organized and evolved these cooperative games for two years now, I sense the truth of what Krishnamurti is saying every day.
Balaji has, with a Master’s degree in Biological and Biomedical Engineering, been a teacher at Pathashaala for eight years now. Of his choice to teach, he says, “I am interested in learning about life and contributing to school education, as I f ind it a very meaningful endeavour.”