Cooperative Tabletop Game: Forest Friends Adventure

Objective

Help all the forest friends reach their cozy homes before the sun sets (or before a certain number of "threat" cards are drawn).

Components (Teacher Prep - Can use existing game or create simple components)

• Game Board: A path with spaces leading to several "home" spaces.
• Forest Friend Pawns (4-6): Small tokens representing different forest animals (e.g., fox, rabbit, bear, deer).
• Movement Die: A standard six-sided die.
• Event Cards (15-20): Cards with simple instructions. Most cards will have positive movement (e.g., "Sunny Path! Move a friend 2 spaces.") or special actions (e.g., "Berry Bush! Draw an extra card."). A few cards will have negative events (e.g., "Tricky Path! Move a friend back 1 space.") or "threat" icons (e.g., "Dark Clouds Gathering!" - these count towards the loss condition).
• Goal Markers: Place one on each "home" space.

How to Play

1. Setup:

   • Place all Forest Friend Pawns at the start of the path.
   • Shuffle the Event Cards and place them face down in a draw pile.
   • Place Goal Markers on the "home" spaces.

2. Taking Turns (Collaborative Decision):

   • On a player's turn, they roll the Movement Die and draw one Event Card.
   • Crucially, the entire group discusses and decides together which Forest Friend Pawn to move based on the die roll and the event card. For example, if a player rolls a 3 and draws a "Sunny Path! Move a friend 2 spaces." card, the group might decide to move one friend 5 spaces total (3 + 2), or they might decide to move two different friends (one by 3, one by 2) if the game allows.
   • If a "threat" card is drawn, it is set aside in a "threat pile."

3. Winning the Game:

   • The team wins if all Forest Friend Pawns reach their respective "home" spaces before a predetermined number of "threat" cards (e.g., 3 or 4) are in the "threat pile."

4. Losing the Game:

   • The team loses if the "threat pile" reaches its limit before all Forest Friend Pawns are safely home.

Negotiation & Problem-Solving in Action

• Who to move? Students will need to discuss which friend is closest to home, which friend needs to avoid a "tricky path" space, or which move will help the team achieve the goal most efficiently.
• When to use special actions? If an Event Card grants a special action, the team must decide the best time and way to use it for the collective good.
• Dealing with challenges: When a "threat" card appears or a pawn moves backward, the team must work together to strategize how to overcome this setback and continue towards their goal.

Teacher Note: This game is a template. You can adapt it with different themes, rules, or even use an existing cooperative board game like Hoot Owl Hoot!, Stone Soup, or Peaceable Kingdom games, which are excellent for 2nd graders and fit the cooperative play objective.

Gameplay Reflection Worksheet

Name: ____________________________

Thinking About Our Team Game

1. What was the goal of our game today?
   
   
   
   

2. What was one way your team worked together to try and reach the goal?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Was there a time when your team had different ideas about what to do? How did you decide what to do?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. What was one challenge your team faced during the game? How did you try to solve it together?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. How did it feel to work with your teammates? (Circle one)

   • Great!
   • Good
   • Okay
   • A little tricky

6. What is one thing you learned about working in a team today?