Cooperative play is a type of play where children engage in activities together, working collaboratively towards a common goal or shared outcome. It is the most complicated of the six stages of play. Children in this stage will have rules about how to play and assigned roles. They may agree on rules and organize their play. Cooperative play teaches children the need to cooperate and learn from others instead of competing with them. It involves social interaction, communication, and joint problem-solving. Children learn important life skills like communication, problem-solving, empathy, and teamwork. Some examples of cooperative play include working together to stack blocks into a tower, playing tag or chasing each other around the house, and teaming up to build a fort. Encouraging cooperative play can be done by example, playing games that require taking turns, discussing assigning roles within play, and encouraging communication and feedback. Benefits of cooperative play include improved language skills, improved attention, self-regulation, better peer relationships, learning to work with peers, adapting to the needs of others, learning to compromise, learning to resolve conflicts, improved physical development, and developing problem-solving skills.