Milton Bradley Encourages Cooperative Instead of Competitive Play

My daughter just turned three-years-old this year, the perfect age to introduce her to the wonderful world of preschool board games. You remember titles like Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Hi Ho Cherry-O from your own childhood right? I sure do. Of course, none of these board games look the way I remember. The art work is periodically updated to keep the games new and fresh for each consecutive generation. You maybe surprised to find that one popular pre-school game was redesigned to encourage cooperative rather than competitive play.

Milton Bradley has updated Hi Ho Cherry-O to include cooperative play. First produced in 1960, Hi Ho Cherry-O reinforces counting and number recognition. Designed for 2-4 players ages 3-6, Hi Ho Cherry-O contained a game board that depicted a cherry orchard of four trees with recessed wholes desinged to hold ten plastic cherries. Using a card board spinner, the objective was to be the first to fill the your cherry picky basket.

Milton Bradley has recently redesigned Hi Ho Cherry-O. Esthetically, each tree is now a different color (representing oranges, apples, ect.), making it easier for the youngest players to distinguish their own pieces. But it's not the color change but a concept change that is most impressive.

The most exciting update is not the redesigned game board but the addition of cooperative game rules (the classic game rules are still included). The new rules are only a minor modification of classic game rules, but a major upgrade in game play philosophy. In the classic game, there is only one winner, in the cooperative game, everyone wins or looses together.

The cooperative game utilizes the same game board and spinner required for classic play, with the addition of a nine piece bird puzzle. In classic play, the bird or dog image located on the cardboard spinner indicates that the player should remove one piece of fruit from their fruit basket and place it back on their tree. In cooperative game play, the bird image indicates that a one piece of the over turned bird puzzle should be placed face up. The objective in cooperative game play is for all players to pick all of their fruit before the bird puzzle is complete.

In a world were competition underlies almost every aspect of our life, Milton Bradley's incorporation of cooperative game play is a paradigm shift that is long over due. Competition often leads to hurt feelings and ill-will. It's hard to feel good about someone who wants you to lose. In cooperative game play the objective shifts from individual dominance to obtaining a mutual goal. Cooperative play also encourages openness, trust, and self-worth as participants are encouraged to support one another.

By integrating cooperative game play into preschool board games, Milton Bradley is helping parents build a foundation for future social skills. Adults who value cooperative solutions are generally flexible thinkers who search for win/win solutions and experience less stress. By encouraging these skills in young children, we increase their chances of caring them into adulthood.