It’s about co-operation.

It’s about fun for all ages.

It’s a game called CoCoThrow which you can play nearly anywhere, with nearly anyone. It need not cost anything at all. It’s not new but it wears well.

We started playing it in 2005 when we called it ‘Co-operative Juggling’. In 2006 we took it to community events, fetes or galas as our contribution to the general fun. Someone said it was ‘a diverting twist in a pleasant afternoon’. Last year at a big conference we began to play it after supper in the dusk. It began to spread and we got feedback…

‘Yesterday I was down on the beach with family and friends and really wanted to have a go at our beanbag game. So not having time to make any I had a brainwave. I took old ready cut up tights (and scissors) along with all the usual beach stuff. We made small ‘bags’ and the kids got filling them with dry sand (use a small yogurt pot to measure) then knot it up. The kids amused and delighted themselves just chucking them around and being able to catch them so easily. Then we got started – about 9 or 10 of us, 4 adults and 5 kids. It was a bit random – no-one wanted to stop and listen to the rules and we had ages 3 to 64 playing, but it worked. The littlest ones were runners and gathered up the dropped bags into the bucket. At one point we really got a rhythm going and one of the dads said

‘I know what this is about – it’s about co-operation!’

We tried to think how we could share this fun. In the end we’ve made a 6 minute film which shows how to do it. You can see it on Vimeo [https://vimeo.com/40892469] To back that up we’ve put the film on a dvd in a colourful activity pack which tells you where, who, why, how and what is involved and sets some challenges to see how well you can co-operate. The pack also works as a rather posh greetings card. To back it up we’ve created a Facebook Page [https://facebook.com/CoCoThrow ] which will give extra information and where you can upload your pictures or links to video clips showing how well you and your co-operators can play.

When we started we just wanted to share the fun, and the satisfaction of co-operating. Then we discovered that 2012 was the UN International Year of Co-operation and thought CoCoThrow fitted in well with that. Most of us are members of the UK Co-op (the nearest shop to the site of the film is Marsh, Huddersfield), the PhoneCoop connects us to the internet and the Co-operative Bank chose the name of Yorkshire Quaker Arts Projects for the account which they hold for us. So perhaps we fit in well too.